Zel? – Musik For A Prima Donna

Zel? – Musik For A Prima Donna – Album Review

It’s safe to say you never really know what you’re going to get with a hybrid artist.  When I originally read about Zel? earlier this week before pushing play, his bio online talked about being inspired by influences like Prince, Frank Ocean, and Pharrell.  Then I pushed play on his new album Musik For A Prima Donna and “Last Night” started up, and I was like…okay…which one of these influences is this?  But that’s the thing – hybrid artists don’t just stick to one script and they tend to defy one description.  “Last Night” would arguably be a combination of all three of those listed influences or none at all – and I’ll let you decide that for yourselves.  I wasn’t too worried about comparisons giving the fact that I quickly realized whatever Zel? sounded like on track one probably wasn’t gonna be like whatever he chose to sound like on track two, you feel me?  “Last Night” starts up with a rubbery synth sound and a decent vocal hook, and goes on to reveal an interesting musical concoction that gives Zel? the platform to show us the personality and charisma that he brings to his tunes.  I’m not here to tell ya that he’s got the track of all tracks up front on Musik For A Prima Donna, but it does give you a good first impression.

As “Fantastic” took over next and Zel? started making the magic happen on a phonetic level as he latched hard onto the end of each word in his rhyme scheme, I felt like he’s on solid ground in terms of making a relevant sound that listeners are into right now.  Ideas-wise, I think he’s got some decent stuff on display, and execution-wise, I think he’s still got room to evolve and grow.  Which is fair…in the world according to Spotify, he’s been releasing his music for the past four years or so, which puts Zel? on the early side of his career arc as an artist for sure.  He’s made some noticeable moves since the last time he appeared on our pages in our review of his album Now And Forever back in 2022, but he’s still got plenty of space to expand on what he’s doing.  Bottom line is you can hear the potential.  In the case of a track like “Fantastic,” this is what I’d tell you – the beat is bang on, and the vocals can be.  Some people really dig that deviance in an auto-tuner…but that’s not me.  I’m not saying I’m against using an auto-tuner, not at all – in fact, I honestly love that sound when it’s dialed in right.  I don’t know that I can say I always felt like Zel? had his in the sweet spot to get the best outta his vocals, and what I can tell you for a certainty is that the cleaner his vocals sounded on “Fantastic,” the more powerful and strong they sounded to me.  As in, effects are fun & they can be a great tool – but if you’ve got a natural sound that would already make an impact on listeners on its own, that’s always going to be your advantage over so many others.  Sprinkling effects on top of that can sometimes water down the potency overall.  I’m not fully saying that’s what’s happening with “Fantastic,” but I stand by what I said…the less effects you hear in a lyric or a line that Zel? spits, chances are, it was the part of his vocals you enjoyed most.

“I’m Too Pretty.” by Zel? – we’ve got all kinds of punctuation goin’ on now, don’t we?  So look…when you read a list of influential names like Ocean, Pharrell and the mighty Purple One, it’s kind of a foregone conclusion that the artist you’d be listening to isn’t going to go for anything all too normal.  Every one of those names broke into the industry by being unafraid to do things differently, and I think you can hear that on a song like “I’m Too Pretty.” when it comes right down to it.  It’s the confidence and the uniqueness that stands out to me the most here…listen to the cleverness and celebratory sound of the music, listen to the way that Zel? goes after his moment without hesitation…dude knows what he wants to do when it comes time to push record.  The flipside of the coin when it comes to doing something new is a constant obstacle so many artists & bands face – what can be foreign to our ears can often be tough for them to accept…that’s the objective reality.  Even my own pair had a tough time finding their way into “I’m Too Pretty.” when it comes right down to it, but they certainly know enough to appreciate uniqueness and an artist that’s willing to do things differently.  Zel? is going to have to deal with the fact that he’s going to be polarizing to many listeners at the end of the day, but if he’s continually willing to try what others out there won’t…well…that’s how real breakthroughs come about.

Where “I’m Too Pretty.” felt like this non-stop collage of kaleidoscopic sound coming at you full force, the next cut “Let Me Know” had so much more space to breathe.  I think there’s a time and place for both modes…and I’m always cool with an artist switching things up.  That being said, the flipside of the coin always exists – and by the very nature of switching things up stylistically, you’re always going to find certain songs resonate with some people, and others have completely different favorites.  It becomes harder to be pinned down to one style, which I personally think can be a great thing – but it can also come at the cost of having listeners like a part of what you do and have a tough time adjusting to something else that you put out there.  In the context of one album, that can become a tougher ask of the average everyday listener…but I don’t think Zel? is here to cater to the needs of the masses in that regard.  I get the sense that if he’s going to make it in the music business, it’s going to be by going his own way and blazing his own trail, full stop.  “Let Me Know” smooths things out sonically and goes for a more chilled out vibe while also still bringing some heat with a stylistically inclined flow on the mic.  It’s a pretty balanced track, which kind of works both for and against it in a way…it’s even across the board, so it can feel like it’s missing some dynamics that would make it memorable, even if it still sounds good.  In terms of those dynamics, I think you’ll find that’s more of a role that the album itself takes on – Zel? tends to make his songs with a very tailored focus, so they all appear like they have that one gear in a way, but when you factor in how much he changes from song to song, that’s where the dynamics kick in.

That’ll work for some, and not for others…but that’s the life of a hybrid artist that wants to try a whole bunch of things.  When you listen to “2 Cups” after “Let Me Know,” you’ll understand what I’ve been getting at.  Zel? goes into creating his material with a specific vibe in mind…and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it does make each track rock in a very defined gear of its own.  For some, switching things up as dramatically as he does from track to track will be enough to get him by when it comes to those dynamics listeners look forward to hearing, and for others, they’re going to feel that Zel?’s songs need to have the dynamics inside each cut like they tend to be in most music out there.  Now…I’m not here to tell Zel? that there’s only one way to do anything – he’s in control of his own fate in that regard – but what I will tell ya is that people’s ears tend to expect certain things.  One of them, when it comes to music, is famously awaiting that moment where a song shifts to the next level in that traditional verse/chorus type of way.  Zel? is working with extremely low-key hooks on a track like “2 Cups” – they’re not non-existent, but it’s also hard to argue that he’s got that spot in the song that takes it to that all-important next level.  The gear that it starts in is the gear that it stays in.  Obviously if you dig what you hear from the get-go, you’re in great shape, because “2 Cups” will stay that way.  If you found yourself struggling though, that’s where Zel? has some decisions to make…with his music so focused in one direction, he might be neglecting to broaden the range of sound enough to convince those out there that want a little more outta him within the span of a single song.  I can make a case for both sides of the argument.  I like a lot of what he’s got goin’ on throughout “2 Cups,” even if I’d also still want a bit more in terms of dynamics on display, but he compensates well with one of his best vocal performances.

So at the halfway mark…I’d probably tell ya that “Fantastic” is the most memorable cut by design, and that I’m most partial to “2 Cups” myself personally.  “Trip Of Love” is likely the best candidate to be the single & gateway into this record for the masses out there…this is the most accessible cut I’ve heard on the album so far as we shift into the second half of Musik For A Prima Donna.  This beat is hella real for starters – if we’re talkin’ about dynamics, then it’s only fair to point out that the music is loaded up with plenty of’em, even if Zel? is still content to rock each short cut in the main gear he’s chosen.  I also think that “Trip Of Love” might not make the most noticeable shift from the bars to the hooks, but it IS there and something you can hear if you’re paying attention.  What I think makes this more of an exceptional cut is that fact that, while we’ve been looking for more dynamics within a song, this track has so many of them right off the drop that you don’t really feel yourself wanting for anything more than exactly what you get.  As in, the verses are so damn good and slick AF that no chorus hooks would have been able to raise the stakes that much further.  I dig what he’s got goin’ on though…there’s nothing about “Trip Of Love” that feels like it needs anything more than what it already has…from the beat to the bars, I’d go as far as to say that there’s a damn good chance that this track is going to be the most universally loved.

A potent back-to-back combo, “Ocean Girl” is just as likely to please the people out there listening as “Trip Of Love” did.  Rather than take the traditional or typical approach, Zel? pushes forward with this track in a way that’s pretty much ALL hook.  There are so many different ways to make music, and he’s latched onto a solid one here.  As great as lyricism can be to a song, sometimes repetition is the right call to make, and in the case of “Ocean Girl,” Zel? has practically put his pen away altogether to instead make his focus be the melodically addictive main hook in this song.  That’s not to say he doesn’t have SOME words in the mix here, but you’ll know what I mean when you hear it – lyrics aren’t the priority, and nor should they be in this instance.  When you’ve got a rhythm and flow going THIS strong, you let it ride y’all.  Take some NOTES from the man here – I’ve told you a million times on these pages of ours that the ONLY responsibility you have to your music is to go where the songs are trying to take you, and this is a prime example of how to go about it.  Sure Zel? could have added a whole bunch of words to this one if he wanted to, but it would have come at the cost of the fluidity & accessibility in this upbeat vibe he’s got dialed in so perfectly.  In my personal opinion, he made the right call by going with the flow & using repetition to his advantage instead – the people are gonna love what they find on “Ocean Girl.”

“Matching Hearts” has the kind of music that catches my attention right away…this thang sounds like it’s melting in the heat of the sun!  Is that going to work for most listeners?  Hell no!  That’s not the kind of thing I tend to care all that much about though.  I’m always much more interested in uniqueness and songs that challenge our ears like “Matching Hearts” does.  That doesn’t mean I’m not still all about cuts like “Trip Of Love” or “Ocean Girl” myself – of course I am!  I’m not made of stone y’all…those tracks are seriously tough to resist.  Artistically though…and speaking from the point of a reviewer that’s pretty much heard it all at some point throughout his career in music journalism…my ears are always going to be extremely appreciative of hearing something that’s much more rare.  A track like “Matching Hearts” is actually quite daring when it comes right down to it.  Zel? knows just as well as I do that he’s got a song that’s coloring outside of the lines, proudly blurring the lines between what we think we know about music and the possibilities of what else it can be like to experience.  At the core of it all, he’s found another solid vocal flow that will be more than enough to keep those on the fence about the sound of the music fully engaged, and for those out there like myself that were interested in the music to begin with, his vocals simply add another layer to be enjoyed.  This challenges convention in a variety of ways, but I highly suspect that’s the mission Zel? is on and this is proof he understood the assignment.

I’ll be real with ya and say that I think the second half of Musik For A Prima Donna is way stronger than the first.  While there are things I like about the first four cuts, it’s the last five that really brought out the best of Zel? on this particular record.  Personally, I’d like to hear the guy do more stuff like what he’s got at the end with “No Makeup (Demo)” – I felt like this worked out really well for him.  A noticeable departure from the rest where Zel? makes a concentrated effort to just sing in a straightforward style, the dude’s got a good voice and this finale gives you the best glimpse of it.  Sure he’s still got his effects on and all that, but you get what I mean.  You can hear the sincerity and melody combined here at the end of Musik For A Prima Donna, and I feel like that’s gonna have no problem connecting with the majority of listeners out there.  He’s not damaging his street cred by going in a more delicate direction so much as he’s vastly expanding his potential audience…like I said, it’d definitely be something I’d think about considering doing more of in the future.  As I mentioned earlier, Zel? has got some great ideas, and he wraps this record up with one of the stronger ones, no matter how gentle it appears.  What I want him to consider the most going forward though, is the same thing that caught my attention before I pushed play.  Frank Ocean.  Pharrell.  Prince.  You know what ALL of these names have in common?  Dynamics.  Major freakin’ dynamics, within each song.  I’d advise Zel? to go back and listen to’em, and to really hear the kind of amazing moves they’re making within a song – because those are the very same reasons why he looks up to them and that he’s influenced by them to begin with, I promise ya.  By really examining what his heroes have accomplished and how they went about it, it’ll really help take his own music to that next level he’s looking for and become part of the blueprint as he goes forward from here.

Lots of potential in Zel?, and lots of it realized in the second half of this album too, for the record…but even for the greatest of the great, there’s always going to be room to evolve, innovate, and level-up the artistry & craft.  I might have wanted a bit more out of him when it comes to Musik For A Prima Donna at times perhaps, but the foundation & fundamentals are all there, and it’s my job to challenge artists to be at their very best.  I’d imagine that with each release, Zel? puts out, he’ll continually show that he’s putting the work in to reach that next level required to establish his own name up there in the marquee with the icons he looks up to, and always give your ears something they’ll be interested in listening to.

Find out more about Zel? from his official multi-link:  https://ffm.to/musikforaprimadonna

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