Fast-rising young R&B artist ZI drops catchy new single ‘Cocky’
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – ZI is an R&B artist who was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and has always had music as a centerpiece of his life. He wrote one of his first songs, “Stalking Me” at age 11 and has been slowly gaining more and more fans in the years since. His first full-length project was a mixtape called “1998” which put him on the national stage. Today, the 21-year-old artist is ready to take his skills into all parts of the world.
The latest single from East Coast artist ZI is so hot that it’s skyrocketed past 100,000 views on YouTube in only one week. “Cocky,” featuring female artist TiaCorine, is a Hip Hop/Pop/R&B fusion that pairs a good vibe with a catchy hook for the kind of song that is immediately identifiable as a hit within just the first few bars. It’s a signature style that ZI has perfected over the years, and it’s a sound that’s about to make a splash around the world as this fast-rising artist rides a wave of success from this new single.
“I’m an R&B singer, but it’s a different type of R&B which you’ll hear on this track,” ZI said. “I can be Pop or I can rap a little bit or I can do different things with my voice and venture off to different genres, so I’m not an in-the-box type of R&B singer. With this song, I’m just having fun and giving people something catchy to listen to. I get called cocky a lot but in the song, I’m more saying that I’m cocky but she still loves me. You can be cocky but a good woman will still be down for you and still love you. So I wanted to take that word and make it into something meaningful and heartfelt and just have fun with it.”
ZI said he’s been influenced over the years by music legends such as Chris Brown, Usher, Brandi, and especially Lauryn Hill. He points to his word craft as a lyricist as one of the things that helps him stand out in a crowded music marketplace, and he credits Lauryn Hill as the inspiration for that trademark of his style.
“I’m really into writing music, and Lauryn Hill really influenced me as a lyricist,” he said. “I love finding lyrics that connect to others and helps them to feel something when they listen to my music. I can really get inspired by anything which I think helps me to relate to a lot of people around the world.”
In the coming months, ZI said he’ll be working on a follow-up album called “Pretty Boy” which he said should drop in early 2021. The music video for “Cocky” is currently available on his YouTube channel.
To listen to ZI’s music or to follow him on social media, please visit:
https://mobile.twitter.com/zioticc
https://www.instagram.com/ziotic/
“Cocky”