Los Angeles has another R&B hitmaker on their hand. 20-year-old artistry Zaida is taking over the game by storm with her latest slew of singles. Her soul-infused lyrics combined with tender ballads make for the perfect combination. Today, the songstress shares the visuals for her hit single “Lil Mama.”
“Lil Mama” is Zaida’s first official music video since late-2017’s “Wya,” which laminated the emerging star and rising songstress. The visuals capture Zaida dipped in pink in every girl’s dream room before swapping to an art gallery where fellow LA-native JAG makes a guest appearance.
“My latest single is an ode to cuffing season, all the ladies get a chance to channel their inner “Lil Mama.” Lil Mama is the soundtrack to Hot Girl Summer and Fall! Check out my new music video, and watch me and my boo have a little fun,” Zaida states. Peep the music video and exclusive questionnaire below.
Take us back to your adolescence years, what were you like as a child?
Man as a kid, I remember myself always being in my own little world. I was such a daydreamer, I was that kid writing songs in class and thinking about all the things I wanted to be when I grew up. I was always in love with music. I played instruments like Violin, Flute, and Trumpet in elementary & middle school.
I started writing songs when I was nine because at my daycare me and my friends wanted to be like Destiny’s Child but we had no songs to sing- so I would write songs for us to sing together lol! My childhood was during the time where technology was growing but hadn’t quite taken over completely yet so I was able to enjoy my youth and do all the regular things kids like to do.
What artists did you gravitate too during your youth?
I’ve always always been so inspired by Beyoncé, for as long as I could remember I just loved her music, her work ethic, her boss mentality, and everything she stood for. She was always someone who I wanted to be like when I was older. I also have been a huge fan of Chris Brown, Michael Jackson, and Rihanna. They all have this unmistakable Star Power that just never gets old. I definitely gravitated to them ever since I was a kid, and I still do. I want to take over the world just like they did.
What experience or moment made you want to pursue music?
So I have always loved music, just from always being around it growing up. I used to go to church every Sunday, and the only part that would really stick out to me was the Choir. Both of my parents always had different types of music playing 90s R&B to Hip Hop, and my Grandma would start off mornings playing “Breakfast With the Beatles” on the radio. But, for me, I do remember one defining moment where I knew that I had to pursue music. And it was pretty random- I was just watching BET and The Jackson’s: An American Dream came on.
I was so fascinated by their story and how they came into fame. Seeing them rehearse and record in the studio on the movie was so cool to me. Seeing Michael’s growth and his ability to make people pass out from excitement seemed like a Super Power. Being able to connect with people like that via music is a dream on mine.
Where does the creative direction of your music stem from?
Hmm, that’s a good question. I like to make music that is relatable but also has a personal effect that you can only give by being yourself. My creative direction really just comes from the Gift that God gave me to create. It’s hard to explain where I get ideas from, they just kind of drop into my head and I just go with what feels best to me.
How about your family and friends, what role do they play in your sound?
Not to sound rude, lol but they honestly don’t play that much of a role in my actual sound. I’ve always used music as a way to escape from my regular day to day life – so it’s more therapeutic for me. It comes from within. My family and friends are definitely HUGE support systems though. They have always believed and me and every time I feel discouraged or down about something, they are there to motivate me to keep going. And that’s so important to me.
Tell us about the story behind “Lil Mama,” how did you come up with the song?
Lil Mama came about so randomly. First of all, I was fresh out of a relationship when I first wrote the hook, so I wanted to make a song that made me feel good. Something that was fun and relatable to the new freedom I had. I pulled up to the studio and lowkey, one of the guys there had a lil crush on me so I was feeling myself and came up with that hook, “He told my I could be his Lil Mama.” Originally I was supposed to just be a feature, but I loved the song so much that I made it my own and dropped it myself!
How about the visuals, where did the inspiration behind the music come from?
Whenever I really love a song, I can automatically imagine the music video playing in my head. Same thing happened with Lil Mama, I knew I wanted it to be something cute and fun yet still simple and straight to the point. I am telling a story about being newly boo’d up, so I figured in the video I should be boo’d up! Getting ready to go on a date and having a good time was definitely the storyline I imagined for the visuals from the jump.
Rolling into next year, what can we expect from you?
Ahhh! I have a feeling 2020 is going to be amazing. I plan on releasing my next single early 2020, along with visuals. Other than that, I am going to continue focusing on songwriting for other artists and putting out more content that shows people more behind the scene looks into my creative process as a songwriter and artist. The rest is up to the Universe!
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