Enter ZADA, the Nomad Soul

A rare treat for you all today. ZADA is an Ethiopian-born singer-songwriter whose musical adventure is just getting started, and we get to join her as she makes her debut double-single release in what we can already tell is going to be a long and prosperous journey.

The British Columbia-based artist brings in a myriad of colorful elements to make for a true double whammy of a first impression. The double release we bring you today is composed of "Nomad" and "Tear us Apart", two songs that very favorably give us a piece of insight into who ZADA is as a songwriter, perhaps more importantly: It gives us a good look at the luscious musical range she's working with.

Working from a pop module, ZADA is able to mix and match pieces as she sees fit, bringing us hues of R&B, shades of Hip-Hop, and tones of Afrobeat, all tied together by the delightful timbre of her voice and a folkish Cascadian troubadour's charm that disarmingly speaks from the heart about a world of shared but different experiences and the connections between people that these instances can create. Her sound comes hand-in-hand with the help of renowned Brian West and Chin Injeti.

As for the songs themselves, "Nomad" is part autobiography and part mission statement from the singer-songwriter, who leans comfortably on some solid hip-hop foundation for this one. Starting from her Ethiopian roots down to her present-day stomping grounds, ZADA's life has been marked by that very titular lifestyle, taking a bit of everywhere along with her to everywhere else; this is exemplified beautifully in her approach to music as well, drawing from a number of genres and styles to deftly craft something that is always familiar but unequivocally unique and personal.

For "Tear Us Apart" she swings back and leans deeper into pop with some alt-R&B seasoning. Although I must admit that "Nomad" is my favorite of the two for its sheer energy and sinuous vocals, I think that this song holds the lyrical upper hand. "Tear Us Apart" is a magical retelling of a story passed down to ZADA from her Grandmother about their very own royal bloodline in an inter-generational narrative that takes an almost fantastic twist. ZADA's grandma recalls an event between a princess and a palace gardener that rippled through their family history. In ZADA's retelling of the story, she reimagines a reversal of roles, as the princess now becomes a prince and the gardener now becomes a fierce nomadic she-bandit and the two become embroiled in a courtly drama of forbidden love.

My first impression of this rising new voice couldn't be any better. From a utilitarian standpoint, I think that dropping two songs right off the bat is a seriously good idea because it allows people to have something much more tangible to chew on, and a better way to gauge what she's all about. With "Nomad" and "Tear Us Apart" together I don't feel like we're left on a "...but only time will tell" note for ZADA's debut, not only because we have two vastly different tracks to pick through, but because the quality and thematic resonance of each of them speak of a very mature artist who doesn't seem to be getting her bearings when it comes to recording -I think I often mention this when it comes to Debuts and Early works, where regardless of how good they are, you can usually tell that the artist isn't quite there when it comes to what their sound is going to be, yet it doesn't feel like that's the case with ZADA.

There's no doubt her producers had a huge hand in helping her sound feel so polished and well put together, but the confidence that you can hear in her voice is something that had to come from within, and that's just the most wonderful and positive sign that I can think of when it comes to predicting how her career is going to develop.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born, raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.