Kevonna Rose

Some could say Kevonna Rose was born into music. Born in South Jersey into a Christian, the indie soul/pop artist grew up on gospel and soul, pop and doo-wop, and everything in between. Coming from a long lineage of musicians, it’s no surprise that Rose caught when her uncle gave her her first guitar, she couldn’t put it down. Dazzling listeners with her soulful vocals and carefully crafted lyrics, the singer-songwriter was a finalist in Essence Festival’s “Show Your Range” contest and won the “Wawa Welcome America” contest, where she opened for Ms Lauryn Hill, Common and more. Her live performances also earned her features on NPR Music’s ​​“Top Shelf Tiny Desk Submissions This Week” and on SoFar Sounds’ “Best of the Listening Room.”

 

Her secret behind her hyper-relatable songwriting? “I just want to have a conversation,” Rose commented on her matter-of-fact songwriting. “And if it sounds good too… give me a GRAMMY!” she laughed before launching into a gush over her musical heroes (Ms Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, Etta James, Sam Cooke, Lianne La Havas, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Solange to name a few). You can hear the rich mélange of these influences in her music, which blends soulful vocals with a folk-inspired minimalism and a pop sensibility. And even in her darkest songs, Rose maintains a sense of playfulness and humor. 

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