Zee Nxumalo’s new project sees her exploring her unique upbringing with a lush blend of afropop and embracing her youthfulness with some vibrant amapiano records.
“Everything just came together so perfectly” – Zee Nxumalo
It’s been exactly a year since a 19-year-old Zee Nxumalo burst onto the scene with her stellar debut single, “Siyajola”. In the time since, “Siyajola” has garnered over 100K streams on streaming platforms and she’s gone on to become recognized as one of the best new acts in the country.
Having learned the ropes and figured her sound out Zee, who’s now 20 years old, is back better than ever with the release of the eagerly anticipated deluxe version of her debut EP “KwaNxumalo”.
“This project means a lot to me because it shows not only the growth in my career but also in my personal life. I feel like I’m growing into the strong and confident young woman I’ve always wanted to be. I’m also having fun and enjoying being young and carefree, which I wanted to showcase on this project.”
“But most importantly, the music is also sounding better than it ever has, and I just can’t wait for everyone to hear it. I’m super honored to have worked with such talented artists like Profound, Azana, Mlindo The Vocalist, MFR Souls and Ntokzin on this project – everything just came together so perfectly.”
STREAM KWANXUMALO (DELUXE) HERE
The focus track on the project is “Pholile 2.0” which is a collaboration between Zee, Azana and Mlindo The Vocalist. The single marks a full circle moment as it comes four years on since a teenage Zee first captured the public’s eye with her viral cover of Mlindo’s hit single “AmaBlesser”, which is currently sitting on 1.4 million views on Youtube.
KwaNxumalo (Deluxe) was co-executive produced by Dennis “Profound” Masilo. Profound, who’s firmly established himself as one of the top young producers in the country through his work with the likes of Khuli Chana, Azana, Emtee and Riky Rick, explains: “Kwa Nxumalo (Deluxe) is an extension of the KwaNxumalo series, which is reflective of her roots & beginnings.”
“However, with the initial series being purely focussed on such a narrative, this project also aims to bring out the more youthful, carefree & joyful version of Zee. When we worked on tracks such as “Sobabili” & “Phila”, Zee reminded us that as much as she works hard, she plays hard too.”
“The common thread in this extended play was for us to explore different avenues of her life with ingenuity & humility – a theme that we persist to keep in the KwaNxumalo brand – from the honesty & keenness to love in “Imizwa” & the hopefulness in “Ngi Mncane”, the EP ties who Zee is, with all aspects of her life, and how she really feels in those aspects. We’re super happy and proud of all the playlist support we’ve received from Apple Music, and we’ve got a few more surprises on the way soon.
