By: Alec Sharpe
“Each day was an emotional therapy session digging deep into topics and emotions I have been suppressing and avoiding for the last 20 years.” That is how Zinn describes shaping Black Rose, an EP conceived as a lived-through short story about a complicated father-child bond, and the echoes of that relationship into adulthood. “When we started working on this project, I wanted it to be a short story on the journey I had with my father growing up and the trials and tribulations I encountered with him that have been brought into adulthood.” The result is a body of work that Zinn says “means so much to me as it tells a good summary of the things that shaped me the most growing up. I love that it’s real and raw.”
Arriving with a sound Zinn calls “an alternative take on mainstream pop with a touch of 2000s nostalgia,” Black Rose gathers six songs that map trauma, survival, and renewal in a deliberate sequence. “With one song adding a little bit of a balled sound while still touching that alternative pop base,” Zinn folds in a reflective streak that makes the record’s confessions hit harder. It is music built to process truth in the open, to make peace with what cannot be changed and to step forward with purpose. “You don’t need to be your own worst enemy because of your past. You choose how you grow from your past.”
That rawness has moved listeners in real time. Black Rose has already hit #1 on iTunes Singer / Songwriter charts, a testament to how candid writing and carefully shaped pop instincts can carry heavy stories with clarity. For Zinn, there is beauty in telling it exactly as it is. “Your past doesn’t always seem beautiful on paper, but I feel like music can help remind you that there is beauty in the negatives. We wouldn’t know true positive or love without negative. This EP tells that story.”
Black Rose opens with “Turning into You,” a stark look at inheritance and defense mechanisms. “Is about me turning into my father. No matter how hard I tried to use him as an example of what not to do and be. Being raised under that scrutiny definitely had me taking on a lot of characteristics I did not want to take on; I realized I was becoming just like him to be able to defend myself against him.” That lack of air grows into “Breaking Point,” where Zinn refuses to minimize the cost of endurance. “It is about hitting that breaking point in life and with yourself. There really is only so much you can take as a human being. Yes, we need negative to appreciate the positive, but everyone has a limit.”
The ache in “Lego Parts” hits especially hard, even for Zinn. “It was one of the most heart-wrenching songs we wrote, as it’s about all the times my father and I tried to fix our relationship. All the things we did love about each other and had in common, but it always came crashing down due to the parts of himself he couldn’t learn to control.” There is love in the wreckage, and there is also a line where it cannot be rebuilt. “I tried really hard to accept him and help, but as I mentioned in my song ‘Breaking Point,’ there is only so much you can endure as a child before the relationship is no longer mendable.”
“Leads Back to You” turns the lens inward and accepts what sticks. “Is about me as an adult realizing all the likes/dislikes, characteristics and qualities I took on from my father. Good and bad. That was my father, and I will always have parts of me that remind me of him.” Zinn does not flinch from the daily reminders either. “Sometimes I try so hard to forget him and the negative things I bring with me every day, but I remember I do that or this because of him. So many things lead back to my father and how I was raised. Especially things I bring into my relationships.”
The title thread blooms on “Black Rose Bouquet,” which holds fear and hope at the same time. “It is about wanting more for my future. Growing up the way I was raised has convinced me I’m not worthy or capable of love, nor will I find it. But I refuse to let that determine my future.” Zinn lets the light in without pretending everything is fixed. “I try to convince myself I don’t need anyone and I’ll be okay alone because of things I was told growing up. I have to admit, though, I do still believe in love, and I believe I am worthy of having the things I dream of in life no matter what I’ve been told. Someone’s words are not your grave.”
“Worst Enemy” closes in a mirror, unguarded and accountable. “Is the biggest self-reflection and realization I had during this project. My father has been gone for quite some time now, yet somehow I’m still hearing all the negative things he’s ever said to me and believing them.” The hook is not an external antagonist anymore. “To find out it’s been me for the last 13 years. Believing I need to beat myself up the way he did because he’s no longer here. To keep me ‘humble’.” Zinn states the turning point with clarity. “I have no more excuses. I have no one here bringing me down but me. I am being my own worst enemy and I need to learn to let my past go and learn from it, not dwell on it. I am my own worst enemy for letting myself drown in all the words and thoughts that refuse to let go.”
Behind the scenes, Zinn assembled a tight circle that knew when to push and when to protect. Zinn’s manager Nick Dre helped write some of the songs alongside Eddie “lil Eddie” Serrano and Erik “Dobleu” Barragan. Production came from David Bonilla jr and Elarte7 agency, with Adam Josh on mixing and mastering. The process demanded trust. “It was a beautiful team, and I can’t thank them enough.” Zinn adds, “I’m very appreciative to my team for giving me such a safe space to talk about things and accept things I’ve spent my whole life avoiding. Every day was filled with tears, acceptance, and harsh truths, but I believe that those are the things that help create a beautiful, genuine raw story and music.”
Black Rose marks a chapter, not a finish line. “As the year is coming to an end, nothing will be slowing down or stopping. We are definitely in the studio currently working on more projects.” Momentum is a mindset for Zinn, not a headline. “We have been working so hard; don’t expect the music to be stopping anytime soon. Definitely look out for more singles, possibly another EP, and even an album.”
That next stage is built on gratitude and resolve. “I just want to thank everybody, my team, my family, my friends, my listeners, everybody who has helped make this dream possible. It is absolutely crazy to be living your childhood dream. And I can’t wait to share more with you all. Find more from Zinn on Instagram and stream Black Rose on Spotify.
