Madison Rose: Rainbow Pop Star Icon

I am a super huge fan girl of Madison Rose - a self-made pop star whose fearless energy, creativity, and electric stage presence I find intoxicating—and she happens to live right here in my Brooklyn neighborhood. In this conversation, we talk about everything from her maximalist fashion and self-designed apartment to her journey as an independent artist creating her own lane. I photographed Madison inside her colorful, joyfully chaotic apartment—a space she decorated herself that feels like stepping straight into her world: bold, glittering, and full of heart.

And you absolutely must listen to Madison’s fabulous new album Monochrome: The White Album available on Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud!

Leo Brooklyn: The first time I saw you you were performing your hit ‘She’s the One’ in the Boom Boom Room for a Suzanne Bartsch party on the bar and you were giving the most cunty performance. I was like, I am in the presence of greatness right now. Can you tell me about writing that song and what that song means to you?

Madison Rose: That song was not originally for me. I made it for another pretty prominent artist who I love. I met this artist at an event at New York Fashion week last September and I decided to shoot my shot. I told her I wanted to make a song for her- and this is the song I made. It’s written in the third person because I was literally writing it for someone else. I sent this song to her team and decided that if they jumped on it within two weeks it would be theirs, but if not I was going to keep it as my own song. Two weeks went by and I decided the song was mine.

Leo Brooklyn: Who designed these futuristic disco costumes for the music video? I love them so much!

Madison Rose: I conceptualized these robotic characters that were also sex doll looking and that guide this Monochrome era and highlight how my bipolar brain works. These robot characters I’ve created control either side of my brain. One is called Supersonic, who is the angel on my shoulder and the other is Slaybot.  As an independent artist, I have to be very crafty as I can’t afford to commission entirely custom looks all the time. So I got Pleaser heels. I got the bodysuit, corset and red gloves on Amazon.  Then I commissioned an extremely talented latex designer named Sonia of Tableaux Vivants to make the masks, and the bra was created by John Mangru. The stars on the looks are representative of mania and the hearts are representative of my depression. Creating my looks requires a mix of being scrappy and resourceful! 
Leo Brooklyn: How did this version of Madison Rose come to be? Have you been singing and performing since you were young?

Madison Rose: I’ve been singing since before I could talk. My mom tells me I would try to entertain people in the living room at 3 years old- so I’ve always had that performer bone.

Leo Brooklyn: When did you start pursuing it more seriously?

Madison Rose: When I was younger I really wanted to be an actress. I wanted to be on the Disney Channel. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and I asked my mom to move to LA when I was 9 and we did by the time I was 11.  There are so many public art schools and resources for artists there so I was in a musical theater program in middle school. I was most focused on musical theater and acting.

When I was 15, I got a scholarship to a summer artist development program. I went in for acting, but everyone had to take an additional class, so I chose songwriting—even though I’d never written a song before and was totally panicked. But once I started, it clicked. I’d always loved writing and music, and suddenly it made sense. I ended up writing a song called Candy Lips, inspired by a girl in the class with a blue lollipop. The teacher liked it, and it was the first time I realized I might actually be good at this.

The teacher told me my first song was really good, and that encouragement gave me the confidence to keep going. I started teaching myself how to write by researching lyrics and studying artists I loved. At first, I copied melodies just to practice expressing my own ideas. By 18 or 19, I began developing a clearer musical identity—but when I tried to enter the music industry, I faced a lot of pushback. People told me I should be an R&B artist or a rapper, not a pop star. I’d grown up watching artists like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé and knew that kind of bold, theatrical pop was what I wanted to do. But as a black artist, I kept being told that vision didn’t “fit.” It wasn’t until my early 20s that I found producers who understood me - that I was able to begin to express myself more authentically. I eventually released my first single, Diamonds—a pop track with a bit of rap— and started to find my vision, but it took years to really break through those boundaries and feel the agency to do whatever I wanted.

Leo Brooklyn: And how old were you when you put out Diamonds? I absolutely love the music video with all the dancers wearing rainbow afro wigs!

Madison Rose: I was 21 years old. Creating that music video was a turning point for me—it was the first time I led a creative team and really asserted my vision. I remember a creative disagreement with the director over the dancers’ looks. He suggested something more natural and Solange-inspired, but I kindly pushed back. I told him, “I’m not Solange—I’m Katy Perry, I’m Gaga, I’m Nicki Minaj.” I’m a maximalist. I wanted rainbow afro wigs, bold visuals, and a big, theatrical feel. That process helped me define what “Madison Rose world” looks like. As an artist, when we grow into having teams, it’s so important to be able to receive feedback - but ultimately synthesize it back to your vision - as your point of view is what makes your brand yours and keeps it authentic, even if others don’t understand.

Leo Brooklyn: I really enjoyed your rant on your instagram story the other day where you were calling out someone who dissed you because you’re doing a country western sound and vibe and this person said that ‘Beyonce already did that.’ You called them out so hard for their racism.

Madison Rose: If we want to make real progress against racism, people need to stop being afraid of the word “racist” and understand it’s not just about slurs—it’s also about microaggressions and unchecked biases. White artists, especially men, are allowed to repeat sounds or cross genres without question, but Black artists face constant scrutiny. It’s as if there’s only room for one at a time—like once Beyoncé breaks through, no one else is allowed in. But that’s not the world she or any of us want. We’re not here to pull the ladder up behind us.

Leo Brooklyn: What’s the most rewarding part of putting your magical Madison Rose energy into the world? For me, with my Leo Brooklyn persona it’s about attracting powerful women and bad bitches—but I imagine you draw in so much amazing energy with what you’re creating. What feels most meaningful to you?

Madison Rose: The bad bitches are definitely important—but what’s most rewarding is knowing that by being fully myself, I might inspire others to do the same. I wake up every day trying to lean even more into who I truly am. I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness in the Bible Belt, so becoming a loud, queer, maximalist pop star has been a real journey—but it’s who I am at my core. Madison Rose isn’t a brand in the traditional sense; it really is just me, unapologetically. I want people to stop fearing their true selves. You can only find real community and belonging when you’re fully authentic—even if the path feels lonely at first. Now, I feel deeply seen and accepted by the people around me, and that’s the real magic.

After surviving experiences that have given me complex PTSD and abusive relationships that pulled me far from who I was, I’ve made a promise to never dim myself again. Now, I fully embrace being loud, expressive, and unapologetically me—even if it annoys people. There was a time I didn’t think I’d make it through, so every part of who I am now is hard-earned and sacred.

Leo Brooklyn: Exactly. That’s how you start living your best life—by realizing you have nothing to lose. I’ve been at such a low point before that I knew there was nowhere to go but up. That kind of freedom is powerful.
Can you tell me about your journey to landing here in Bushwick? It’s such a unique, vibrant little microcosm—kind of its own world. What brought you to this special corner of the universe?

Madison Rose: I was living in L.A. in 2022, feeling miserable. Even though I’d hit career milestones online, no one in the industry there was really supporting me. I’d always wanted to live in New York—it had felt like home since I first visited as a teenager—but the timing hadn’t been right. After the pandemic, I decided to just blow up my life and go for it. I released my album in June, played WeHo Pride, and moved to NYC the next day with barely any money and a few boxes of clothes.

At first, I crashed with a family friend in Sheepshead Bay, commuting from there while doing shows and partying. Eventually, I realized I needed to really commit and find my own place. I’d been manifesting an apartment with a spiral staircase—and I found one. It briefly went off the market, but when it came back, I made it happen however I could. I’ve been here ever since.

Leo Brooklyn: I’m obsessed with your aesthetic—especially how you blend bright, playful, campy fashion with your interior design. What’s the philosophy behind the way you dress?

Madison Rose: My philosophy is simple—it just has to feel good. I used to worry that my aesthetic changed too much day to day, but now I embrace it. I’m multifaceted: some days I’m in a bright vintage dress, other days it’s black pleather. I love a theme and being fully committed to it, whether it’s a look or a space in my home. My interior design mirrors that—every corner is designed to evoke a specific vibe, from a cheeky, feminine bathroom to cow print kitchen cabinets. I’m kitschy, maximal, in the best way. My Nana also influenced my style—she wore bold matching sets and patterns, and I’ve taken that even further: more rhinestones, more feathers, more color. I just hate feeling boring. 

Leo Brooklyn: Your wardrobe gives major vintage thrift curation vibes—but are there any independent brands you love that you'd recommend to the femmes?

Madison Rose: When I was 15, I was already thrift diving and curating looks from dollar racks with my mom, so vintage has always been a big part of my style. But I do have some favorite independent brands too. I wear Easy Tiger from the UK for most of my shows—they make all my sequin bodysuits and cowboy hats. My signature red coat is from Namilia, a Berlin-based clubwear brand I love. I’ve also been doing a lot of Depop shopping lately. Another brand I discovered through Instagram is Phix Clothing—I don’t have much from them yet, but I love their vibe. Still, most of my top five pieces are vintage.

I’m equally obsessed with the 1950s and the late ’70s into the ’80s—especially that early ’80s revival of the ’50s. I love silhouettes that feel like they exist in both eras. Like this dress I’m wearing—it’s from the ’80s, but it could easily be from the ’50s too. I’m drawn to that duality. Retro-futurism really excites me. In everything I do, I try to blend nostalgia with something fresh—something that feels familiar, but also like you’ve never quite seen it before.

Leo Brooklyn: I love how your interior design aesthetic mirrors  your taste in fashion.  Being here feels like stepping into the Madison Rose Playhouse—such a vibe.

Madison Rose: When the person I’m seeing came over for the first time, I was like, yes—now you really see me in my space. He called my place “The Barbie Dreamhouse”. So now, when they think of me, it’s like, “What’s Barbie up to?” Just imagining me vibing out here in my little world.

Leo Brooklyn: Do you have friends over a lot or are you more private? 

Madison Rose: I’d say I’m naturally more private, but that’s something I’ve been working to change this year. When I first moved in, my place looked nothing like it does now—it was basically a glorified storage unit. I was going through a lot and funding my entire career myself, so building a home didn’t feel justifiable at the time.

Eventually, I realized that mindset was holding me back. Investing in my space is also investing in myself. That shift brought me back to my thrifty roots—someone introduced me to Facebook Marketplace, and suddenly I was running all over the city, finding the perfect pieces. It reminded me of being 15 and thrifting again. Reconnecting with that part of myself has been healing, especially after years of losing touch with it due to trauma.

Now, most of my home is made up of secondhand treasures I’ve curated over time. There’s something magical about finding pieces that fit perfectly together, even though they’ve come from different lives. That’s what makes interior design so exciting to me—especially when it’s built from the past. It makes me reflect on how I’ve built who I am, collecting and rediscovering pieces of me over time, and watching how they all mosaic together, perfectly.