Once bullied, now hoping to be a singing lawyer

by Len Lear

Currently the 15th and final season of “American Idol” has tens of thousands of young singers hoping they will be household names in a few months, but there is a talented 17-year-old senior at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School who is not on “American Idol” but who may just be the next big thing in pop music.

Talia Rose, who has written over 100 songs since she was 9 years old, recorded her first single, a catchy, up-tempo song called “N.A.L.S. (Not Another Love Song),” on GMG Records last October. It was such a sensation on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and Beatport, including a one-day takeover of the Instagram account of “360 Magazine,” that it has brought Talia about 220,000 followers on Twitter (@iam_taliarose).

The song, which teenage girls apparently relate to, is about a relationship with a boy who does not exactly display integrity in his behavior. Talia's real-life friends are on the video with her. “Basically, what happened,” explained Talia in an interview with the Local, “was a heartbreak from a guy who was, y'know, the typical dreamy boy who every girl wanted, and for some reason I thought I was the only one, but he was just trying to use me, so I had to cut him off!”

But how is it that Talia has accumulated so many followers on Twitter so quickly?

“I think it's the fact that I'm really active on my social media, especially Twitter. Kids my age are always out there looking for someone or something new to give them something to look at, so I try my best to keep my Twitter very interesting and fun to look at.”

We all know it's great to have talent, but it's great to have luck also, and Talia has had both. She had some music classes in school and took vocal lessons for a while, but about seven years ago, a man named Kamal Gray happened to move into her neighborhood, and Talia became close with his daughter. One day his daughter was listening to Talia's demo CD and liked it so much that she showed it to her dad, who also liked it and wanted to work with Talia.

That was significant because Kamal just happens to be a keyboard player for The Roots, the huge combo that is now the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and is therefore seen by millions of people every weeknight. “I didn't even know who The Roots were,” Talia said, “but ever since then, Mr. Gray has been a mentor for me and has really helped me come to an understanding of the business.”

Unlike some talented young people, however, Talia is wisely not putting all of her eggs in the entertainment basket. She is planning on going to college next year and majoring in criminal justice/pre-law. She does not yet know which college she will attend. “I've wanted to be a lawyer since I was a little girl, but I also want to pursue my dream with singing, so I want to try and juggle both.”

Talia does not want to make music that is only about boy-girl relationships and heartbreak. In fact, she is passionate about anti-bullying efforts and has written a song with that message that she hopes will have an impact. “When I was younger, I was bullied,” she explained. “I wasn't the skinniest kid or the most outgoing kid.

“So people thought that being different was something to make fun of. When people found out I started singing, they would say, 'Oh, you can't sing' and things like that. When I was younger, around 12, that stuff hurt. But now that I'm older, it doesn't bother me at all. I know my talent, and I know that I have something special, and I believe in myself, and I have people who believe in me, and that's all that matters.”

What people in the music industry do Talia look up to as role models? “I look up to Demi Lovato. She has been through so much personal stuff, and for her to be able to continue her music and acting and become the great role model that she is, is so inspiring. Her music is great, and her voice is so amazing.”

Talia's ultimate goal in music is “to have people look up to my music and to me. I want to be a role model for kids. I want my music to be able to help people through rough times and for them to know that someone is there for them. I just want my music and my personality to impact people in a positive way and make a change.”

More information at https://www.facebook.com/taliarose1998 or https://twitter.com/iam_taliarose You can Google Talia's name to hear her music