No Rome

Last updated

No Rome
Birth nameGuendoline Rome Viray Gomez
Born (1999-08-30) 30 August 1999 (age 25)
San Francisco del Monte, Metro Manila, Philippines
Labels Dirty Hit

Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez (born 30 Aug 1999), better known by his stage name No Rome, is a London-based Filipino musician from San Francisco del Monte. He is best known for his 2021 single "Spinning", which featured Charli XCX and the 1975 and charted at No. 94 on the UK Singles Chart, though also cowrote the 1975's "TooTimeTooTimeTooTime", which charted at No. 26.

Contents

Life and career

Early life

Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez [1] grew up in the suburb of San Francisco del Monte within Manila. [2] His father was a former DJ and his mother a church singer, while his younger sister Gabriel performed under the name Aunt Robert and his older brother Zeon under the name U-Pistol, [3] short for Ulzzang Pistol. [4] He grew up listening to My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, and later electronic artists such as Björk and Aphex Twin. [5] Growing up, he became interested in visual art after taking pictures with his father's camera, and spent extended periods on Flickr and later Tumblr, on the grounds that its contents were annotated with information for further research; [6] he was later inspired to start writing after reading books of poems by artists such as Frank O'Hara and Robert Frost. [7]

"When I was just starting, many people discouraged me, saying, ‘No, Rome, not in music; try something else.’ That stuck in my mind."

Gomez in October 2019 [2]

Gomez's first performances were as part of the band Rome and the Cats alongside his brother, who acted as his manager. [4] He then adopted the stage name "No Rome", based on a common response to him stating that he was starting in the music industry, [2] and with Zeon and Ethan Namoch founded Young Liquid Gang (YLG) in 2012, a collective of musicians, visual artists, photographers, managers, and graphic designers which ran until 2015. [3] One of YLG's members, Leon Ordinario, met Gomez by chance at a McDonald's outside their college, and would later become the programmer and drummer for Gomez's live shows; another bandmate, Chris, would flash moving images on Gomez using a projector. [3]

Gomez moved to London at the age of 18, after he was signed to Dirty Hit. [2]

Early releases, RIP Indo Hisashi, and Crying in the Prettiest Places

In 2013, he released the double A-side single "Dance With Me" / "United We Are"", [8] followed by the EP Fantasy, both on Number Line Records. [4] In 2014, he released "Heaven", a song inspired by recent bereavements, [9] and in 2015, he released "Know U" on Mermaid Avenue, about being ghosted by inopportune partners, [10] and the EP Hurry Home & Rest on Number Line Records. [4] The following year, fed up of carting his MIDI controllers around on buses, he took a job at a call center, staying in post for seven months, and used the proceeds to purchase a digital audio workstation, gear, and private transportation. [3] In January 2017, he released "Blue Jeans", a song about misinterpretation of his lyrics, [11] and the following month he released "Seventeen" on Ryan Hemsworth's Secret Songs label, a song about a friend's failed romance; [12] Wave Racer would cover the song in June 2021. [13]

Gomez then entered into correspondence with Samuel Burgess-Johnson and sent him his demos, who proceeded to share them with his flatmate Matty Healy, who invited him to London and signed him to his label Dirty Hit. [14] In 2018, Healy and George Daniel produced Rome's third EP, RIP Indo Hisashi, [15] which took its name from the Japanese painter Hisashi Indo, [6] and featured "Narcissist", a collaboration with the 1975, [15] who later adapted it for their own "TooTimeTooTimeTooTime", [16] which charted at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart. [17] Healy and Daniel also produced Gomez's fourth EP, Crying in the Prettiest Places, the following year, [18] which charted at No. 14 on the UK R&B Albums Chart. [19]

"Spinning", It's All Smiles, and Blueboy Must Die

In January 2020, Gomez announced that he was working on Samantha's TV, [20] a mixtape, which took its name from the character played by Scarlett Johansson in Her; [14] following the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, he was trapped in the country, having visited with the intention of performing at that year's Wanderland Music and Arts Festival. [14] After spending time at his parents' house, he moved to an apartment in Subic. [21] While there, he aborted the mixtape, and started afresh; [14] he told the Line of Best Fit in December 2021 that he found the lockdown conducive, as previously he had been "ADD-ing all over the place" and unable to focus. [6]

In 2021, he, Charli XCX and the 1975 released "Spinning", [22] which charted at No. 94 on the UK Singles Chart in March 2021; [19] the following month, Forbes listed him on their Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2021 list, [23] and the month after that, he and Chase Atlantic featured on Elio's "Hurts 2 Hate Somebody", which appeared on her remix album, "Elio and Friends: The Remixes". [24] Later that year, Daniel and BJ Burton coproduced Rome's album It's All Smiles, [25] which he named ironically due to its sad lyrics, [26] and which he promoted with a zine comprising photographs taken by Gomez. [6]

In May 2023, Gomez featured on the Salute song "Run Away With You", which featured on their EP Shield. [27] Later that month, he released "Brother", which was inspired by "Plantasia" by Mort Garson and Rachel McKibbens' "Letter From My Heart to My Brain", [28] and in August 2023, he released "Deep Diving", a UK garage-inspired song also inspired by "Plantasia". [29] On 8 September, he released the Kurisu-produced mixtape Blueboy Must Die, [30] which had been delayed from 28 July 2023, [28] and on 15 December 2023, he and Ocho the Bullet cowrote Josh Cullen's "Get Right", which Gomez also coproduced. [31]

Critical reception

It's All Smiles received mixed reviews, and varying genre classifications, earning one out of five stars from the Guardian [1] , four out of five stars from DIY Mag [32] and a 7.1 from Pitchfork. [33] The Guardian argued that Gomez's self-proclaimed genre, "shoegaze R&B," presented contradictory ideas about the role of vocals: Shoegaze is a genre in which "singers sink in quicksands of guitar", while R&B is a genre often dependent on the quality of the vocalist, and noted that his choice "to foreground his thin, trebly voice and treat it with endless effects [... owed] more to hyperpop than anything else." They also described the album's "A Place Where Nobody Knows" and "Everything" as chillwave, and described the album as a "hyperpop headache". [1] Pitchfork described the range of vocal styles presented in the record as "chameleonic," and called It's All Smiles, "solid pop with an experimental slant" that was "gratifying" and "ambitious" when cast against its pop counterparts, but ultimately "too safe." [33] DIY Mag cited a "clear desire to mess with pop convention." [32]

Personal life and influences

Gomez spent a period misdiagnosed with schizophrenia, for which he took antipsychotic medication; he later wrote the It's All Smiles album track "Secret Beach" about his experiences. [6]

In a December 2021 interview with Vice, he stated that It's All Smiles had been influenced by My Bloody Valentine, Nujabes, and the Avalanches, [34] and a March 2022 edition of Out of Print noted that his influences spanned the Deftones, jungle producer Goldie, and the light art pioneers Jenny Holzer and Nam June Paik, and that his "ultimate musical hero" was Kim Gordon. [3]

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Extended plays

Singles

  • "Hurts 2 Hate Somebody" (Elio featuring Chase Atlantic and No Rome) (2021)
  • "Shoegazing" (Misogi featuring No Rome) (2023)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli XCX</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1992)

Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery by a promoter who invited her to perform at warehouse raves. In 2010, she signed a recording contract with Asylum Records, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 1975</span> English pop rock band

The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy, Adam Hann, Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel. The band's name was inspired by a page of scribblings found in Healy's copy of On the Road by Jack Kerouac that was dated "1 June, The 1975".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli XCX discography</span>

English singer Charli XCX has released six studio albums, four mixtapes, three extended plays, one live album, one soundtrack album, one remix album, two DJ mixes, 48 singles, and 13 promotional singles. In 2007, XCX began recording her debut album on a loan granted by her parents. Titled 14, after her age at the time, it received only a restricted public release. Two singles, "!Franchesckaar!" and double A-side "Emelline" / "Art Bitch", were released in late 2008 under Orgy Music. In June 2012, Charli XCX released her first mixtape, titled Heartbreaks and Earthquakes, a one-track file consisting of eight songs. A second mixtape, titled Super Ultra, was released in November of the same year. Charli XCX's major-label debut studio album, True Romance, was released in April 2013, and peaked at number 85 on the UK Albums Chart. While failing to appear on any main album charts internationally, the album reached number five on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States and number 11 on the ARIA Hitseekers chart in Australia. The album spawned five singles—"Stay Away", "Nuclear Seasons", "You're the One", "You " and "What I Like". In 2012, Charli XCX was featured on Icona Pop's song "I Love It", which peaked at number one in the UK and reached the top 10 in various countries including the US, Canada, Ireland and Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie (musician)</span> British music producer and DJ (1986–2021)

Sophie Xeon, known mononymously as SOPHIE, was an English music producer, songwriter, and DJ. Her work is known for its brash take on pop music and is distinguished by experimental sound design, "sugary" synthesized textures, and incorporation of influences from underground dance styles. It would help pioneer the 2010s hyperpop microgenre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. G. Cook</span> British music producer (born 1990)

Alexander Guy Cook is an English music producer and the head of the UK record label PC Music. Cook released his first solo singles in 2014. He has also collaborated with PC Music artists such as Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, EASYFUN, Danny L Harle and felicita. He formed the one-off project QT with musician Sophie and performance artist Hayden Dunham, producing the 2014 single "Hey QT".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">After the Afterparty</span> 2016 single by Charli XCX featuring Lil Yachty

"After the Afterparty" is a single by British singer Charli XCX featuring American rapper Lil Yachty. It was released on 28 October 2016 by Asylum Records and Atlantic Records UK intended as the lead single from XCX's scrapped third studio album, commonly referred to by fans as XCX World. However, the song became a stand-alone single when tracks from the project were leaked online and the album was ultimately cancelled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross You Out</span> 2019 single by Charli XCX featuring Sky Ferreira

"Cross You Out" is a song by British singer Charli XCX featuring American singer Sky Ferreira, released as the first promotional single from Charli XCX's third album, Charli, on 16 August 2019. A. G. Cook and Lotus IV produced it.

<i>How Im Feeling Now</i> 2020 studio album by Charli XCX

How I'm Feeling Now is the fourth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 15 May 2020. Released eight months after her previous LP, Charli (2019), the album was conceived in the span of six weeks during the COVID-19 lockdown in a "do it yourself" collaborative process with her fans. Charli XCX, A. G. Cook and BJ Burton served as the album's executive producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claws (song)</span> 2020 single by Charli XCX

"Claws" is a song by English singer-songwriter Charli XCX. It was released as the second single from her fourth studio album, How I'm Feeling Now, on 23 April 2020. Like the previous single, "Forever", the song has three official cover artworks, designed by Timothy Luke, Naked Cherry and Sara Cwynar. "Claws" was named one of the best songs of 2020 by NME and Rolling Stone.

Hyperpop is a loosely defined electronic music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated in the United Kingdom during the early 2010s. It is characterised by a maximalist or exaggerated take on popular music, and typically integrates pop and avant-garde sensibilities while drawing on elements commonly found in electronic, hip hop, and dance music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shygirl</span> British singer and DJ (born 1993)

Blane Muise, better known by her stage name Shygirl, is an English singer, DJ, rapper, songwriter and co-head/founder of record label and collective Nuxxe. Shygirl's music incorporates elements of dance music, hip-hop, experimental pop, grime and deconstructed club. She has also been associated with the hyperpop music scene. Shygirl rose to prominence after working with close collaborator and friend Sega Bodega, as well as other well-known experimental producers Arca and Sophie, and gaining attention from the likes of Rihanna, who has used various Nuxxe tracks for her Fenty Beauty commercials and fashion shows. Shygirl has released various singles since 2016, and three EPs titled Cruel Practice, Alias and Club Shy. Her debut studio album Nymph was released on 30 September 2022 to widespread acclaim from music critics.

Elliott Ferrous Martin-Platt, known professionally as ElyOtto, is a Canadian hyperpop and pop musician. He is best known for his song "SugarCrash!", which went viral on TikTok in early 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinning (song)</span> 2021 single by No Rome, Charli XCX and The 1975

"Spinning" is a song by Filipino recording artist No Rome, English musician Charli XCX and band the 1975. The song was written by Andrew Wyatt, Charli XCX, No Rome and the 1975 members Matty Healy and George Daniel, while the production was handled by the latter three. It was released as a standalone single by Dirty Hit on 4 March 2021. Creation of the song began in 2018 when the producers developed its chorus, beat and production. Charli XCX received the song the following year, writing and recording her portion in one night. The singer later recorded vocals with Healy and Daniel in Sydney, while the song was completed remotely in early 2021.

<i>Apple vs. 7G</i> 2021 remix album by A. G. Cook

Apple vs. 7G is the debut remix album by British producer A. G. Cook. It compiles reworked versions of songs from his first two albums 7G and Apple, both released in 2020. It was released on 28 May 2021 by Cook's label PC Music. A deluxe "Silver Edition" includes 7 extra tracks and is exclusively available for purchase on Bandcamp. Many of the remixes featured were premiered on various compilation albums, DJ mixes or hidden zip files prior to Apple vs. 7G's release. The album was promoted by seven singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Ones</span> 2021 single by Charli XCX

"Good Ones" is a song by English singer Charli XCX, released as the lead single from her fifth studio album, Crash (2022). The song was released on 2 September 2021. It is a synthwave, electropop, dance, and synth-pop song that discusses the singer's incapacity to maintain healthy relationships, instead being drawn inexorably back to the dysfunctional and destructive. It received critical acclaim from critics who praised its production and Charli's vocal performance, while also lamenting its short run-time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out Out (song)</span> 2021 single by Joel Corry and Jax Jones featuring Charli XCX and Saweetie

"Out Out" is a song by British DJs Joel Corry and Jax Jones, featuring British singer Charli XCX and American rapper Saweetie performing vocals. The single was released on 13 August 2021 by Asylum Records UK. "Out Out" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Dawn of Chromatica</i> 2021 remix album by Lady Gaga

Dawn of Chromatica is the third remix album by American singer Lady Gaga, released on September 3, 2021, by Streamline and Interscope Records. Consisting of remixes of songs from Gaga's sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020), the album embraces an underground, hyperpop production and features collaborations with numerous pop, electronic and Brazilian musicians.

<i>Crash</i> (Charli XCX album) 2022 studio album by Charli XCX

Crash is the fifth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 18 March 2022. It was her last album to be released under her record contract with Asylum Records. Charli announced the album title, release date, and artwork on 4 November 2021. Her website was also updated with information about the album's 2022 tour. The album was preceded by the four singles "Good Ones", "New Shapes" featuring Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek, "Beg for You" featuring Rina Sawayama, "Baby" and two promotional singles, "Every Rule" and "Used to Know Me", the latter released as the fifth single in April 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beg for You</span> 2022 single by Charli XCX featuring Rina Sawayama

"Beg for You" is a song by English singer Charli XCX featuring Japanese-British singer Rina Sawayama. It was released on 27 January 2022 as the third single from XCX's fifth studio album, Crash (2022). The song interpolates Swedish singer September's 2006 single "Cry for You". The song received widepsread acclaim from music critics. It peaked at number 3 in Malta and number 24 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Daniel</span> Belgian-British drummer

George Bedford Daniel is a British drummer, record producer, and electronic musician. He came to prominence as a member of pop band the 1975, as part of which he released five albums that topped the UK Albums Chart. His songwriting and producing partnership with the band's Matty Healy made him the co-recipient of multiple awards and nominations including two Ivor Novello Awards including Songwriter of the Year and four Brit Awards. He has also been co-nominated twice for the Mercury Prize and once for the Grammy Awards. He released his debut single, "Screen Cleaner", in August 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Morris, Damien (5 December 2021). "No Rome: It's All Smiles review – a hyperpop headache". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lo, Ricky. "No Rome is a 'gender-blind' singer". Philstar.com. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Growing Up With Rome Gomez — Out of Print". outofprint.ph. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "On Ways of Remembering: Reacquainting with No Rome on "1:45 AM"". The Rest Is Noise PH. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Dork (6 August 2018). "No Rome: "The album has always been on the way, it keeps changing"". Dork. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "No Rome is unrestrained by the shackles of genre". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Filipino Artist No Rome Headlines a Show in New York City". Paper . Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  8. 1 2 Finlayson, Ray (22 February 2013). "Listen/Download: No Rome – "Dance With Me" / "United We Are"". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Listen: No Rome - "Heaven"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Watch: No Rome – "Know U" [Premiere]". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 "We Teamed Up With No Rome and Made a Music Video for "Blue Jeans"". Scout Magazine. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  12. 1 2 "No Rome's "Seventeen" Will Make You Remember Your First Love". The FADER. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  13. ↑ Gallagher, Alex (29 June 2021). "Listen to Wave Racer cover No Rome's 'Seventeen'". NME. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "No Rome: thriller from Manila". The Face. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  15. 1 2 Daly, Rhian (24 May 2018). "Listen to new song from Matty Healy's 'muse' No Rome, co-produced by two of The 1975". NME. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "The 1975 – TooTimeTooTimeTooTime Hottest Record". BBC Radio 1. 15 August 2018. Archived from the original on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  17. ↑ "The 1975". The Official Charts Company . Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "No Rome: It's All Smiles". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  19. 1 2 "NO ROME". Official Charts. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "No Rome is 'working' on his first album, 'FYI'". Dork. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  21. ↑ Daly, Rhian (29 November 2021). "No Rome: "Shoegaze R&B" master designing a new world of invention and unity". NME. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  22. ↑ Graves, Shahlin (5 March 2021). "Must-listen: No Rome feat. Charli XCX & The 1975 - 'Spinning'". Coup De Main Magazine. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  23. ↑ Singh, Surej (20 April 2021). "BENEE, Jackson Wang, No Rome and more featured on Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia list 2021". NME. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  24. ↑ "ELIO links up with Chase Atlantic and No Rome for 'hurts 2 hate somebody'". DIY. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  25. ↑ Daly, Rhian (3 December 2021). "No Rome – 'It's All Smiles' review: an immersive debut well worth the wait". NME. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  26. ↑ Savillo, Lia (7 December 2021). "No Rome Just Wants You to Feel Like You Belong". Vice. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  27. ↑ Rodriguez, Krystal (18 May 2023). "Ahead Of Their EDC Las Vegas Debut, Rising DJ/Producer Salute Talks New EP 'Shield' and Taking Their 'Fast, Soulful House Music' Worldwide". Billboard. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  28. 1 2 "No Rome announces mixtape 'Blueboy Must Die'". DIY. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  29. ↑ Murray, Robin (9 August 2023). "No Rome's 'Deep Diving' Inhabits Its Own Realm | News". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  30. ↑ "No Rome: Blueboy Must Die review - returns with a sprawling selection of tracks". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  31. ↑ "Josh Cullen teams up with No Rome and Ocho the Bullet on new single 'GET RIGHT' – listen". Josh Cullen teams up with No Rome and Ocho the Bullet on new single 'GET RIGHT' – listen | Bandwagon | Music media championing and spotlighting music in Asia. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  32. 1 2 "No Rome - It's All Smiles". DIY. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  33. 1 2 Gray, Julia. "No Rome: It's All Smiles". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  34. ↑ Savillo, Lia (7 December 2021). "No Rome Just Wants You to Feel Like You Belong". Vice. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Spotify – Web Player". Spotify. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.