NATASHA ROSE TALKS STAMP OF APPROVAL
"It is so much bigger than just me"
Daniel John
What is this song, 'Stamp of Approval', about. What got you to write this song?
'Stamp of Approval' taps into that uncomfortable truth of wanting to be liked so badly that you start to lose yourself a little bit. It’s shiny and upbeat on the outside, but a bit brutal when you actually listen which perfectly encapsulates the reality of choosing validation over your own values. I wrote this song in the middle of trying to write as many songs as possible while working on a larger project. Every time I finished a song, I was judging it, telling myself it wasn’t the perfect pop song. I would stress about how the song would be perceived, and ultimately, I would become more concerned with how other people might like it than whether it meant something to me. It was so frustrating to put this pressure on my own feelings and on my art, so I started to burn out. One day, I sat down and wrote the chorus of 'Stamp of Approval', and it was so confronting that I stopped writing. When I was sending my producer all of the demos, I automatically selected this little chorus too. I sent it, and I was told, “I had to finish this one”. Don’t think, don’t try to rewrite, just whatever feels right, write it. And that’s exactly what I did, and it is now my favourite song I’ve ever written.
Both 'Catastrophe' and 'Creature of Bad Habit' got super cool music-vids, what kinda music video would you approve of for this one. Be it “well actually I have this thought out already”, or just dreaming one up for the answer?
Thank you! The 'Catastrophe' and 'Creature of Bad Habit' music videos were both soooo much fun to make, and I got to be super involved in the process of both of them. Honestly, I was completely overthinking the 'Stamp of Approval' video and feeling the pressure of it being better than the last two, which feels fitting when you think about the meaning of the song. I wrote 'Stamp of Approval' in a very real moment. It was a “this will never happen” song. I have come to the conclusion that the visual needs to feel the same, it needs to be void of my own pressure and expectations because if I can’t let go of my own forced perfectionism, how can I expect others to do the same? Plus I also quite like the juxtaposition of a song about caring so deeply about a perfect product whilst serving something so real.
This new song in itself feels like such a quintessential love letter to pop at large. What would you say are artists that have been important for your heart to beat-for-pop in this way?
Music is my love language. There truly is a song for every occasion and a song for every feeling. I am a huge pop lover, but I am so inspired by every corner of music and sound and art. For me, any artists who are innovative, authentic, experimental with music, and like to bend the boundaries of their sound are my faves. I have so much respect for artists like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna. I grew up listening to them and so many more who shaped my love for pop, the world that the stars can build, and what they stand for around the music.
The surface of pop can be so polished that it's easy to see it demanding levels of perfectionism to get there, do you feel that need to get everything exactly right?
I am a big-time perfectionist, and it affects the way I see my music so much! It can be a very paralyzing feeling. It’s like you know that there is always something that can be better, especially in our current pop climate and with the rise of AI in music. I have combated the perfectionism by leaning into the journey and learning part of being an aspiring pop star. Instead of being precious with everything I create and trying to completely control the way I am perceived, I have started sharing demos, ideas, showing the BTS and unfinished projects. Doing this means there is a starting line, proof of progression, and when I do release highs that I feel are as close to perfect as possible, I can see how far I’ve come and how hard I’ve worked, and I hope other people can see that too!
Even everything artist-related aside, what meaning does it have for you to be able to sing stuff out loud. Is it mostly freeing, or can that vulnerability feel just as nerve–racking as saying those things outside of a song?
To be able to write and sing about my emotions, experiences, and to be self-aware in such a visible way can definitely be daunting. The vulnerability of coming face to face with yourself and having to deconstruct it and feel it in every way to write it into a pop-song is sometimes a little overwhelming. That being said, I have been able to really know myself, work through struggles, and have used music as an outlet through this project. I sometimes feel an obligation to make these feelings somewhat accessible through music because you don’t know who else is experiencing these same things and needs to feel understood and heard.
How early was it you were already aspiring to be a popstar?
I’ve been singing in my shower and writing “poems” since I can remember. I used to love putting on shows for my family in the lounge-room, and making people laugh or cry through performance. I think creativity, and art, are part of my soul. And are something I was always going to have to do, in one way or another.
What have been some moments when this big, surreal, dream has felt very real for you, so far?
When you are so dialed in on the next goal and the next big thing, it can be so hard to slow down enough to take in how many incredible moments happen on the journey to that goal. So I really love this question! It’s nice to reflect on the wins I have had so far, and one of those biggest moments was playing the Australian Scouts Jamboree to ten-thousand people. I wrote songs just for that show so I could be performing my own music. At this point, I didn’t have much original music out at all. I made a map for a prop, styled my outfits with outfit changes. Duh! And had to give it my absolute all! Another huge moment for me was being on set for the 'Creature of Bad Habit' music video like, “Oh everyone is here right now working on something I wrote in my room, and I couldn’t be more grateful!” It’s really any moment I realise that people are connected to my music and journey that I feel it is so much bigger than just me.
