Title: “Rooftops (Part II)” (feat. Ryan Ross Hernandez)
Artist: Alicia Lena
From: “New Light” (2024)
Release Date: April 27, 2024
Format: CD Single, 12” Single, Digital Download, Weekly Airplay, Streaming
Recorded: Fénix Home Recording Studios, Phoenix, Arizona, USA / Record Plant, Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre(s): RnB, Soul, Blues, Adult Contemporary
Length: 5:28
Label: FREEDOM
Written: November 2023
Writer(s): Alicia Lena, Ryan Ross Hernandez
Producer(s): Alicia Lena, Nevaeh Martinez, DeAndre Patton, Ryan Ross Hernandez

“Rooftops (Part II)” (feat. Ryan Ross Hernandez)” is a single from American RnB singer-songwriter Alicia Lena, marking the official twentieth single in the RnB singers career since debuting back in 2010, it also serves as the fifth official single from her long anticipated fourth studio album “New Light” and marks the final single from the upcoming record which is set to drop on the same weekend as the latest single. The track see’s Alicia Lena team-up with her close friend Ryan Ross Hernandez on a follow-up to their 2010 collaborative effort “Rooftops” over fourteen years later, showcasing the maturity and growth within both artists careers as they have both gone on a journey from trying to establish themselves in the music industry to stalwarts and veterans of the music industry in 2024 and it shows in the natural change of the tracks original meaning from young lovelorn RnB ballad to jaded and questioning the world that we now live in over fourteen years later. It sees both artists looking beyond the surface at the world and current events around them, how the human race as a whole has changed so much over a short period of time and has seen us stray far from the path that we were once on, becoming angrier, greedier and more vitriolic as the world around us changes too. Taking aim at the morals of people changing due to financial gain, politicians and celebrity culture as a whole throughout the song, drenched in soul and blues heavy elements it feels like it’s not a song perfectly crafted for modern day commercial success but one that takes influence both musically and lyrically from artists of social commentary from days gone by, with obvious influences taken from the like Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke and Buddy Guy to just name a few, but with a more contemporary take and sound.

In a recent interview, Alicia spoke about the track and working alongside Ryan Ross Hernandez for a follow-up single over fourteen years in the making, “Rooftops is a track that had always had a close place in my heart, one of my early singles and the fact that Ryan saw enough in me to agree to work on the track together back then before I was ever established was such a vote of confidence. It was never intended as something we could come back to years down the line and create a part two. But I always knew that working with Ryan again at some point was something that I wanted to do, especially at this stage of my career where I feel like we’re contemporaries of sorts. I’ve never been the sort of artist to collaborate often, my career has mostly been myself crafting and recording my songs. But Ryan being a very close friend it was definitely something that was likely to be on the cards that we would get in the studio together again at some point and record something. We threw a few ideas around and then eventually landed on the idea of creating a new take on our previous collaboration, but tackling different feelings and theme’s of today’s times within the track. It was just a natural thing for us to come back on a track together all these years later, now with a deeper ten plus year friendship and trust with each other. It’s crazy how life has changed for us both since our initially introduction to each other, from being young and living that travelling artists lifestyle both pretty directionless in our personal lives I’m sure he won’t mind me admitting, to now meeting up for dinner and drinks, spending time with our family. The personal growth for us both over that period is a beautiful thing to witness and I feel like this track showcases that just how we’ve grown as people and artists over the years.”

“Rooftops (Part II)” (feat. Ryan Ross Hernandez) is the official twentieth single to be released in Alicia’s career since debuting back in 2010, with the track being the fifth and final single from her upcoming fourth studio album “New Light” as she embarks on this second act of her career. It was written by Alicia alongside Ryan Ross Hernandez at her home studio in Phoenix, Arizona before being officially recorded at Record Plant studios in Los Angeles, California with production from Alicia Lena, Nevaeh Martinez, DeAndre Patton and Ryan Ross Hernandez. Set to be available as a CD Single, 12” Single, Digital Download and made available to Weekly Airplay and Worldwide Streaming via FREEDOM records, the track is officially released on April 27, 2024.

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Song Description;

A faint piano introduction quickly accompanied by an electric blues guitar sound signal the old school RnB and soul vibes to the song, the piano immediately becoming the heartbeat of the song and the guitar giving the soul to the track with its Eric Clapton and BB King type of sound over the melodic piano backdrop. The intention is clear from the opening lyrics as Alicia states “Money changes everything.” And beautifully goes on to sing about how people can stay together and be strong enough to fight to keep a relationship alive while they’re both struggling to make their way in the world, but as soon as money and ambition comes into play it can crumble incredibly easily. She sings about how she believes society as a whole has lost track of its fundamentals and encourages people to find some togetherness and push forward to be better people together. Her opening verse sets the scene and the pre-chorus and chorus are catchy but continue to purvey the same message, her voice adding such grandiose power to her words, “I wish I could just get you to stop/Stop for one moment/Take in the silence/And remember what makes you feel grateful/Let’s go back to the basics/Take a step back from the hateful.” and its chorus, “I wanna scream it from the rooftops/With fire in my lungs/And love in my heart/I wanna scream it from the rooftops/With passion and desire/Roaring like wildfire/I wanna scream it from the rooftops.”

For the second verse of the song, the guitar riff is highlighted a little more. It showcases a slightly more aggressive slant as Ryan Ross Hernandez delivers the second verse with a little more anger in his tone as he takes aim at politicians clear from his opening line, “Pompous politicians, corporate greed.” as he also makes reference to how relationships change when money and cut-throat ambition enter the equation, he even makes reference to his own search for something real in a world of counterfeit love, “I used to live for the glitz and the glamour/The LA parties and the New York flings/I had the biggest castle in the kingdom but no queen/Now I finally have a love just for me.” which highlights the personal growth that he himself has found over the years as well as a general statement on the vanity obsessed version of modern love.

Alicia returns to vocal duties as the pre-chorus and chorus return before a final brief verse from Alicia used to deliver the final statement and ram home the point of the song fully, “I feel like we’ve strayed a little too far from the path of enlightenment/A little too far from the values and beliefs we started with/It seems these days we’re all too eager to step over each other/Or bring each down in order to get a little closer to a metaphorical crown/I believe we need to go back to basics/Search for that love that we once had in our hearts/Place a hand out for those struggling beside us/And never be afraid to be who we are.” as the final soliloquy before the pre-chorus and chorus are heard once more before the song fades out to the soft piano tones.

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“Rooftops (Part II)” (Feat. Ryan Ross Hernandez)
(w. Alicia Lena, Ryan Ross Hernandez)
(p. Alicia Lena, Nevaeh Martinez, DeAndre Patton, Ryan Ross Hernandez)

“Money changes everything
For better or worse, depends on the hands gripping the purse
I’ve seen pure love grow like a flower beneath concrete
I’ve seen two hearts pulling together, struggling to make ends meet
I’ve seen that same pure love die, crumbling and blamed on it’s foundations being weak
After those same fighters made it out of poverty and started living in luxury
Mental scars and single-minded ambition
Can throw you from the path you once shared together
Can throw you off your combined mission
I think we’ve lost track
Of what’s real and true in this world
I think we need some time for healing and reflection
We like to think we’re marching forward
But it’s directionless
If we’re not marching forward together

I wish I could just get you to stop
Stop for one moment
Take in the silence
And remember what makes you feel grateful
Let’s go back to the basics
Take a step back from the hateful

I wanna scream it from the rooftops
With fire in my lungs
And love in my heart
I wanna scream it from the rooftops
With passion and desire
Roaring like wildfire
I wanna scream it from the rooftops

Pompous politicians, corporate greed
Anyone can be bought for the right price
I've seen loved ones become vultures overnight
Their eyes turning from beautiful colors to dollar signs
Everyone's in it for themselves in this world
The green and gold has its shine but it fades fast
You can have every little thing you dream of
Buy everything to fill up the empty space
But be depressed and all alone just the same
Take it from me
I used to live for the glitz and the glamour
The LA parties and the New York flings
I had the biggest castle in the kingdom but no queen
Now I finally have a love just for me
I let her go once but I'm never doing that again
You can keep all the rest, I don't need it
I wanna scream it from the rooftops
Part two

I wish I could just get you to stop
Stop for one moment
Take in the silence
And remember what makes you feel grateful
Let’s go back to the basics
Take a step back from the hateful

I feel like we’ve strayed a little too far from the path of enlightenment
A little too far from the values and beliefs we started with
It seems these days we’re all too eager to step over each other
Or bring each down in order to get a little closer to a metaphorical crown
I believe we need to go back to basics
Search for that love that we once had in our hearts
Place a hand out for those struggling beside us
And never be afraid to be who we are

I wish I could just get you to stop
Stop for one moment
Take in the silence
And remember what makes you feel grateful
Let’s go back to the basics
Take a step back from the hateful

I wanna scream it from the rooftops
With fire in my lungs
And love in my heart
I wanna scream it from the rooftops
With passion and desire
Roaring like wildfire
I wanna scream it from the rooftops”

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Credits & Personnel;

CREDITS

Produced by Alicia Lena, Nevaeh Martinez, DeAndre Patton, Ryan Ross Hernandez
Engineered by Aniyah Jordan
Mixed by DeAndre Patton, Aniyah Jordan
Recorded at Fénix Home Recording Studios, Phoenix, Arizona / Record Plant Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California

PERSONNEL

Alicia Lena – vocals, piano, lyrics, composition, production
Ryan Ross Hernanez – lead guitar, vocals, lyrics, composition, production
Nevaeh Martinez – production, management
DeAndre Patton – production, mixing
Aniyah Jordan – engineering, mixing