With her raw, vulnerable and forceful music, Zsela established herself as a singer-songwriter of cavernous depth. Anticipated by the singles Lily of the Nile, Fire Excape and Not Your Angel, Zsela now releases her debut album Big For You on which she's built a sonic landscape that flows between grandiosity and intimacy.
Reflecting on the making of the album’s ten songs, Zsela explains that the initial sketches went through countless versions before evolving to their final forms. “It was important for me to stay open in this process, finding the truth of what the songs want to be,” says Zsela. “That meant breaking them down and building them back up again and again, not being precious and trying to listen.” By stripping back to the truth of these songs, Zsela arrived at sonic settings that are striking in their contrast, using negative space to conjure a grander sense of scale. This negative space also casts a spotlight on Zsela's voice — a confident presence that anchors the lyrical weight of her compositions.
Big For You is released through Mexican Summer and was produced alongside collaborators Daniel Aged (Frank Ocean, Kelela), Gabe Wax (The War On Drugs, Soccer Mommy), Marc Ribot and Jasper Marsalis (Slauson Malone). Watch the video for 'Not Your Angel' below, the first music video shot on Apple’s Vision Pro.
Zsela performs at Le Guess Who? 2024 on Sunday, 10 November as part of the program curated by Arooj Aftab. Also performing at the festival are a.o. Sheherazaad, Astrønne, Nooriyah, Crystallmess, Mabe Fratti, Lafawndah and many more.
