Establishing the mood with the sound of a cassette player, expanding with subtle rhythmic percussion, ethereal vocals and astral bells, Zo Burton opens space with a sublime R&B timbre and poetic prowess detailing his emotional feelings. The opus evolves with brilliant vocal design with cerebral motifs and flow switch ups from the captivating artist.
We appreciate the poetic prowess and the self-realized maturity of Zo Burton‘s prose. There is no doubt that fans of Tinashe, Frank Ocean, Miguel, The Weeknd and D’Angelo will totally connect with the vibe and nostalgic textures.
Arriving just days before Zo turns 30, space feels like a personal checkpoint for the rising artist. As for the narrative, the song explores the people, relationships and experiences that leave an imprint on us, even if we move on. It’s intelligent and conscious, and we vibe with his level of self-awareness. There is a maturity in acknowledging that growth does not necessarily mean erasing the past.
This emotional honesty gives space its high emotional quotient. Rather than leaning into grand declarations, Zo allows the arrangement and vocal nuances to communicate the complexity. Although space marks Zo Burton’s official debut as a recording artist, his relationship with music began long before this release.
An Arkansas native now based in Brooklyn, Zo grew up as a preacher’s kid and began playing keys by ear at just three years old. Church became his first musical classroom, shaping his instinct for melody and harmony.
Cinematically, we can imagine space landing a sync placement in a film like Past Lives, Love Jones, The Photograph, If Beale Street Could Talk, Blue Valentine or The Last Five Years. On television, it could complement Insecure, Atlanta, Rap Sh!t, Master of None, Adults, Beauty in Black, and Normal People.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added space to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we anticipate future releases from Zo Burton!