Hailing from Stockport, England but now based in London, singer/songwriter/guitarist JJ Rosa brings a very unique perspective to funk/dance pop on her debut EP Tonight, which will be released on 5 December. With nimble vocals inspired by Michael Jackson, a nasty funk groove reminiscent of Chic and Chaka Khan, and guitar work that evokes Nile Rodgers, the raucous title track is a huge statement by this talented young woman, who’s already garnered high praise from the likes of Christine McVie and Rowetta.
“‘Tonight’ came about as a knee-jerk response to the grind and stress of day to day life getting on top of me,” Rosa tells PopMatters. When things are getting too much I like to vent steam on a night out with people I love, have a good time and forget my worries, even if it’s just for one night it always helps.
“The music I listen to when I’m in that mood has definitely influenced the sounds and feel of the track, so when I wrote the song I naturally felt it important to capture that sentiment and vibe with a heavy beat, big ’80s snare and synths, dirty guitar and lots n’ lots of vocal harmonies to really get that energy going!
“It’d be nice to think that one day ‘Tonight’ could become one of those songs that people go to when it’s time to let their hair down and feel good!”