Her songs are short but not always so sweet. She understands what her audience craves. Isabel LaRosa is darker than Jenna Ortega, more dangerous than Melanie Martinez, and she offers a captivating intimacy through her breathy delivery that rivals the pure, emotion-soaked magic of Lana Del Rey. She’s even got a gifted sibling co-writer who also produces her tracks. The foundation is firmly in place for Isabel LaRosa to build an iconic career. But who is she? And how did she become a Spotify artist to watch in 2024?

Artwork from “pretty boy” single. Credit: Samantha Monendo.

Isabel was born in Annapolis, Maryland, and started writing songs with her brother, Thomas, in elementary school. At 17, she announced her deal with Slumbo Labs/RCA Records and released her debut concept EP, i’m watching you, which featured the tracks “HAUNTED,” “HELP,” and “HEAVEN.” She also released an atmospheric short that combined all three songs, creating an unnerving tale that was inspired by Stranger Things as well as the short films Lights Out and FryDay.

Isabel’s followup single, “i’m yours,” was embraced by influencers, such as Nessa Barrett, Huddy, Emma Norton, and Kayla Nicole. Consequently, a five-second TikTok clip of the track has been used in over 246K videos, with over 400 million views across all social platforms.

In 2023, the artist released a second EP (YOU FEAR THE GOD THAT LOVES YOU). The standout single was a haunting track called “older” that was supported by another nightmarish video.

LaRosa found radio success in early 2024 with her breakout single “favorite.” Besides having over 6 million creates on TikTok, the track climbed into the top 25 on Pop Radio. Once again, the artist accompanied the track with a dark video. “Favorite” was written and directed by Isabel and stars Ethan Cutosky (Shameless).

Musically, Isabel and Thomas wanted to maintain her dark sound on “favorite,” but bring in a little Latin influence while the lyrics were about “the feeling of both desire and jealousy that comes from the person you’re interested in having a lot of options.” For her visual inspiration, Isabel said she “pulled from Euphoria, Stranger Things, and True Detective.”

If this provocative yet vulnerable artist sounds intriguing, now is the ideal time to see her live. For the most part, the venues on her “Heaven Doesn’t Wait” tour are under 1,000-capacity, so you have a rare chance to experience Isabel LaRosa up close in an intimate environment. If that’s your plan, it’s best to get tickets now because more than half of her upcoming dates have already sold out. For more information, visit Isabel’s website.

Upcoming “Heaven Doesn’t Wait” tour dates

Sept. 12 at Center Stage in Atlanta, GA
Sept. 14 at Ukie Club in Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 15 at Racket NYC in New York, NY
Sept. 17 at Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA SOLD OUT
Sept. 19 at Velvet Underground in Toronto, ON
Sept. 21 at Avondale Music Hall in Chicago, IL
Sept. 28 at We Can Survive 2024 in Newark, NJ
Oct. 21 at Saint Luke’s in Glasgow SOLD OUT
Oct. 22 at Manchester Academy 2 in Manchester
Oct. 23 at Heaven in London SOLD OUT
Oct. 25 at Melkweg in Amsterdam SOLD OUT
Oct. 26 at Le Botanique in Bruxelles SOLD OUT
Oct. 28 at Alhambra in Paris SOLD OUT
Oct. 30 at Circolo Magnolia in Segrate SOLD OUT
Oct. 31 at Hansa 39 in München SOLD OUT
Nov. 2 at Hole44 in Berlin SOLD OUT
Nov. 4 at NIEBO in Warszawa SOLD OUT
Nov. 5 at TAMA in Poznań

Isabel LaRosa
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Cover photo credit: Samantha Monendo