Isabel LaRosa plants new roots on “Home”

A new home means new people, new faces and new beginnings. For Isabel LaRosa, dark-pop is part of her comfort zone, even after leaving her childhood home in Maryland. The 20-year-old alt-pop sensation has just released her newest track, “Home,” today (Feb. 14). The song explores themes of nostalgia, growing up and the struggle of leaving behind a familiar place.

Unable to return to the home she once knew, LaRosa tries to redefine what “home” really means, feeling somewhat disconnecting from her past life and sense of home. Even when there’s nothing left to hold onto, there’s a sense of loss — of childhood, of the people we once were. But still, family remains an anchor for LaRosa as she moves forward.

LaRosa sat down with Melodic Magazine to discuss the inspiration behind the single and what “home” means to her.

So, this song has been a while in the making. I’ve seen some things online about it. How did it come about? How long has it been in the making for you, and what was the lead-up to the release like?
It started when my brother and I were in a session with Ian. He’s amazing. We didn’t really know what kind of feel we wanted, but we knew we wanted something. This was back in, like, May or June. It was a while ago. We were working on songs for a project, and it kind of came about because our family was moving out of our childhood home in Maryland to Florida. It was a weird feeling, trying to figure out how to let go. That’s where the song originated.

The chorus touches on moving out of your childhood home. Obviously, home has different meanings for everyone. What does home mean for you?
I think as I’ve gotten older, home has taken on different meanings. Up until then, I had only lived in one place my whole life. But I realized that home is where you create it. Visiting my family wherever they are feels just as much like home as Maryland did. When we were actually moving, I didn’t know how to wrestle with that. But now, I think home isn’t specific to one place — you can create it anywhere.

I’m also curious about the production. This song aligns with what we’ve heard from you before, especially with the last EP. Did you know what kind of sound you wanted going in? How does it fit into the rest of the upcoming project?
I knew we wanted something with more drum and bass, a faster feel, but we weren’t sure exactly what that would be. Ian’s sound choices are insane—he’s like a wizard. Both he and my brother worked on the production. I’m involved, but I’m not a producer. I just knew we wanted a slightly different feel—something frantic and nervous, like running at full speed.

Listening to your past songs, especially “Muse,” there’s a melancholic, cinematic feel. Was that intentional? And you mentioned this song started around May or June — has it been in the works since then, or did it come together quickly?
The song came together pretty quickly. I felt so strongly about it that I wanted to tease it soon. I know it’s been unreleased for a while, and people are antsy about it—which I totally get. But I’m excited it’s finally coming out because it’s incredibly special to me. It’s one of the most personal songs I’ve written.

The chorus is simple yet impactful. Was that always the plan? How did it come about?
Yeah, we knew that if the rest of the song had a faster pace, the chorus needed to feel like a release. That’s something we always aim for. My brother and I wanted to keep it simple but intentional, to best portray the emotion we were going for.

In the second verse, you mention your sister. Was that always meant to be in the song, given its themes about home, or was it a last-minute addition?
It was kind of both. That’s one of my favorite verses I’ve ever written. My sister was going through a tough time, and I wanted her to have something permanent—something she could always listen to if she needed it. As an older sister, I can’t always be there for her physically, since I live in LA and travel a lot. But I wanted her to feel like I’m always there if she needs me. That verse is a reminder of that.

What do you hope fans take away from “Home”?
I originally wrote it about one thing, but since then, it has taken on different meanings for me. I just hope that, in some way, it’s cathartic for people to listen to because it was for me when I wrote it — it helped me work through things. But I just hope people like it as much as I do.