francene rouelle on if u see me like this, Finding Confidence, and Letting Go of Outside Opinions

The Austin-based artist opens up about her sophomore album, the relationships that shaped it, and learning to trust her own perspective.

For francene rouelle, confidence wasn't something she had figured out before making if u see me like this. It was something she discovered along the way.

Released September 18, the 11-track sophomore album finds the Austin-based Filipina American artist moving beyond the emotional patterns explored on off the carousel. Where her previous record dealt with seeking validation from people she cared about, this new chapter is about learning to exist outside those opinions, even when doing so hurts.

"The girl who wrote off the carousel was obviously going through an internal battle, using the opinions of people she cared about to decide how she felt about herself," francene tells Everyday Jams.

She describes if u see me like this as coming from a place of newfound confidence and pain, a combination that runs throughout the record. It's not an album about having everything figured out. It's about getting comfortable with the possibility that some people may never understand you.

Released September 18, the 11-track sophomore album finds the Austin-based Filipina American artist moving beyond the emotional patterns explored on off the carousel. Where her previous record dealt with seeking validation from people she cared about, this new chapter is about learning to exist outside those opinions, even when doing so hurts.

"The girl who wrote off the carousel was obviously going through an internal battle, using the opinions of people she cared about to decide how she felt about herself," francene tells Everyday Jams.

She describes if u see me like this as coming from a place of newfound confidence and pain, a combination that runs throughout the record. It's not an album about having everything figured out. It's about getting comfortable with the possibility that some people may never understand you.

Learning to Trust Her Own Perspective

At the center of if u see me like this is the complicated relationship between how we see ourselves and how others perceive us.

For francene, writing the album required imagining a version of herself who wasn't constantly looking for reassurance.

"At the beginning of the writing process, that girl didn't exist yet," she explains. "I had to ask myself what the most self-assured version of myself would write about, which manifested in me becoming more confident."

That shift comes through on "monster in the mirror," the album's focus track, which explores the damage of allowing someone else's perception to shape your identity.

"There comes a point where someone's acceptance no longer serves who you are becoming," she shares. "I would much rather be misperceived from a distance than pine for a so-called loved one's recognition."

Elsewhere, "evil eyes" became one of the most challenging songs for her to write. Accustomed to considering everyone else's feelings, francene found herself confronting emotions she would normally try to rationalize or soften.

"Writing this song taught me the benefit of dimming external noise and spotlighting my feelings," she says.

The album also explores the complicated pull of nostalgia. On "dont look," a collaboration with London-based artist Karl Benjamin, francene considers the difficulty of moving forward when memories of the past still hold their appeal. The two first met at a songwriting camp before her debut single arrived in 2024, making their collaboration a meaningful reunion.

Rather than searching for someone to blame or trying to make every experience easier to explain, francene gives herself permission to feel things as they are.

A New Sound, A New Sense of Freedom

That willingness to push herself extends beyond the songwriting.

Throughout if u see me like this, francene leans further into electronic production, hyperpop textures, and unexpected changes in energy. Working with longtime collaborator and producer waverly, she approached the arrangements with a desire to keep the songs moving, even during their quieter moments.

"I love when songs grow as you're listening, and these hyper-EDM elements helped take even the somber songs on a journey," she explains.

Even "aqua dress," which she describes as the album's most melancholy track, features a breakdown that gives the song another dimension.

The record also takes shape through four distinct colors: pink, blue, purple, and yellow. Rather than developing a visual concept after the music was finished, francene found those colors emerging naturally in her lyrics.

"september bby" helped establish pink as a representation of confidence and self-assurance, while "aqua dress" introduced blue imagery to reflect a more melancholy emotional space.

Purple represents the tension between conflicting emotions, while yellow reflects the realization that whatever she's feeling deserves to be acknowledged.

"The imagery of color became so prominent in my writing process that the palette bloomed naturally," she says.

Together, those colors give the album a visual identity that reflects the different emotions francene was navigating while creating it.

Going All In

The release also arrives during a significant period of change in francene's career.

After balancing music with other responsibilities for years, she made the decision to leave her day job and focus on her artistry full-time.

For someone who had always been thinking about music, the biggest difference was finally having the time and freedom to give it her full attention.

"Nothing changed other than the fact that I no longer had to multitask and burn myself to the ground," she explains.

Her relationship with performing has evolved, too. After headlining shows across Texas and supporting Tate McRae in Austin in 2025, francene began approaching her music with a greater awareness of how it could translate to the stage.

"Performing on these bigger stages reminded me how much I enjoy performing," she says, explaining that the experience influenced the more expressive elements of the album.

But committing to music full-time meant more than changing her schedule. It meant allowing herself to take something seriously that she'd once been afraid of failing at.

"Going all in meant finally giving something I've loved my whole life the space and dedication it deserves."

More Than a Voice

Francene's willingness to experiment doesn't mean leaving her musical roots behind.

Growing up Filipina American, she found an early connection to classic R&B and emerging R&B-pop artists, eventually sharing covers on SoundCloud before developing her own sound. Those influences still shape her melodies today, even as her production moves into more electronic territory.

The album also includes her first dedicated R&B track, bringing an important part of her musical upbringing into this new chapter.

For all the personal growth behind if u see me like this, francene isn't trying to present a completely different artist. The emotional honesty of her earlier work is still present, but there's a growing sense of ownership over the stories she's telling.

When asked what she hopes listeners understand after hearing the album, her answer comes back to the work she puts into creating it.

"I hope people understand how much I care about creating and writing," she says. "I love singing, but it's quite the compliment when people who once only saw a singing voice now consider me a creator and an artist."

It's a fitting sentiment for an album built around reclaiming the way she sees herself.

With if u see me like this, francene rouelle isn't asking everyone to understand her. She's learning that she can keep growing whether they do or not.

if u see me like this is out now.

Photography: Ella Overett & Karl Somerville