London-based Filipino singer No Rome releases new single 'I Want U'

MANILA, Philippines — London-based Filipino musician No Rome released his second international single “I Want U.” 

The song is the second track revealed from his highly-anticipated album “It’s All Smiles” to be released by Dirty Hit on December 3. 

“I Want U” received its first play from Zane Lowe. As Rome explains, it began life in 2019 and helped form the foundations of the album.

“This is the first song me and BJ worked on – that’s when we knew we were gonna make this album together,” he said. 

“I wanted to do the lyrics more like talking, storytelling almost, painting the picture of what was happening that moment thru lyrics,” he added. 

Originally written in the back of a tour bus in Las Vegas but never progressed beyond a demo, Rome picked the single back up last summer in Manila and this time it clicked.

The final version features some of Rome’s finest lyricism to date and includes a host of found sounds in the beat — a nod to the DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing and other plunderphonics records that Rome obsessed over.

Recorded in a small apartment in No Rome’s hometown of Manila after the pandemic prevented him returning to London, the album was co-produced by Rome with BJ Burton (Kanye West, Bon Iver, Charli XCX) and George Daniel (The 1975). — Video from No Rome YouTube channel