Go "ON THE RUN" with Zaia
- Tucker Cargile
- May 9, 2020
- 2 min read
As a collegiate cross-country runner I am quite literally always on the run, for sport and to cope with my emotions. So, after my buddy Sam told me to check out Zaia I was stoked to see a song called "ON THE RUN" as a top single on the rapper's Spotify artist profile. After listening I was hooked by the catchy single, although the deeper I dug into the rest of the Atlanta native's singles and EPs the more impressed I became. It is clear that the young hip-hop artist has his own vision for the genre and he is not afraid of sticking to his unique style, which features both rapping and singing on top of funk-fueled beats.
Zaia has expressed that there is a great deal of live instrumentation in his songs, as illustrated by the obvious guitar, bass, and drums that are almost always present. This creates the smooth and distinct vibe that you get while listening to his tracks, although it was Zaia's ability to change vocal cadence that really blew me away. He does this with ease throughout his tracks, especially on "DEMONS" and "GRACE", allowing emotion to seep through the cracks.
The up-and-coming artist also boasts raw and creative visuals to pair with his tracks, such as his 2019 EP Reset being released as a 15-minute short film. This was a fantastic idea, really illustrating emotional complexities and the process of working through a break-up. This entire EP is crafted meticulously and tells a story that so many of us can relate to, that being the aftermath and resolution of a breakup. This EP hit hard for me and it says a lot about Zaia that he was able to create so much through only five songs. In the track "BLUE" he sings:
"I lock up all my moods
I don’t know what to do
And it seems like you do
I think I'm feeling you
But look how fast you move
When I'm with you, I'm cool"
So far in 2020, Zaia has released the two singles "DEMONS" and "INNERSTATE". Both are very good and illustrate how the Atlanta based artist is continuing to grow and progress. I would highly recommend giving Zaia a chance before he blows up, and I guarantee he will blow up at some point.
My Favorite Zaia Tracks:
DEMONS (2020)
BLUE (2019)
ON THE RUN (2019)
WASTE MY TIME (2019)
GRACE (2019)
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