In 2020, VMAN named Blake Rose an “Artist to Watch.” This year, he’s proving our predictions to be true with the release of his latest EP, You’ll Get It When You’re Older.

“Don’t hit the breaks, I’ll fall apart” Rose croons on the EP’s fifth track, “Don’t Stop the Car.” This line is emblematic of the entire project, which dropped this past Friday, as Rose takes his listeners on a fast-paced, high-intensity guide through his interior life. He gets deep, but never stops long enough to get too hung up.

With the EP, Rose was able to take more creative control than he’s had on previous projects, bringing his talents to production, as well as writing and vocals.

His desire to take the reins makes sense given the deeply personal nature of some of the tracks: “My older sister was battling drug addiction—which she is thankfully now on the other side of. That period was pretty rough for our family. It had a subconscious impact on my life, and it manifested itself in some of these songs.”

Such heavy subject matter might strike older listeners as surprisingly serious for a young musician with a boy-next-door smile. But the days of pop music with no grit are over for Gen Z, who have shown time and time again that what they want from their stars is authenticity.

As for what Rose wants people to take with them after listening to the EP, he explained: “I hope you walk away with more empathy for others… I’m trying to be as empathetic as possible not necessarily just with the music, but with the world. I think I’m on the right path.”

VMAN thinks so, too.

You’ll Get It When You’re Older is now available on all streaming platforms