Title: “Kill or Compete”
Artist: Sierra Roe
From: “Untitled E.P” (TBA)
Release Date: March 22, 2025
Length: 4:13
Format: Digital Download, Weekly Airplay, Worldwide Streaming
Recorded: Sonic Lounge Studios, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Genre(s): RnB • Pop • Adult Contemporary
Label: Royale Vices & Virtues INC
Written: February 2025
Writer(s): Sierra Roe
Producer(s): Sierra Roe, Young Khalifa
“Kill or Compete” is the debut single from American RnB artist ‘Sierra Roe’ following the recent announcement that she had signed to ‘Royale Vices & Virtues INC’. The upcoming artist has been working hard at her craft since 2023, providing session work and songwriting support to various artists in the industry as well as trying to blaze her own path as an artist in her own right. She is the younger sister to ‘Vincent Cooper Jr.’, an executive of ‘RVV INC’ which helped open the door to her signing to the record label. However, her audition and interview were handled by Chief Executive ‘Imani Woods’ and talent scout and A+R chief ‘Aurelia Villas Lobos’ in order to judge things appropriately, eventually leading to her signing to the label in late in 2024. Although she signed her record deal towards the end of last year, it wasn’t announced until March 2025 as ‘Sierra Roe’ felt it was necessary for her to have music ready to go as soon as she was announced to the roster, fearing that the nepotism-hire issues could have the potential to derail her immediately, she felt that at least if she has an opportunity to showcase her abilities immediately it could go some way to quieten down the potential criticism that could come her or the labels way due to her family ties to a high level executive at the record label.
With her smooth and soulful RnB vocal delivery, ‘Sierra Roe’ immediately catches the attention with every word feeling like an intimate conversation, meshed with her uniquely personal and sometimes quirky songwriting style she’s sure to be an interesting newcomer to the music industry. Ahead of the official announcement of her signing her first record deal, she has been working hard in the recording studio putting songs together for her debut E.P. which is expected to arrive very soon as an opportunity for potential fans to get a taste of her abilities and talents before she begins to work on her debut album. The first official release from the upcoming debut ‘E.P.’ is “Kill or Compete” which showcases her chilled-out vocal delivery and honest songwriting style, unafraid to step away from traditional formula’s at the service of her art. Her debut single “Kill or Compete” highlights the self-doubt and anxiety inducing stress of being in an industry that has traditionally favoured perfection as she compares herself to what she describes as ‘pretty bitches’ with ‘smiling faces, perfect ass, perfect titties’ and compares that to her own internal issues that plague her, with references to her own ‘hyper-tension’ and ‘ADHD’. She begins the story addressing how out of her depth she feels against these other beautiful and talented people leading her to state “If you can’t beat em’, join in?” and in the songs chorus talks about killing the things that make her herself in order to be the hyper-typical model of what she perceives people to want which fully manifests itself if the songs second verse where she highlights herself following all the typical traits to be that pretend image of perfection. Possibly shining a light on the shallow nature of celebrity culture as a whole and creating a unique and slightly risky debut release.
The track was written by ‘Sierra Roe’ in February 2025 during the recording sessions for her currently unannounced and untitled debut E.P. Recorded at Sonic Lounge Studios in Atlanta, Georgia and produced by Sierra Roe alongside Young Khalifa. The track marks her first official release since signing to ‘Royale Vices & Virtues INC’. Set for release on March 22, 2025 via Digital Download, Weekly Airplay and Worldwide Streaming,
Artists Commentary;Quote:“It’s crazy to think of myself at the point of releasing my debut single out into the world and it’s even crazier for me knowing that “Kill or Compete” is going to be the track that becomes that first drop. It was important for me to make sure the first single was once that offers a pretty clear glimpse into who I am as a person, first and foremost and I think you get an idea of that in this track. There’s a little fun, a little tongue in cheek in the track but under the surface is some real concerns and questions and self-doubt and I think that completely encapsulates where I am right now in my life. I think artists should completely control what their output is, it could have been so easy for me to sit with a bunch of professional songwriters and producers and come up with a really formulaic debut single that hits all the key points and reaches as many people as possible. But as a debut single, I wanted to set a precedent that I’m following my own path completely one hundred percent and fuck, I may never be able to write a hit song. But I hope that at the very least, I’m capable of writing things that connect with everyday people. Sure, I’m singing about the fear of having to compete with uber beautiful and talented people and feel really fucking out of my depth at the thought of that, like we’re talking sleepless nights. But the core of the song is comparing yourself to others and feeling insecure about yourself, I think that’s a theme and thought process that the majority of people go through at some stage in their life.
I don’t want to put myself into any specific boxes, I just want to create songs that have real emotions deep within them because lord knows I’m not perfect, I make mistakes in my life and fuck up and make bad choices and if I can put honesty on the page then that will be enough for me. I don’t consider myself to be effortlessly beautiful, I don’t have a perfect body, I’m not at all composed and demure in social situations and I’m really fucking terrible at flirting. I like weird ass things and have a tendency to scare people away when I get on a tangent for a topic I’m really passionate about. I feel intimidated around uber confident people and like to keep my circle small and my happy place is being at home. Fuck, I’m really not cut out for this industry, huh? Maybe I’ll just drop this single and crawl back into my one bedroom with incredibly thin walls. It’s difficult to describe music, it really is. It might not be for everybody, but maybe somebody can find something from this. But if you could check it out, I’d be super grateful.”
- Sierra Roe
“Kill or Compete”“Oh fuck, this pretty bitch can sang?
Out here, I think they seem to make em’ differently
They got faces for the magazines
Bodies for the billboards
They all wrapped up in the machine
Insecurity is something I couldn’t even feel more
How the fuck do I compete
I guess I gotta learn
They say you gotta play the game
But I’m too nervous that it’s my next turn
Oh shit
If you can’t beat em’
Join in?
Everywhere you look you’re surrounded by competition
Smiling faces, perfect ass, perfect titties
This scattered mind just can’t compete with their blind optimismI think my only options are to kill or compete
Shit, maybe I need to kill the old me
Bury that bitch and her hyper-tension six feet deep
Fuck, I’m really starting to think my only options are to kill or compete
Maybe I need to kill the old me
Bury that bitch and her ADHD six feet deepComposure, narrow eyes, chin up, tits out
Fake self-confidence, excessive flattering, subtle touch, slight pout
I’m a bitch, I’m a monster
Internal memos, keep reminding myself
Inside I feel like I’m dying
But this is the only way to identify a bitch that’s thriving
Everywhere you look you’re surrounded by competition
Smiling faces, perfect ass, perfect titties
This scattered mind just can’t compete with their blind optimismI think my only options are to kill or compete
Shit, maybe I need to kill the old me
Bury that bitch and her hyper-tension six feet deep
Fuck, I’m really starting to think my only options are to kill or compete
Maybe I need to kill the old me
Bury that bitch and her ADHD six feet deepEverywhere you look you’re surrounded by competition
Smiling faces, perfect ass, perfect titties
This scattered mind just can’t compete with their blind optimismI think my only options are to kill or compete
Shit, maybe I need to kill the old me
Bury that bitch and her hyper-tension six feet deep
Fuck, I’m really starting to think my only options are to kill or compete
Maybe I need to kill the old me
Bury that bitch and her ADHD six feet deep”
Credits & Personnel;
CREDITSProduced by Sierra Roe, Young Khalifa
Engineered by Young Khalifa
Mixed by Young Khalifa
Recorded at Sonic Lounge Studios, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
PERSONNELSierra Roe – vocals, piano, drums, percussion, lyrics, composition, production
Young Khalifa – composition, production, engineering, mixing
Imani Jasmine Woods – production management
