Alessi Rose: Heart Confetti and Emotions
words + photography by NADINE GOETZ
Alessi Rose played two nights at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London this November. Night 1 was a success, so there was no doubt that Night 2 would be just as good, if not better. Rose, a singer-songwriter from Derby, has recently supported Tate McRae and Dua Lipa on tour. She began writing at 13 and started posting videos online. Fast forward to today; she has released two EPs this year – ‘for your validation’ in January 2025 and ‘Voyeur (Deluxe)’ in November 2025.
“Welcome to the Voyeur tour!” Rose shouted out a few songs into her set, greeted by loud applause and screaming from her mainly young fanbase. Many teenage girls (and some parents) have gathered at the North London venue on November 25th to see her perform. Rose was supported by Deyyess, an indie-pop singer from Canterbury, whose set matched the mood perfectly. The crowd showed the singer a lot of love, with many girls in the front row even singing along to the songs. Like Rose, Deyyess has released her EP ‘Would You Go Down On A Girl?’ in November 2025. At the end of her set, she even kissed her drummer on stage, which drew loud cheers from the audience. Deyyess has spoken about drawing inspiration from Lady Gaga in the past, who created a safe space for the queer community, something very important to her as a queer artist herself. The singer even played some drums on stage, and her voice was dreamy yet powerful, setting the mood perfectly for the main act: Alessi Rose.
When Rose took the stage, she stood behind a lace curtain in front of a glowing cross, posing for a few moments before stepping onto the stage. She opened her set with ‘That Could Be Me’ from the ‘Voyeur’ EP. The young fans in the front row were jumping, dancing and singing along to every word. When Rose sang ‘don't ask questions’ – a song about anxiety, especially related to OCD in a relationship – many girls in the front row were crying, holding on to each other and leaning on each other's shoulders while singing along. It was clear that Rose’s music means a lot to those young fans. A few songs into her set, Rose asked the crowd, “Has anyone fallen out with someone recently? I will take sides”, before performing ‘Stella’, a song about a broken friendship. She told the crowd that her fans had petitioned to put the song back on the setlist and she listened. Rose clearly has a close bond with her mainly young fanbase, interacting and talking to the fans and expressing her gratitude throughout the show; “I am having a crazy out of body experience. London is never a boring crowd in my audience. I love that. Thank you so much guys”. She tells the audience that she has recently realised that ‘Falling Forever’ is her favourite song to perform live. Rose shares that she wrote the song as a “warning”. About halfway through the set, she asked the crowd to rate their experience so far on a scale from 1-10, jokingly asking if their night was “better than an average Tuesday”. Answers were lost amidst the screaming, but the crowd was obviously loving it. Rose jokingly asked who answered with a four. She talks a lot to and about her fanbase throughout the night, explaining how close she feels to her fans. She explains how she wrote ‘Pretty World’ after seeing fans at the back holding hands, crying in each other’s arms and having conga lines – “I know you’re having fun and doing what you love. I wish I had that when I was younger. It’s a privilege to see that. Thank you for letting me in on that”.
Rose talks about how just over a year ago, she played to a crowd of only 500 people at the Hoxton Hall, a venue in North London. Fast forward to November 2025, and she has performed at the O2 Forum Kentish Town not once but twice – with a capacity of 2.300 people each night. She admitted to feeling “crazy imposter syndrome”, telling the audience how all of this feels good but so soon before she goes on to say; “The more shows I’ve done I think we’re exactly where we are meant to be. No matter how big the room gets. I still feel just as close to you. I see every face, every hug, every smile to friends”. Rose told the crowd it all started with just eight people tuning into a live stream, and now all of this growth feels ridiculously mind-blowing, though she is trying to stay present. Her lyrics revolves around relationships and feelings, struggling with anxiety and OCD – a topic she brought up throughout the concert, aiming to provide comfort and hope to the young girls in the audience who might be facing similar issues. She goes on to say, “I have written a lot about anxiety and OCD. It makes me feel like when I was 16 and crying in my room. I wanna let you know if you are feeling any of this, you’re gonna be amazing and just fine. That’s your superpower. Thank you so much for making me believe that. Let go of all of it tonight”.
The night was filled with a lot of screaming, crying and dancing, but those genuine emotional moments really tied the experience together. For the younger crowd, Rose offered both comfort and hope that they can do anything they put their mind to. Before singing ‘oh my’, her most-streamed song on Spotify, Rose said, “This is the song that brought us together”.
Overall, her honest and personal lyrics, the strong connection with her audience and her stage presence turned the evening into a memorable experience.
All photography property of
Nadine Goetz.
Find Nadine on Instagram HERE.