By: Eva Lynch
Last week, Baby Rose and BADBADNOTGOOD shared their first collaboration called One Last Dance; a soft and sultry love song, full of nostalgia and remorse. If you feel like reminiscing on a late night walk, this is a perfect song for you. The light flute, instrumental background, and chorus complement Baby Rose’s raspy ballad as the song is full of the Washington-born R&B singer’s classic soulful and vulnerable tone.
Along with the release of One Last Dance, Baby Rose and BADBADNOTGOOD announced their upcoming six-song, collaborative EP Slow Burn, which drops on April 12 through Rose’s label, Secretly Canadian. It follows Baby Rose’s 2023 sophomore LP, Through and Through, which was one of my favourite albums of last year, as it showed Baby Rose’s growth and power; mixing together high-energy power ballads with somber and heartfelt tracks which cut to the core. BADBADNOTGOOD are a toronto-based collective whose sound has often been described as a fusion blend of 70s soul jazz and instrumental hip hop, and have worked with artists like Daniel Caesar, MF DOOM, Kali Uchis, Charlotte Day Wilson and Mick Jenkins to produce unforgettable tracks. The collaboration between the two artists is an exciting EP to look forward to, and will hopefully play with Baby Rose’s powerful and smooth, powerhouse voice and BADBADNOTGOOD’s instinct for creating catchy rhythms and playing with this intersection of jazz and R&B to create a memorable new groovy sound, I know I personally can’t wait to hear.
In an interview with Exclaim magazine, Baby Rise shares that: One Last Dance is important to me because it reflects my feelings of longing and love for someone who sees me as a villain in their story. I used to blame them too, but with time, realized where I was wrong and ultimately hoped for a chance to make it right. There’s a strong part of me that wishes we could try again, pretend it never fell apart, even while knowing it will never be the same. The longing is less about the person and more about the feelings behind the memories we shared. A true testament to the growing pains in life, the music is a sweet underscore of a longing, pride-less goodbye.”
Going into the studio she says didn’t write anything in advance, just began to sing and see what came out, and finished the song the very same day. The song is the unfiltered emotions and reflections coming out of this moment, and manages to capture a raw and present headspace. It managed to capture a very vintage, old-soul feel, as she reflects on this past relationship and encounter, not wanting to bring up the past, only dance with them again. The peaceful tune is full of familiarity and comfort of a love that was one-known and now forgotten, and has you instantly connect with the musicians. If this is a taste of anything to follow, we are in for a treat.