As the album has existed out in the real world, different songs have found life in different ways. “I always loved ‘Everything Changes (but I won’t)’,” says Rose. “It captures my love and my experience with someone over many years. It’s become a fan favourite, and when I play it live, I know that it’s a song that has stuck with people from the record. It was my favourite song because it was so close to me, but it’s actually so close to so many people. It’s got a place in a lot of other people’s hearts - their love stories and their heartbreaks.” Another song that has taken on its own journey is the euphoric nostalgia trip of ‘Hackney Wick’. In the context of her global success, a song describing her days growing up in London and her earliest experiences of visiting clubs feels even more resonant. “Even though I haven’t been in London that much, when I have been here I’ve played ten shows in Hackney,” she says. “I am feeling quite connected to it. I’m noticing tourists who are fans of my music visiting Hackney Wick.” It’s a sign you’ve made it when you have people making pilgrimages to sites referenced in your music - like the Abbey Road zebra crossing for ecstatic dance heads. “I don’t think I’m quite at the Beatles level of making a cultural impact on a location, but maybe in years to come,” she laughs. Another measure of Rose Gray’s impact this year is the fact a deluxe edition exists at all. “I don’t think I’m quite at the Beatles level of making a cultural impact on a location, but maybe in years to come,” she says, describing a whole new expanded record featuring both old and new collaborators. “I had such tunnel vision on the record, and when I started to feel love for the record and make new industry collaborative relationships with someone like JADE and Sega Bodega, and Melanie C who is someone I’ve been working with from way before my album came out.” The deluxe edition allowed her to try some new things and also illuminate some artists she loves from the global dance scene. “I felt like I was in a position where I could lean on some of my friends and be like, would you like to do a version? You can choose the songs. Really early on, Mel C said she would love to be part of it, and she chose ‘First’. I asked Shygirl, who’s a really good friend of mine, and Jade and I had been writing together earlier this year, so that fell into place. I was like, wow - there’s more than an extended package. There’s another album here. “I got some of my favourite DJs - someone like Peach, who is super underground. I love her. She’s my favourite UK girlie DJ. She did a version. Logic 1000, who I’ve loved for years - I think she’s an amazing artist, producer, and DJ. I was like a kid in a toy shop. Now I’ve got fans wanting me to put something out, and I’ve got all these friends who are incredibly talented. I should just make a deluxe with all my favourite people on it.”

Returning to the theme of live performance, Rose cites two memorable moments from this year. “The London shows felt like a real homecoming,” she beams. “I did two shows at Village Underground. I know they’re not huge rooms, but it was 1,000 each night, and it felt big. I’ve been feeling so different about performing. Very recently, something has clicked, and I’m feeling so confident and really enjoying being on stage now. It’s taken a while to get there. I really love playing in clubs, but clubs are so different to having a whole stage and you have to put on a show. It’s not all just about the music.” Slightly further afield than London - and a bit smaller, but no less special - was an experience in Germany. “There was a moment in Cologne, a tiny room with a 250 capacity, and everyone in the room was singing everything back to me. I was like, how has this happened?” she smiles. “We’re in some tiny outskirts club in Cologne and everyone knows my songs.” Success has followed years of grafting and adversity for Rose Gray, who knows all too well the difficulties of traversing the music industry. “I was thinking this time last year that I was a little bit insane, because I was putting out really good magic, but maybe it’s not really good because people aren’t really listening,” she admits. “I was doing interesting publications and write-ups, and I’d do shows and people would turn up, but it just felt very difficult. I was hitting a wall a lot with lots of no’s. Now that the album is getting some flowers and people are seeing me live and understanding there’s a whole body of work and artistry that I have, I do have this new confidence and excitement for what I do next.” Bursting with confidence and a desire to take things to a whole new level, what comes next for Rose might be arriving sooner than you think. “I’ve been making a lot of music,” she says excitedly. “I definitely have the next album. I need to give myself to the end of the year, and then next year, a good month and a half head down in the studio, to get exactly what I want for my next step. I’m excited for it all.” So, no spoilers, but what’s the early vibe on Rose Gray’s continuing sonic journey through dance music? “I’m not going to depart from what I’m doing already as I really enjoy it, but I am a bit of an eras girl,” she says. “I look up to all the great pop queens and kings who are able to move into a new era. I’ve been experimenting a bit with new sonic worlds - maybe more instrumentation, but still electronic. A good reference is ‘Music’ by Madonna. It’s electronic but also has guitars on it.” The new dance-pop queen of 2025 is channelling the all-time dance-pop icon. Some things just feel right. ■ Taken from the December 2025 / January 2026 issue of Dork. Rose Gray's 'Louder, Please' is Number 11 is Dork's Best Albums of 2025.