Zella Day Can Really Scratch "That Itch"
A playlist with 7 great Zella Day songs.
I’ve said it before, so shouldn’t be stating yet again that I’m a sucker for covers. But truth be told, I am. This weakness has led me to discover new artists on more than one occasion. Which makes me like covers even more. It’s an unending cycle, but it’s also a productive one.
One of these discoveries was Zella Day. It was her cover of Seven Nation Army that attracted me. It is a cover that other covers want to be; she does such a solid job of reinventing the song that it feels like she could have written it. There was something in her performance that impressed me, left me curious.
My curiosity was quenched with the release of Kicker. I’d not have guessed from her take on Seven Nation Army that she had such potential to produce a few bangers, but that’s the direction she went. When I say bangers, I mean banging in my living room, just to be clear. It has been a minute since I’ve hit the clubs! After Kicker she began to move toward a retro, very disco-ball friendly sound that piqued my interest even more.
It was most likely growing up hearing a heavy rotation of 70 music, including yacht rock (which was just soft rock back then) and some disco like Donna Summer, that built within me this particular preference. I’d presume there are others my age who enjoy modernized nostalgia reminiscent of these influences thanks to their musical timelines. They probably also grew up in households with a copy of Barbara Streisand’s Guilty album in the record collection.
As I got older, my fondness for Olivia Newton John and Madonna further refined my preferences, creating a very specific niche; I’d say the best way to sum it up is Deeper and Deeper by Madonna. It’s a great dance song, it’s epic and uplifting. The music feels thick and layered, as though you’re surrounded by a twister of polished and very produced dance perfection. You can get lost in it. And you can sing your heart out.
Day has nailed the exact vibe of Deeper and Deeper in songs like Dance For Love, My Game and Golden. She has also branched out, adding her own brand of drama, sometimes playful but always commanding. Her vocals are powerful and rich, there is depth behind every note. She isn’t afraid to take risks vocally, which allows her to push the boundaries for the sake of the character and story.
Day has taken the task of disco revival on as though she has a cheat sheet, as though she’d been there before. She may be the reincarnation of some disco dancing queen gone too soon. She could have skated up and asked for your order the last time you visited Xanadu.
Not that disco is her only speed. After all, it was her bare bones acoustic cover that first drew me in. Purple Haze sounds like an Arctic Monkeys tune. I’m curious once again about where she’ll go next.
I’m actually quite surprised that she hasn’t attempted an Olivia Newton John cover. She certainly has had her way with songs from The White Stripes, Black Sabbath and Hot Chocolate, so I’d guess she’s qualified to take on an ONJ. We’ll have to wait and see.
The playlist is the usual seven songs plus a cover or two or three (because covers don’t count as well as covers being the catalyst for this post in the first place).
Feel free to let me know what you think. Let me know if you’re a fan, or if we’ve got a first timer here.
I really like Zella Day! Love the retro dance vibe and her kind of gritty disco sound. I thought she was new to me but then I realized I saw her video for “I believe in miracles” with her dancing around her apartment in her underwear. Though that cover, though good, wasn’t as impressive to me as Crazy Train and Seven Nation Army.
The other songs on the playlist are originals, right?