Courtesy of Eventim

Rising artist, Sydney Rose, releases 6 songs in her fourth EP, “I Know What I Want.”

It is only April, and 2025 has already been a year blessed with great music from Generation Z’s rising artists. From Billie Eilish to Olivia Rodrigo to Sabrina Carpenter, Gen Z’s voice has been shining through these talented artists. Among these big Hollywood names, one Gen Z artist, 20-year-old singer-songwriter Sydney Rose, has been heard by many but has not received nearly the amount of credit she deserves, especially for the release of her latest EP.

On April 4, 2025, Sydney Rose released her fourth EP, I Know What I Want. Sydney Rose created and produced the 6 song collection with the help of writer and producer Sam Evian and her record label, Mercury Records, and it is evident that everyone who worked to produce the EP put their heart and soul into the project. Not only is the overall production and execution of the record exceptional, but the emotional intricacies of every lyric make this EP stand out in particular. Sydney Rose beautifully conveys vulnerability and the complex emotions that come with being a teenager and young adult in today’s ever-evolving world. This EP definitely will not fail to pull at heartstrings.

While Sydney Rose is a relatively small artist and the release of the EP has stayed more or less quiet, her fanbase has grown since she released the sixth song in the album, “We Hug Now”. “We Hug Now” was released originally as a single on February 13th, 2025 and was eventually added as the sixth song to I Know What I Want. Since its release, the song has made waves throughout TikTok, with its bridge becoming one of the most-used sounds on the app. “We Hug Now” quickly rose to the top of the charts and is currently sitting at over 47 million listens on Spotify, and rightfully so. With emotionally resonant storytelling and production, the song explores the emotions that come with growing up, nostalgia, and the heartache of watching something or someone slip away. It is no surprise that the song has resonated with so many teenage minds, earning itself a spot at the top of the charts.

While Sydney Rose set the bar high with “We Hug Now,” the other five songs on the EP, while they may be less known, definitely deserve the same amount of attention and credit. The first song, “31,” especially lives up to the bar she set with “We Hug Now.” “31” starts off the record with the light strumming of a guitar along with Sydney Rose’s airy and soft voice, however, while the production is soft, the heaviness within each lyric starts the EP off with a punch to the heart. The heavy and rather gut-wrenching lyrics beautifully capture the contrasting feelings of wanting to grow up and wanting to relive childhood wonder. So, get your tissues ready because the EP is a tear-jerker right off the bat.

The third song on the EP, “5 More Minutes,” is also a considerable standout as it is already climbing up the popularity ladder with over 400,000 listens. If the heartache of nostalgia were a song, this would be it. The piano-accompanied song represents the fleeting nature of childhood and the desire to relive it for even just five more minutes. I definitely recommend this song if you’re needing a good cry, but I will give a fair warning to any graduating seniors, some tissues may be necessary.

From gut-wrenching lyrics, to outstanding musical production, to amazing representation of the complex emotions of Gen-Z, I Know What I Want is definitely worth a listen. Keep an eye out for the name behind the viral TikTok song, “We Hug Now,” and this outstanding EP, because Sydney Rose is definitely a rising star.