ROMZ Takes On The Critics With ‘HATER.’

On August 29, London artist ROMZ releases her new single ‘HATER.’ alongside a striking music video. It is her first independent release in more than three years. While it is a comeback in the literal sense it is also something bigger. It is a statement of who she is now what she stands for and how far she has come since she last put out music on her own terms.

From the outside ‘HATER.’ might seem like a track aimed at the people who have doubted her talked about her or thrown negativity her way. And yes that is part of it. But what makes this song stand out is the way ROMZ has approached it. She has not just written a response she has stepped directly into the role of the so-called hater. She has studied their voice their attitude their mindset and brought it to life. It is a performance but it is also a mirror.

That is not an easy thing to do. Most people avoid looking at negativity too closely because it hurts. It stings. It makes you question yourself. But ROMZ has chosen to sit in it to feel it and to turn it into music. That is what makes this track more than just another rap record. It is vulnerable and it is freeing at the same time. It is a way of saying I hear it all I see it all and I am still doing what I am doing.

And here is the thing it is working. Spend five minutes on her TikTok and you will see exactly why her fan base is growing. People are not just watching they are connecting. They see themselves in her. They feel like she is speaking with them not at them. Nothing feels staged nothing feels like a performance for the sake of it. Whether she is talking making music or posting clips it is all real. And in an age where so much online feels polished within an inch of its life that is rare.

”HATER.’ was born out of every negative comment thrown my way,’ ROMZ says. ‘I wanted to show anger and rage because this is how a hater would normally act. I wanted to embody the ‘hater’ and reenact their feelings towards me and everyone else.'”

Visually ‘HATER.’ is just as direct as the track itself. The creative direction sticks to a black grey white and red palette bold minimal and intense. The video opens with an eerie choral section pulling you in before the Jersey rap beat hits. Those orchestral layers running through the track give it weight the kind of drama that makes it feel like you are watching a scene from a film not just a music video. Directed by Level Up Visuals and produced by William Alaneme every part of the visual ties back to the concept of stepping into the hater’s mindset.

For ROMZ this release is not just another song it is the start of a new chapter. Her journey started long before ‘HATER.’ At just nine years old she stood on stage at the Royal Albert Hall performing a Benjamin Zephaniah poem. From there she went on to open for Dappy at Electric Brixton and with her former group YChange reached No. 4 on the iTunes Rap Hip-Hop chart with their debut single. Her music has been played on BBC 1Xtra and Capital Xtra. She has been part of big moments but ‘HATER.’ is different. It is hers alone.

And the timing matters. Three years without releasing independently means three years of growth both personally and creatively. It is time she has spent figuring out what she wants her music to say how she wants it to feel and most importantly how she wants it to connect with people. ‘HATER.’ is the first glimpse of that and it is unapologetically her.

It is also a reminder of something important the very act of creating in the face of criticism is powerful. Every artist knows the pressure that comes from other people’s opinions whether it is strangers online people in your circle or even your own self-doubt. Most would quietly push past it. ROMZ has decided to shine a light on it turn it into art and then share it with everyone. That is not just brave it is a way of showing self-love.

Because when you think about it putting yourself in the role of your biggest critic forces you to own your story completely. There is no hiding no pretending the noise is not there. You are acknowledging it playing with it and then moving forward on your own terms. That is the kind of move that earns respect not because it is a strategy or a comeback but because it is honest.

With ‘HATER.’ ROMZ has made something that is bigger than herself. It is for anyone who has ever been doubted misunderstood or underestimated. It is a track for the people who have had to remind themselves that their voice matters even when it is being drowned out by others. And it is proof that you can take something thrown at you in anger and turn it into something that lifts you higher.

More music is on the way and if ‘HATER.’ is any indication it is going to keep pushing into this space where deconstructed honesty meets strong visuals and bold sound. For ROMZ it is not about fitting into a genre. It is about telling the truth in her own words every single time.

For now ‘HATER.’ stands as the start of something new and a reminder that the best way to answer the noise is to make something worth listening to.