Q&A with Annika Rose
Interviewed by Olivia Emigh
I met Annika Rose and her manager, Alice Dabell, at the Norma Kamali presentation during New York Fashion Week in September. Annika struck me immediately, almost like a cartoon character come to life. There was something magnetic about her and she managed to stand out in a crowd of stylized attendees. Annika handed me one of her self-published newspapers, and as someone who also works in print and publication, I was instantly intrigued.
When I asked about it, Annika explained that the newspaper began as a way of reclaiming her narrative and transforming emotional fallout into art. That blend of humor, defiance, and emotional intelligence made perfect sense once I started listening to her music.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Annika was already playing in bands by age ten. Born into a musical family, her career began early: covering Led Zeppelin at ten, signing to a girl group at thirteen, and being dropped from a major label at fifteen. Instead of giving up, she went independent and developed a sound influenced by Paramore, Matty Healy, and Alanis Morissette.
Alchemizing Pain, Building Worlds, and Finding Light
Today Annika has more than 70,000 Spotify followers and millions of streams. She is proving that building worlds, trusting intuition, and owning your story can create impact. Her single “I’M GOOD. I’M GREAT.” follows the release of her Broadway and Bond EP. The writing took place between New York and Los Angeles and was inspired by a whirlwind romance she describes as “the lie I told myself through gritted teeth to stay alive.”
The choice of a comic book store for our shoot felt intuitive. It matched her world perfectly. Her universe is bold, surreal, and self-referential in the best way. As Labelgrid put it, “Marketing does not need money. Annika Rose turned a street newspaper into promo and fan merch. Offline sparks online.”
Her universe now extends beyond music and into physical world-building. The second edition of the Bond St Bulletin was released alongside “TAKE OFF.” on November 7, blurring the line between storytelling, satire, and real-world distribution.
Annika Rose posing with a copy of her self-published newspaper.
Photo: Alyssa Tranbarger (@alyssatranbargerphoto)
HMUA: Nahla Simone (black-lotus.studio)
Your newspaper project: How did it come about, and what did you want it to express?
It originated as revenge on an ex. Although I would not necessarily call him an ex, he was more like a short-lived and aggressively calculated love-bombing narcissist. The newspaper became a way to reclaim my narrative and, in its own way, a form of creative revenge. I had been in a beautiful relationship for years, and it was the weekend-long aftermath of someone else that enabled a cascade of life-altering pivots.
Sometimes it only takes one person, someone barely in your orbit, to alter your brain chemistry and turn your world upside down. That weekend, and what he said and did to me, inspired the paper.
At first, it came through music, my most cathartic form of therapy since childhood. After that, I spent months word-vomiting on paper and into a mic to process the unimaginable. Out of that came an expansion of creativity. There is only so much that can fit in a three-minute song. It was not enough.
The project changed my perception of intimacy, psychology, and self-reliance. Although the paper takes a satirical approach to a dark story, it is ultimately about our ability to turn the lights back on after sitting in the dark. So many women have lived a version of my story, and I wanted the paper to be proof that you can alchemize your pain and turn it into something greater and something healing.
I also wanted people to hold it, read it, and feel it. In an age of endless digital scroll, there is something radical about stopping to touch something real.
Your August track release (“I’M GOOD. I’M GREAT.”) felt raw and cinematic. What story were you telling, and how did the rollout feel?
Broadway & Bond came from leaving a long, beautiful relationship and learning how to walk again after it. It tells the story of becoming an autonomous unit, coming home to myself.
It’s about contrasts: Darkness and light, good and evil, and the ways those forces distort our ability to trust our intuition. I speak about the beauty of deep love, how transformative it is, and about the ignorance of assuming everyone carries that same goodness.
“I’M GOOD. I’M GREAT.” specifically reflects my first introduction to someone’s darkness—and how far we’ll go to convince ourselves we’re okay just to survive.
The rollout was the most gratifying release I’ve ever done. Being independent means I get to play—experiment with visuals, character development, clothing, and world-building. I wanted to move away from screen culture and bring the art into real life. Now the path feels clear, and I know exactly where I want to take it next.
“Being independent means I get to play — experiment with visuals, character development, clothing, and world-building. I wanted to move away from screen culture and bring the art into real life.”
What’s next for you? Shows, collabs, projects?
I’M FINISHING MY FIRST ALBUM! AHHH!!! It’s been my dream since I was a little girl: a full, cohesive body of work, meticulously crafted through stories, transitions, themes, and visuals.
I’m also creating the next newspaper, which will now accompany every song release. I want to build a rabbit hole for people to fall into: music, visuals, real-world touchpoints.
Fashion is also a huge part of my world. The intersection of music and fashion thrills me, and I’m excited to see where it leads. Playing live is my favorite part of all this, so there will be plenty of shows and hopefully another tour soon. I’m all about REAL LIFE SHIT, we need that more than ever.
Annika Rose posing at Anyone Comics in Crown Heights.
Photo: Alyssa Tranbarger (@alyssatranbargerphoto)
HMUA: Nahla Simone (black-lotus.studio)
What’s your go-to “typical Annika” look?
White blouse, black tie, black shorts, white socks, Doc Martens, a black star above my lip, and dark eyes.
I call her Sir Nik.
She’s fearless, powerful, and absolutely sure of what she came here to do. She’s the woman who dares to take up space and speak up, no bullshit. She lives inside every woman who’s been silenced or undervalued.
Because we make the world go round, and sometimes all it takes is a suit and tie to remember that.
If there’s one thing you want people to know about you right now, what is it?
“I am your friend.”
What’s clear is that Rose isn’t just releasing singles, she’s building an interconnected universe. Each song comes with its own newspaper, visuals, characters, and physical ephemera. The goal, she says, is to “build a rabbit hole people can fall into.”
Annika Rose posing at Anyone Comics in Crown Heights.
Photo: Alyssa Tranbarger (@alyssatranbargerphoto)
HMUA: Nahla Simone (black-lotus.studio)