Rothstein's love is in a "chokehold"

Photo Credit: Justine Vanderpool

Rothstein is a Boston native turned Brooklynite singer-songwriter who folds a myriad of influences into himself, everything from Future to Charlie Wilson to Donald Fagen and Paul Simon, his every line comes out full of candor but gilded with just enough "Cool-aloof" swagger to get past even the most cynical listener. Rothstein, who self-describes as “Raymond Carver, but pop”, proclaims that his new work is “emotionally articulate” and stands as a major sonic transition from his earlier releases.

Rothstein truly broke out into the scene with "Get Your Shit Together", which managed to chart on the Us Viral 50. As an indie artist, he found himself soon with well over 20 million streams across platforms, selling out shows in New York and Boston, and has landed major sync placements in the CW’s hit show, Black Lightning. He has earned top-tier playlist support with New Music Friday (US & NL), Fresh Finds, INDIY, New in Indie, and many more.

His newest track is a smooth and groovy R&B-infused piece titled "chokehold", a song that's all about those difficult little secrets people keep from each other in relationships. The song was inspired by "The Girl With The Green Ribbon", a short story by Alvin Schwartz in which a young woman keeps said garment tied around her neck, refusing to remove it even for her husband, which of course leads to tension and a certain mystique.

This smooth, Soulful track takes full advantage of the romantic powerhouse vocals that come out of Rothstein's mouth, confusing you for a brief moment about if you're hearing a human or a Trumpet with the Wah mute on, delivering on his promise of being sexy right off the bat. Though sparse and atmospheric, the song's slinky and elegant with what it does have, pacing about your surroundings like it owns the place like some deadly Panther.

“I’m willfully ignoring my lover’s terrible secret because it’s convenient and pleasurable to keep my eyes and my mouth shut. The onus is on me to confront this secret, yet I let her keep the ribbon on; it’s easier that way. Secrets are sexy, and I think this song is sexy like a secret – it’s dark, heavy, indulgent and brooding, it’s mean, it’s raw.” -Rothstein

An extremely versatile songwriter, Rothstein has worked with a wide range of artists, including multi-platinum producers, rappers, indie-rock bands, soul acts, and K-Pop stars. He is a member of the Grammy-winning band/production collective Brasstracks, and has toured and played sold-out shows with them. He has also written songs for artists such as Yung Pinch, Goldlink, TOBi, Big Gigantic, Lido, MisterWives, and Jackson Wang.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based.

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.