There’s little we love more than getting the inside scoop on up-and-coming artists before they hit big, and if her predictions are right (which we suspect they are) then artist Lolo Zouaï (@lolozouai) is going to make 2019 her big year, and is taking no prisoners.
If you haven’t heard of her yet, don’t worry, you’re about to! Not many artists at 23 years old stay under the radar for long once they have collaborated on a song that wins a Grammy! That’s right, we’re talking about Lolo’s pal H.E.R who took home a Grammy award for best R & B Album, and Lolo’s contribution to her track Still Down. No big deal, right?
Not sure how to pronounce her name? Well, you’re going to start hearing it more and more! But in the meantime, you know we got you covered! Simply start with “zoo”, and add an “eye”, and there you have it! What would you expect from a girl with a French-Algerian background? The singer/songwriter credits her melting-pot of an upbringing for influencing her work as an artist. Born in Paris, the artist grew up in San Francisco proper, and was raised by her saxophone-playing French mother, and her Algerian dad. She grew up listening to Arabic music, singing French tunes at her French school, and then eventually gaining exposure to Bay Area rap! Now that’s what we call diverse! The girl loves rapper Too Short, and can you blame her? Now self-describing her special sound as “bittersweet bangers”, she greatly attributes all of these special components for helping create that special sauce that people really seem to be responding to. Can you think of anyone else who blends English and French lyrics, French classic vocals akin to Edith Piaf as well as Arabic influences and a touch of Bay Area badassery? Nope, we can’t either. And that’s precisely why we love her so much!
And as if that multicultural background wasn’t enough, just to spice things up a little, Zouaï recently relocated to Brooklyn. Never a dull moment! But when you consider the world your home (and your playground) home is wherever you happen to be! In the new age of successfully self-produced artists, Lolo Zouaï is a prime example of what an artist can accomplish when they believe in themselves, put in the hard work, and trust in their talent. Finding a tight-knit community of artists is helpful too. Just ask Zouaï who recently moved into the creative community/retail brand KidSuper! And when you stay true to your dreams (and yourself), eventually the right team will come along, as is the case for the young artist when she teamed up with New York based producer Stelios, who she continues to work with today in preparation for her first headlining tour.
And for this talented young singer, the proof of her success is in the pudding. Even without any formal promotion, her single “High Highs to Low Lows” already has over five million streams worldwide and counting. And for someone who, at 19, went to L.A to “make it” and was quickly disheartened by broken promises, this type of viewership is sweet success! The secret to the popularity of the song? The relatable nature of the lyrics which deal with living life as a struggling artist.
These days, the unique, young, fashion-loving artist is busy creating new work that she’s really excited about and putting on more shows. And while she doesn’t go for a “choreographed routine” for her songs when she performs, she does love moving and grooving to the music and looks forward to performing bigger and bigger shows as her fan base continues to grow. And that’s quite a feat for someone who used to struggle with stage fright, right? Another component she’s excited about? Having her own band when the time is right!
Wondering what else is on the horizon for this talented star? Don’t worry, we’ve got the scoop. For starters, her fans can look forward to new songs and a new album that she is creating, as well as some exciting videos too! Up to this point its clear she has put the groundwork in to be able to launch herself into the next phase in her career, and she very excited to be moving in that direction! (Spoiler alert, we are too!). But don’t worry – your head won’t explode from the artist overexposing or oversaturating herself. That is something she sees other artists do, and she is not interested in following in those footsteps. Thank you Lolo!
It’s no secret that we are loving this artist’s killer sound! But we have to admit, we’re equally in awe of her fresh fashion choices. All you have to do is hop over to her Insta page to see that this artist is a bona fide fashion lover and stylish trendsetter! For starters, she loves the fun that comes along with thrift-shopping, and is also a huge fan of the Tommy Hilfiger collaborations of yesteryear. You can see with each outfit she curates that she’s a 90’s kid at heart and that she gives special attention to her personal style. We love that she’s all about that 90’s love! Whether she’s rocking Tommy Jeans, suited up in head-to-toe snakeskin print, rockin’ an oversized lime-green blazer, or adding to her collection of Nascar merch, she always looks stunning! Her look has a touch of rave reminiscence, a definite 90’s hip-hop edge combined with that on-trend sports-inspired vibe, and on some days, she even projects just a bit of “Cher” from clueless. How’s that for versatile? And with her signature pink-washed hair, she is making all of our 90’s-inspired dreams come true. And though she has only recently starting to get into high fashion, now that her star is rising, there is no doubt she’ll have many opportunities to rock that high-end high-fashion swag.
