You may know her as the hottest housewife in Orange County, but Gretchen Christine Rossi recently pressed pause on her fashion and beauty empires to release her third single, “Unbreakable”—an uplifting and self-empowering anthem.
A follow-up to her first two singles, “Nothing Without You” and “Revelation,” this time Rossi teamed up with music company Citrusonic—the lifestyle marketing and promotion company behind artists like Kerli, Erika Jayne and Madonna—producer Jean-Yves “Jeeve” Ducornet—a talent behind artists like Nicole Scherzinger and The Game—and Kimberly Cole, who co-wrote the song.
Frontiers chatted with the blonde bombshell—herself a good friend of SoCal’s LGBT community—about the new single, her personal musical tastes, a new bilingual scripted series for Telemundo called Mia Mundo and what we can expect from the upcoming eighth season of Real Housewives of Orange County.
In addition to knowing you as one of the O.C. Housewives, we also know you as a hardworking businesswoman. Where does your career in music fall in step with your other priorities and projects?
Music is my favorite pastime. I love to write, and that is where my passion started for music. I am so busy with my businesses and companies that I don’t get to spend as much time as I would like exploring and being creative in the music space, but when I do find the time, I feel invigorated by the experience and I come alive!
How did the release of your third single, "Unbreakable," come about, and what inspired you to write the song?
This song was inspired by Slade’s youngest son, Grayson, and what he has been through as a young kid. He’s had brain cancer since he was 5 years old (he’s 12 now, praise the Lord), and has had 11 major brain surgeries! Despite everything he has been dealt, this little kid’s spirit is unbreakable! I also pulled lyrics from my personal diary and my own experiences in life. I have been through a lot in my life and have realized that I am unbreakable no matter what life throws at me! This song was written for every person out there who has ever struggled with anything tough—divorce, illness, loss of job, bullying, people tearing you down, whatever that might be—this song was meant for them. My hope is that everyone will be playing this song and singing at the top of their lungs and remembering that they, too, are unbreakable!
Has music always played a role in your life?
Always. I grew up in a home where music was a huge part of our lives. My father was in several very popular bands back in the day and is still an avid guitar player. Music is the soul of my universe, it gets me in the best modes and gets me out of the worst of modes!
Tell me about your personal musical tastes.
Gosh, everything from classical to rock to country to alternative! I sincerely love it all! Well, except for hardcore rap—just not my thing. Some of my favorites are U2, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Katy Perry, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Sting and almost all country!
Are there any pop stars, rock stars or musicians you aspire to emulate with your singing career?
Well, in all honesty, to say ‘aspire to emulate’ seems silly to me at this age, however I have a lot of respect for the greats, like Madonna and Lady Gaga, and lately I have just fallen in love with everything about Katy Perry!
Tell me about the Mia Mundo series for Telemundo and how that came about.
That was such a fun experience and such a fun surprise! They reached out to me and said that the writer of the series was a huge fan of mine from Housewives, and she wrote a role specifically to be played by me. I was thrilled and honored to say the least! It was such a great experience, all the cast and crew were so beyond welcoming and gracious with me (since I had never acted before). They were so helpful and made me feel so at ease! I definitely got the bug for acting, so who knows what the future holds.
What can we expect in the upcoming future from the O.C. Housewives? Are you and the rest of the ladies returning for a new season?
It looks like there will be a season 8, and I am sure all of us girls will be back! However, what to expect—well, you never know with this group, but I will say I’m sure we will not disappoint! I am looking forward to continuing to expand my mini empire of the Gretchen Christine Collections (gretchenchristine.com) and starting a family with Slade!
Listen to “Unbreakable” on iTunes here.
Watch behind-the-scenes footage of Gretchen recording “Unbreakble” below: