Introducing Emerging Armenian Singer-Songwriter, Rosa Linn
The pandemic-adjusted world quickly grew accustomed to the influx of virtual interactions. Within months, we started using Zoom as a verb and citing “Zoom fatigue,” among other things, for our lack of energy. With that said, there are very few people who leave Zoom calls more energized than they were before. But maybe that’s because very few people have had a Zoom call with Rosa Linn.
Rosa Linn is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter and producer from Vanadzor, Armenia with an unparalleled amount of talent and an enviable level of self-assurance. She sings with a voice that will move you, and speaks with a confidence that demands attention. Rosa Linn seeks to be a bridge between Armenia and the rest of the world through her music and is taking on the music industry as an artist under Nvak Collective, a record label focused on signing women and non-binary people from emerging markets around the world. Her impressive command over songwriting gives her a unique edge in this endeavor, as she is able to write music in English, Russian, and Armenian. “Speaking three languages gives you more opportunities to write about different stuff. If I have a melody on my mind, I instantly know if it’s gonna sound good in Russian, Armenian, or English,” she explains. She describes an almost innate intuition surrounding not only which language best articulates her message but on an even more granular level, how the syllables of each word will best portray her melodic ideas.
Even before crafting her multilingual writing skills, music had been a huge part of Rosa Linn’s life. At 6 years old her parents enrolled her in music classes, where she began learning piano and music theory. By the age of 10, she piqued interest in playing guitar, going on to write her first song at 12, and playing gigs at local pubs with her indie rock band at 16. While learning instruments and writing songs were a great foray into her burgeoning music career, an early start in the music industry also meant early exposure to some of the music industry’s biggest barriers to entry. Living in a small town in Armenia meant less proximity to collaborators and creative spaces. “I just didn’t have access to the studios. I didn’t have money for that. It’s pretty expensive here, and if you don’t have connections, if you don’t have a good friend in the business, it’s pretty hard to be part of the Armenian music business,” she says, giving an explanation for why she initially wrote her songs alone in her bedroom. Not only did she struggle to make connections, but she also quickly learned the strategies necessary to succeed as a woman in music. She recalls having her male drummer book gigs for their band, knowing that she would not be taken as seriously if she were the one to call. “I wasn’t the one who talked to [pub managers]... I didn’t really take that chance.”
Despite experiencing these setbacks, Rosa Linn continued writing songs and playing shows, eventually catching the attention of Nvak Collective, signing with them as an artist and with Warner Chappell as a songwriter. When speaking about her accomplishments, the pride in her voice is undeniable. “It’s mind blowing,” she says. “I’m from a small town in Armenia. I’m not even in Yerevan. I was just writing in my room.”
Rosa Linn ends the Zoom call stating her future goals, almost as if it’s her personal mission statement. Armenia is often brought up in the context of genocide, and while the Armenian genocide holds major importance, Rosa Linn wants to make sure that that is not the only thing her country is known for. “I want to show that we have incredible music. We have incredible history. We have incredible talents. We are able to give good material to the world.”