NEW TRACK ‘STAY THIS WAY’ WITH JIM OUMA FEATURING KES KROSS
LISTEN HERE
WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO HERE
“Nods to her home country’s reputation for anthemic pop as well as a love of Afrobeats.” – Complex
“The perfect cocktail of contemporary production and timeless songwriting, rich with personality and prowess.” –Wonderland
“Superbly soulful pop music… it’s time for the rest of the world to sit up.” – Clash
| Sweden’s rising r’n’b/pop icon Zikai earned praise from Complex and Wonderland after her previous single ‘Twenty Something’ focused on the hedonism and lack of direction that comes with early adulthood. Adept at channelling an array of emotions into her music, Zikai now dives into nostalgia with her new single ‘Stay This Way’ with Jim Ouma. The track features Kes Kross, the Roc Nation artist who has worked with everyone from Rihanna to Nile Rodgers. LISTEN HERE. ‘Stay This Way’ continues Zikai’s recent rich run of form, with her classy, graceful vocal gift delivering a typically colossal hook. This time it’s the focal point of a slow-burning reflection on longing to return to a time in your life that has passed. Its airy Afropop beats are further complemented by a killer feature in the shape of Kes Kross’s charismatic delivery. Watch the lyric video HERE. “‘Stay This Way’ is about a time in my life that felt so simple and free,” says Zikai. “The song allows me to look back to a happy time that I never wanted to change. I wrote it two years ago, but it feels particularly relevant now.” Zikai wrote the song with the track’s producers Jim Ouma (previously of NONONO, best known for their hit ‘Pumpin Blood’) as well as Kes Kross and Kinda Ingrosso. Last year saw Zikai release her debut EP ‘Make You Mine’. Its sound touched upon Snoh Aalegra’s cinematic soul, Brandy’s throwback R&B, Mabel’s crossover appeal and Dua Lipa’s postmodern disco. There was a palpable African pop element too, sourced from her Ivorian father’s love of the influential Afropop favourites Magic System, plus the star quality of early 2000s MTV icons Rihanna and Omarion. It reserved a strong reaction, accumulating 8.3 million streams at Spotify and earning a Denniz Pop Award nomination for Rookie Artist / Band. Her talents have also made her an in-demand collaborator. She featured on Mullally’s ‘Fire’, co-wrote ‘Hush’ for ‘Yellow Claw and Weird Genius, and joined SVEA for a new take on Rihanna’s ‘Don’t Stop The Music’. |
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