Over the years, South Africa’s music industry has produced a new generation of artists redefining what it means to be both vulnerable and versatile — and R&B singer-songwriter Rowlene has positioned herself as one of them. Known for her emotionally rich storytelling, smooth vocals and ability to effortlessly move between genres, the Cape Town-born artist has steadily built a career rooted in authenticity and evolution.
While many listeners were first introduced to her through the massive success of “SMA” alongside Nasty C, Rowlene has since proven that her artistry extends far beyond a single breakout moment. From intimate ballads to confident, genre-blending tracks, her music continues to resonate with audiences drawn to honesty, emotion and a distinctly modern sound. With every release, she reveals new layers of herself — both as an artist and as a woman navigating growth, love, ambition and self-discovery in the public eye.
Beyond the music itself, Rowlene’s presence within the industry reflects a quiet confidence that has allowed her to carve out her own lane in an often fast-moving entertainment landscape.
In our conversation with Rowlene, we speak about her musical journey, creative evolution, upcoming projects and the experiences that continue to shape both her artistry and outlook on life.
What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
As cliche as it may sound, it was hard for me to focus in school and what I thought I was passionate about, actually didn’t fulfill me. I sang in church and so forth. I played around with my voice back in high school, but didn’t think it was something I would go ahead and pursue. A lot of people around me believed me in me and gave me that push to believe in myself. Obviously having coloured parents, they weren’t happy with me pursuing music, but once they saw how much I’m flourishing in my career and how happy it makes me, they were eventually okay with my choice.
What creative process do you go through when writing your songs?
I basically just sit with my team and get in the zone. Throwing ideas around and getting inspiration from that. Sometimes it doesn't happen and I experience writer’s block, which is okay. We can try again tomorrow. Let’s get to know each other instead, maybe I’ll get inspired by that. I try not to overthink the process and just let it happen. Trust the process. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t and that’s okay.
What moment in your career would you say shaped you and who you are as an artist?
A moment in my career that I would say shaped me and who I am as an artist, I think would be losing friends along the way. In life we outgrow people and we all go our different ways. You make some, you lose some and I’m really grateful for the people I currently have around me.
If you weren’t pursuing music, what career would you choose and why?
I would definitely pursue a career in the events industry. I love getting to know people. The thought of having an idea, putting it on paper and seeing it come to life is very exciting and motivating.
Your voice is silky and soothing on your latest single, Sweet Escape and we can’t stop listening to it. What was the inspiration behind the song?
A lot of the time as female artists we create music and sing for fun, although that is all good and well, for this song I wanted to create something sexy, witty, and fun. I wanted to make women feel sexy and with doing that I’m also showing a different side of myself.
What upcoming projects do you have lined up that we can look forward to?
I have a couple of projects lined up, but only a few I am able to talk about. My album is in the works but that will only be released in about two years' time. You can look forward to an upcoming release called Santa’s Baby. I also have an event called RNB (which are my initials) Nights that take place every last Thursday. This is an event that will provide a platform to other female creatives to be seen and heard. Its essentially a community that opens way for collaboration. I feel like there aren’t many spaces for us to perform so I came up with RNB Nights to help discover more of these platforms with more artists while creating a safe space.
What advice would you give young women/girls who wish to pursue a career in music?
I’m going to tell them what I wish I was told, which is educate yourself as much as you can about whatever you want to pursue. Don’t rush to get signed. Invest in yourself. Experiment. Download beats if you have to. Get a feel for things, because you may find that you don’t actually like singing or performing, but rather enjoy writing songs. Understand yourself and push yourself to the best of your ability or you’ll just get twisted in other people’s narrative and get pushed around if you don’t stand up for yourself.
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