Brief
Empress Of channels 2025 Eaton fire loss into new album ‘Dream House’
The singer’s fifth album reflects grief, rebuilding and family hope after her childhood home burned in the 2025 Eaton fires.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Lorely Rodriguez, known as Empress Of, released her fifth studio album, Dream House, drawing on the trauma of the 2025 Eaton fires that destroyed her family home in Altadena, California.
What happened
The Eaton fires swept through Altadena in 2025, forcing Rodriguez’s family to evacuate while the blaze consumed homes just blocks from theirs. Rodriguez watched the fire spread, later hearing from her brothers that their house was gone. The loss prompted a period of grief before she turned to music as a way to process the experience.
What the reports add
Rolling Stone notes that Rodriguez initially considered writing a few songs for an EP, but the creative outpouring grew into a full-length album. She partnered with long‑time friend and producer Cecile Believe, who also appears on the track “SYW.” The album also features a collaboration with Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) on the song “Blue Light.” Throughout the record, Rodriguez weaves in recordings of her mother’s voice, captured during conversations about rebuilding their family house.
What was said
Rodriguez told Rolling Stone, “I wasn’t making music at first, and I was sort of waiting for the moment when I would write about this, because what happened was so life‑changing.” She added, “You lose things, but you remember who you were. So I was making music to remember who I was.” Regarding the title track, she said, “I was thinking about my mom, and I was in this sort of trip‑hop, dreamy place… I started with ‘Dream House’ and I was just talking about this house I want to build with my mom.”
How it came about
The album’s artwork shows Rodriguez stepping through the front door of her family’s newly built home, symbolising both personal and physical reconstruction. Earlier Felo News coverage of housing issues, such as the Barnet Homes leadership change and the Battersea council homes project, provides context on the broader challenges of home loss and rebuilding in the United States.
Key facts
- The Eaton fires destroyed Empress Of’s family home in Altadena in 2025. (rollingstone.com)
- Dream House is Empress Of’s fifth album, featuring collaborations with Cecile Believe and Dev Hynes. (rollingstone.com)
- Rodriguez incorporated recordings of her mother’s voice into the album. (rollingstone.com)
- The album artwork depicts Rodriguez entering the front door of her family’s rebuilt house. (rollingstone.com)
Sources
- [1] rollingstone.com — originally reported as “How Empress Of Found a New Sense of Home on 'Dream House'”
