On her new album HOLLYWOOD FOREVER, alt-pop visionary DeathbyRomy (aka Romy Flores) dives deep into a volatile blend of goth, dark pop, industrial rock, electronica, and punk. The result is a soundscape that’s hauntingly cinematic, fiercely modern, and unapologetically raw — a sonic cocktail she aptly describes as “the lovechild of pop, trap, industrial, and cinematic.”
Since her debut single “Tiempo” in 2017 and her first full-length album Monsters a year later, DeathbyRomy has carved out a distinctive place in the alt-pop underground. After signing with Capitol Records in 2019 and releasing the viral hit “Problems,” which has garnered over 68 million streams, she began releasing music independently in 2022. With more than 820,000 monthly Spotify listeners and a massive social media presence, she’s built a loyal following that thrives on her unfiltered honesty and genre-defying style.
Spanning thirteen tracks, HOLLYWOOD FOREVER is a gripping descent into the beautifully grotesque corners of fame, identity, and emotion. The album’s centrepiece, “LA LA LAND,” is a searing critique of Los Angeles culture, its industrial-rock edge pounding with raw energy and dystopian allure. It’s both a celebration and a condemnation, capturing the city’s dreamlike seduction and underlying decay.
“YUNG & RICH,” featuring Wargasm and bodyimage, attacks the hollow glamour of affluent L.A. teens with venomous precision. A growling bassline underpins biting lyrics, painting a blistering portrait of privilege gone sour — all arrogance, vanity, and inherited chaos.
“CORPSE KISS” arrives with a jolt — after a sharp, strident intro, it unravels into a dense web of electronic textures, pulsed through with Romy’s visceral vocal delivery. Her voice doesn’t just sing; it bleeds urgency.
“LITTLE DREAMER,” a standout track, leans into her black pop sensibilities, its melody pulsing with shadowed grace. DeathbyRomy’s vocal performance here is particularly magnetic, channelling a brooding siren-like presence that’s as enchanting as it is unsettling. “BITCHFAMOUS” starts with an eerie intro before plunging into a nightmarish fever dream. Her guttural vocals slither through the track like a whispered warning — dark, addictive, and dripping with malice. It’s a twisted anthem for those drawn to the dark side of fame.
The album closes with the emotionally vulnerable “IF I DIE YOUNG,” a beautifully restrained song that contrasts much of the record’s intensity. Sombre cello lines and aching lyrics offer a moment of reflection, revealing the delicate humanity behind the theatrical persona. It’s a poignant epilogue, haunted by mortality and longing.
Like a cult horror classic brought to life in sound, HOLLYWOOD FOREVER is immersive, cathartic, and unrelenting. DeathbyRomy doesn’t just challenge the conventions of pop — she dismembers them and rebuilds something far more visceral and compelling. The result is an album that’s intoxicating in its chaos and unforgettable in its candour.
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