Sydney Rose, the Georgia-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter whose breakout single “We Hug Now” has been streamed close to 200 million times, has unveiled a moving new single “I Stopped Trying,” featuring Delaney Bailey. The track is out now via Mercury Records and marks the first time the two rising voices have collaborated.
“I Stopped Trying” is a delicate and atmospheric piece, with Rose’s hushed, breathy delivery floating across softly strummed guitar chords. At its centre lies a devastating realization, “I’d rather break my own heart than let you be what caused it.” Bailey’s voice intertwines with Rose’s in haunting harmonies, intensifying the song’s sense of fragility and heartbreak.
The track arrives hot on the heels of Rose’s viral success with “Before & After You,” a song inspired by HBO’s The Last of Us. That single has racked up over 1.3 million streams on Spotify and earned glowing praise from critics. Billboard described Rose’s voice as “elegant” with an unmatched ability to conjure “simple, emotionally resonant lyrics in confined spaces,” while EUPHORIA hailed it as “a delicate piano-driven reflection on love, grief, and the kind of heartbreak that reshapes you.”
Alongside the new single, Rose has announced that her I Know What I Want EP will be pressed on coloured vinyl for the first time. Pre-orders are available now.
She also has a busy touring schedule ahead. After performing across Europe in October with shows in Belgium, Germany, France, Denmark, and the UK, Rose will return to the United States for a run of headline dates. The North American leg kicks off November 17 at New York’s Bowery Ballroom — a show that sold out within days of tickets going on sale — before wrapping on December 12 at Barboza in Seattle.
2025 has marked a turning point for Rose, thanks to the runaway success of “We Hug Now.” What began as a quiet, independent release quickly exploded on TikTok, inspiring more than half a million user-generated videos and amassing a staggering 6.5 billion views. The viral momentum pushed the song into the Spotify US and Global Viral 50 Charts, climbing as high as #3, while also breaking into the Top 15 of the Shazam US Top Songs Chart and the Apple
By mid-year, the single had been streamed over 190 million times globally. It also helped propel Rose into Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart, where she reached the Top 20, as well as Billboard’s Hot Alternative Songs Chart, where she climbed into the Top 10.
Her rising profile has now attracted over 5 million monthly Spotify listeners. She also recently appeared on Genius Verified, where she broke down the lyrics to “We Hug Now.” Earlier in July, she shared a bill with Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, FINNEAS, and Gigi Perez at BST Hyde Park in London.
Rose’s story is one of quiet perseverance and artistic reinvention. Growing up in suburban Atlanta, she taught herself ukulele, guitar, and piano while sharing performances online. Her stripped-back cover of Sleeping At Last’s “Turning Page” became her breakthrough moment, with 67 million streams and a major-label deal before her 19th birthday.
In 2022, she released her debut EP You Never Met Me, followed a year later by her first full-length One Sided, which included the single “You’d Be Stars” featuring Chloe Moriondo. Support from artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Addison Grace further raised her profile, with both inviting her on tour.
But just as her career looked to be on solid ground, Rose was dropped by her label in late 2024. Rather than slow down, she refocused on her craft, releasing the independent voice notes EP and quietly writing what would become “We Hug Now.” That song not only reignited her career but also secured her a new home at Mercury Records.
Sydney Rose 2025 Tour Dates
October – Europe & UK
Oct 4 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
Oct 11 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
Oct 15 – Brussels, BE – Le Botanique
Oct 16 – Amsterdam, NL – Tolhuistuin
Oct 18 – Copenhagen, DK – Vega Jr
Oct 20 – Berlin, DE – Lido
Oct 21 – Cologne, DE – Luxor
Oct 22 – Paris, FR – La Bellevilloise
Oct 24 – London, UK – Islington Assembly Hall
Oct 25 – Manchester, UK – Club Academy
Oct 27 – Glasgow, UK – Saint Luke’s
Oct 29 – Dublin, IE – Green Room at The Academy
November – December – North America
Nov 17 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
Nov 18 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis
Nov 19 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry
Nov 21 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
Nov 24 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle Back Room
Nov 26 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
Dec 2 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
Dec 4 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
Dec 6 – Portland, OR – Holocene
Dec 7 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
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