In almost exactly one year, breakout country artist Lily Rose has seen her whole life flip upside down — and she put some icing on the cake this week.
Celebrating the RIAA Gold certification of her debut track, “Villain,” Rose and her team went back to Nashville’s Opry Mills Mall to mark the occasion, where Rose was working when she wrote it.
Posing for a photo with the big group of believers who helped make her success happen, the emerging star and “Know My Way Around” singer explained how far she’s come.
“‘Villain’ has changed my life in more ways than one,” she said. “The morning we wrote it, I had just finished an overnight shift stocking shelves at the mall, and it’s surreal to stand here a year after I released it with over 500,000 units sold, and the incredible writers and my team around me. Every time I step on stage and hear the fans singing my songs back to me, I’m reminded of why I do what I do. But looking at a plaque that says certified gold with my name next to it? It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. The only reason why this is possible is because so many people were able to connect with a song that was so special to me, and for that I’m forever grateful.”
Rose co-wrote “Villain” with Mackenzie Carpenter and Kyle Clark, and its moody mix of country and R&B was produced by Matt Morrisey. Rose was down to her last few dollars and delivering groceries when she posted “Villain” on TikTok, putting her whirlwind year in motion. Since then, she’s gone on to sign a record deal, release her Stronger Than I Am EP and get engaged to her longtime girlfriend. Next month she’ll start open shows on Chris Lane’s Fill Them Boots Tour, and she echoed her surprised gratitude on Instagram.