Rio Romeo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rio Romeo 5 January 1999 Anaheim, United States |
| Origin | Pomona, California, United States |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | www |
Rio Romeo (Born January 5, 1999) [1] is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer [2] based in Pomona, California [3] Describing their sound as "cabaret punk" or "theatrical blues," Romeo has become a prominent figure in the indie-pop scene, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. They are best known for their breakout singles "Nothing's New" and "Butch 4 Butch," as well as their 2025 album, Good Grief!. As of early 2026, their breakthrough track "Nothing's New" has surpassed 447 million cumulative streams on Spotify as of 2026. [4]
At age 18, Romeo moved to Chicago to enroll in the scenic design program at the DePaul University Theatre School. [5] and left the program after one quarter. While living in Chicago, Romeo began using university rehearsal rooms to write songs on the piano. [6]
Romeo returned to California during the COVID-19 pandemic and began posting content to TikTok, initially focusing on queer visibility and "lesbian vibes" rather than music [7] . Their music career accelerated when a demo of "Butch 4 Butch" went viral in 2021. The song, a theatrical exploration of lesbian dynamics, has reached over 111 million streams on Spotify as of 2026 [8] In 2022, Romeo released the EP Good God!, featuring the track "Nothing's New," which became a massive hit and was used in over 2 million TikTok videos. [9]
In 2025, Romeo released their debut full-length album, Good Grief!. The album explores themes of anger, recovery, and long-term grief. It features "JOHNNYSCOTT," a country-influenced "murder ballad" written about a real-life experience with a groomer, which Romeo described as a cathartic and "gender-affirming" expression of anger. [10]
Romeo is known for touring with their own acoustic piano—a vintage piano tuned half a step down from 440 hz. Romeo wrote most of their early discography on this piano, which was the catalyst to Romeo now having a collection of pianos tuned half a step down. Romeo has noted “The struggle of bringing the piano everywhere is an art form in itself” In 2025, they embarked on the Good Grief! Tour, a North American headline tour where they traveled with this specific piano to have the live show matched the "warped" tonal consistency of their studio recordings. [11]
Romeo defined themselves as an interdisciplinary artist and a queer advocate who hopes to help others find home within themselves. [12]
Rio Romeo is a butch lesbian. In 2021, Romeo suffered a traumatic skateboarding accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Their recovery lasted over a year. [13]