After releasing her EP Moon of Honey in 2016, Billie Zizi is back with a new single. The indie-folk track “A Picture of a Picture” takes you on a dreamy and transcendent trip. Zizi said she wrote this song early in the pandemic as she pondered about the wonders of existing in a fragmented state.
“Like a ghost, longing paces the imprint of the heart and lives in the recesses of one's mind, dull and intractable, a diffused grief - AKA when you break up and you can barely remember their smile but you’re longing for that ecstasy in the sunshine, that young love feeling, oblivion,” she said to Unheard Gems.
While listening to “A Picture of A Picture”, I lost myself through the lyrics because I was too focused on the production. Billie’s vocals seem off-key or off-tune in some parts, but it’s part of the experimental aspect in her songs. The music in “A Picture of A Picture” is mysterious, haunting, and takes you for a ride. The guitar complements the song’s themes with its progressions and riffs, especially at the bridge. Truthfully, I was half-expecting a chorus of Billie’s melodies in the post-chorus, [not exactly like, but similar to] her songs in Moon of Honey.
Based in Edmonton, Canada, Billie Zizi is an innovative singer-songwriter and guitarist. She combines classic soul with a contemporary RnB, while adding an avant-jazz vibe with her adventurous guitar forays to create an experimental and approachable sound.
Zizi’s early work as a solo artist included tightly arranged loops and sampled parts, building pieces live and in the moment. Her first LP, “Gun Metal Dress” (2015), was a jazz-influenced collection that featured unconventional time signature shifts, straightforward yet studied guitar work, and classic, scat-inspired vocal performances. Her second album, ‘Moon Of Honey’ (2016), showed Zizi’s ability to take risks, while maintaining a sharp pop sensibility in composition.
After a brief hiatus, Zizi comes back with new music. Songs like “Levitate”, “Midnight Sun”, and “Hope” showcase a new sound with familiar terrain. If you listen to artists like Glass Animals and Khruangbin, then you’d be akin to Billie Zizi.
Written by Yaba Ahounou
Comments