Meïa Santiago Blooms with “Love is a Rose”

Some songs are sugar-coated clichés about love. Meïa Santiago’s new single “Love is a Rose” isn’t one of them. Instead, the Spanish-born, NYC-based artist cuts straight to the bone of what love really feels like, messy, beautiful, fragile, and worth every damn thorn.

Inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem The Gift, “Love is a Rose” dives into the paradox of passion and patience, how love can burn you alive one minute and cradle you the next. Santiago sings about the way time strips away illusions, yet never erases the urgency of connection. It’s not your typical “fairy-tale happily-ever-after.” It’s a grown-up take on love, laced with both tenderness and bite.

This isn’t just a solo effort. Santiago brought in serious firepower for this track. Morris Hayes, yes, Prince’s legendary right-hand man, produced it, marking their third creative collab. Kip Blackshire (Prince’s background vocalist) added vocal depth, while Santiago’s brother Jordi I. Santiago layered in guitar lines that give the track its grounding pulse. Co-writer Clare Steffen and mixer/master engineer Ignacio Lecumberri also flexed their skills to make sure every note blooms to its fullest.

What makes “Love is a Rose” stand out isn’t just Santiago’s smooth blend of pop, jazz, and soul; it’s the emotional honesty behind it. She doesn’t dodge the dark parts of love. Instead, she leans in, reminding us that even when love gets messy, it’s still worth holding onto. The chorus line, “the mystery unfolds,” perfectly sums it up: love is wild, unpredictable, and endlessly fascinating.

If you’re tired of surface-level love songs, “Love is a Rose” will feel like a wake-up call. It’s lush, it’s layered, and it’s real. Santiago doesn’t just give you a track to hum along to; she hands you a reminder that love, with all its risks, is still the most human thing we’ve got.