Hip-Hop Lives Here
Hip-Hop Lives Here
LOS ANGELES, CA – Pop singer Zarenae has played all the biggest clubs in Los Angeles and now she’s dazzling audiences around the world with her debut single “You.”
With sultry, R&B-style vocals riding a phat beat, “You” is a powerful break-up anthem for any woman who’s been wronged by a man who doesn’t deserve her.
“It’s about me finding out this guy I was seeing was cheating on me and me telling him that I know what he did,” Zarenae says. “It’s about me taking back my power and putting it all out into this record.”
The young singer’s cooing vocals belie a surprising emotional depth on the track, from the vulnerability of the chorus line “Boy you don’t deserve my heart anyway” to the delightfully venomous couplet “she’s nothing like me/she’s perfect for you.”
“It was definitely an emotional studio session,” Zarenae says of the recording. “It all clicked like poetry and we did it all in one night.”
“You” might have come together quickly, but Zarenae is not an overnight success or a flash in the pan. She started singing at just five years old, when she would tell anyone who listened that she dreamed of being a singer like her idols Madonna, Britney Spears, and Janet Jackson.
“Other kids would be like, ‘I wanna be an astronaut,’ and I was literally like ‘I want to be a singer,” she says. “There was no limit to my imagination when I was listening to music. I wanted to write my own music to give people that feeling as well.”
Zarenae spent years performing with bands and cover acts in clubs all over Los Angeles, including in legendary rooms on the Sunset Strip like The Viper Room, The Roxy, and the Whisky a Go Go.
“It was incredible to play in those spaces where so many great performers have played,” she says. “I’d step on stage and realize I’m looking at this audience the same way they did.”
Two years ago, she started working with her regular songwriting collaborators to develop the new sound that’s becoming her signature style.
“We’ve become so close in terms of writing and music that we think the same thoughts,” she says. “We all spark off each other and we all feel so comfortable around each other that we can be so open and it’s so fun.”
Zarenae says “You” is emblematic of the new direction she’s taking with her music.
“It’s a transition into everything else I’m creating. It’s R&B with a pop flair and kind of sultry. It feels like I’ve grown as an artist. I love the sound I’m getting in the studio,” she says.
All those years of work are paying off for the fast-rising young star. “You” is already finding a devout audience on streaming platforms and Zarenae has a catalog of tracks and music videos she’s gearing up to release over 2022 in anticipation of her first EP.
“I’m really excited because I’ve been hanging on to some of this music for a while,” she says.
Make sure to stay connected to Zarenae on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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For Virginia singer and rapper THEDONRRRM, it’s all about the three Rs: real, raw, and rare.
As his name suggests, the music of THEDONRRRM keeps it real, with lyrics that tell stories from his life. His songs are raw: he doesn’t pull punches or hide from the ugly side of life. And his sound is rare, from the contrast between his singsong melodies and gruff rap vocals, to rhythmic experiments from hip hop/R&B to Brazilian funk.
All these elements can be heard on the new single, “DON’T GO.”
Over the catchy Latin bounce of the Brazilian funk beat, the hook showcases THEDONRRRM’s melodic singing. The lyrics, based on the real pain of a fading relationship, paint a picture of two hearts drifting apart.
She said please don’t go
You can’t leave me laying here alone
Keep telling me that she been hurt before
She feel like I don’t love her no more
The melodies are soft and catchy, and seem to fit the youthful image of THEDONRRRM. But soon, his alter ego appears, represented by deep baritone rap lyrics explaining that he can’t be home because he’s “chasing the cheese.”
I know it hurt when I’m out on the road
I’m missing your love but I’m stuck in that mode
She running to me when I walk in the door
“DON’T GO” is the sixth track off of the album, Call Me After You Hear This. While THEDONRRRM has been releasing music since 2016, this record marks his first full-length release. It may have been a long time coming, but something real is worth the wait.
Born and raised in Richmond, VA as Donovan Bennett, THEDONRRRM was introduced to music by his father, a DJ who helped him build his first home studio in middle school. By high school, he was recording, mixing, and mastering records for himself and others.
Building on that experience, THEDONRRRM is now a sought-after mixing and mastering engineer. With credits including the 4x platinum single “Party Girl” by StaySolidRocky, THEDONRRRM runs his music production business out of his personal studio, 3R’s Studios in Richmond.
But despite his talent at making other artists sound good, his current focus is primarily on his own career as a genre-bending artist. With upcoming appearances on the east coast (including New York City) and music videos in the works, the message is clear: THEDONRRRM is busy making honest, well-produced, and unique music that is well-worth repeated listening. Real. Raw. And rare.
“DON’T GO” and is out now with promotional support from Starlight PR. Listen everywhere, and follow THEDONRRRM at the links below.
Spotify | YouTube | Instagram | Apple Music | TikTok | Tidal | Amazon Music
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