Zealyn

Zealyn encapsulates many attributes. Whether it be her flawless vocals and beautiful melodic songwriting, or maybe that glisteningly amiable personality and her uncanny ability to connect with her fanbase in deeply personal ways, there’s no denying that if Zealyn understands one thing, it’s charm.

Hence her most recent single “So Damn Charming” (July 26) is a fitting subject matter for Zealyn to tackle. Analyzing a specific charisma unique to the entertainment industry by understanding the detriments of it, “So Damn Charming” is likely reflective of her own life as a rising artist.

The work of a creative in this field often feels like a hamster wheel, endless effort and persistence required on a road to seemingly nowhere. Opening line “Slow down, oh / I’ve been running faster than I’m proud of / Quick now / I don’t want to fall behind the it crowd,” captures the suffocating urgency of pop artistry in today’s culture of chasing trends and staying “relevant.” In the chorus Zealyn muses “Silver isn’t over my head, darling / I don’t want to loose myself entirely / Even though it all seems so damn charming,” she recognizes the pull of glitz and glamor while fearing losing her soul in the process. Zealyn has chosen to resist this quisling charm and she certainly resists in style.

Cue the release of the “So Damn Charming” visual companion (Aug. 13), directed by Brent Campanelli, the video hosts a series of vignettes featuring fluid, modern choreography and playing heavily with natural and artificial lighting. The video kicks off with Zealyn featured on an empty stage, illuminated by a set of car headlights. This transitions into Zealyn serenading the camera, adorned in a series of drop dead gorgeous lewks. As the music builds and flowers, Zealyn’s movement mirrors this progression, gyrating with the swells of production and heavy hits of percussion. In her own words,

“I feel like as musicians and creatives we spend a lot of our time always thinking about what the next move is and wanting what we don’t have. Regardless of whether it’s a good thing or not. The world we live in can make anything seem ‘so damn charming’ from a distance, even though most of the time it’s far from it. That is what I wanted to show in the music video. Everything looks beautiful and well put together, but on the inside I am broken and so full of pain and doubt.”

Take an exclusive day before look-see at the music video below: - Ones To Watch

Autumn may be on the horizon, but Zealyn wants to hang on to summer for just a little bit longer with a special acoustic performance of her song "Summer Day,” premiering exclusively for Billboard.

Backed by two acoustic guitars, Zealyn strips the song -- originally released on the alternative/electronic flavored EP, Limbic System, to the basics -- focusing on the song’s poetic lyrics as she sings: “The young still have their ways/ Foolish and fumbling through their days/ Until the winter of their summer love/ But without you a colorless pane.”

The decision to go acoustic was inspired by a late-night phone call, Zealyn tells Billboard.

“About a month ago my friend, Brent Campanelli, reached out one night telling me he had some free time and asked if there was any song he could film,” she says. “I jumped at the opportunity, hopped in the car with my two guitarists, drove to the top of a hill and filmed it that night."

"There was something special about how raw this performance was,” she says. “It's quite different than the EP ... and as much as I love singing with a full band and tons of energy, being outside with the view of L.A., and no mics, and nothing even plugged in, just felt right for the moment." - Billboard

"The past few years have seen a resurgence of experimental sounds, avant-garde genre fusions, all lead by powerful female voices. BANKS and FKA twigs are the first that come to mind, with L.A.-based Zealyn coming closely behind. (Not too bad of company for a rising artist, eh?)" - NYLON

When it comes to inspiration for writing new material, Los Angeles-based singer Zealyn was drawn toward biology as the lyrical muse for her latest single and title track to her upcoming album. The titular limbic system is a network of complex brain structures that support emotion and behavior, and here, it is acting as a metaphor for the thing in our lives that we cannot live without: purpose. This explanation is more beautiful coming from Zealyn, herself, of course, as her gorgeous vocals slink intrinsically throughout the thoughtful array of manicured beats there are. The vocal assist from JMR on the track, too, is just icing on the cake, as his verse is both distinct and complementary to the single as a whole.

Be sure to watch out for Zealyn as she prepares to drop her debut Limbic System LP later this year, and check out the aforementioned artist as well, as he has several quality works out, including a recent EP you can check out HERE. - HILLYDILLY