I’m So Excited About Rosendale’s Debut Album That I Pre-Ordered It

I’m not a ‘music’ person. I only find out about musicians after they are famous, and usually not even then (you’d be amazed by how many ‘famous’ songs I don’t know). Never before have I pre-ordered a music album.

Last month, I watched the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival on YouTube. Looking at the schedule, I asked myself, “Who is this ‘Rosendale’ and what are they doing at a Taiwanese American festival” (I missed the section in the program which explains who everyone is). When his segment came up, I was like, “oh, he’s a singer.” Then I heard his songs and his commentary. (Note: his segment was only available on livestream, the recording is not publicly available.)

Since then, I’ve listened to Rosendale’s YouTube songs many times.

What gets me about Rosendale and his music is that he lets himself be vulnerable. Public vulnerability is scary, which is why we’re attracted to people who do it well. The sincerity in his singing rings as true as his notes.

Rosendale and I both grew up in San Francisco. He left San Francisco less than a year ago, the subject of his song “goodbye, san francisco.” Memories/lingering emotional issues with his ex-boyfriend drove him out of the city. Feelings and insights he gained from breaking his toxic relationship with his ex inspired many songs in his debut album, The Stages of Grief.

I’m the worst person to predict who will be the next music star. That said, I sense that Rosendale is currently underrated and will ascend to a higher level of fame in the future. Pre-ordering his album excites because, for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m in on a secret talent of popular music.

Maybe I’m completely wrong about that. But even if Rosendale never becomes more famous than he is now, I enjoy his music, I want the MP3 files so I can listen to them without YouTube, and that’s enough.

Since it’s pride month, the obvious song to close this post is “this is what it’s like to be gay.”