Slovenian singer-songwriter Zina released her first ever single, ‘Body’, on the 28th of November. A deeply moving song, it deals with a subject that has always been and will always be relevant, but maybe now more so than ever: self-love.
‘Body’ is settled in the indie folk genre, thus fittingly, a beautiful guitar melody takes center stage at first. Zina’s voice is unique and full of character, which adds to the vulnerability of the song.
What makes the track so special is its structure or rather lack thereof; instead of the classic verse-chorus-verse-scheme, Zina goes more into a storytelling direction. The verses bleed into one another until eventually the pace picks up and the track culminates in an explosive finale.
This change of pace and intensity reflects the lyrics beautifully. While one part of the song describes the pain of your body being criticised and objectified all the time, the other part is all about fighting back and standing up for yourself. This defiance is not only mirrored in the melody but in Zina’s voice too. While at the beginning of the song it’s more reserved, the powerful vocals shine through towards the end.
Although the whole song consists of beautiful lyrics, there are some highlights that sum up the message perfectly: “My body is my home/It’s just me here alone/My body is my home/I live here on my own”. Both thematically and sonically, ‘Body’ is reminiscent of the work of Paris Paloma, Aurora and even Florence + The Machine, which, of course, is one of the highest compliments one can get.
The stunning cover art deserves a shout-out as well, as does the music video – it’s bold, aesthetically pleasing, and fits the song so well. Releasing a five-minute-long acoustic guitar ballad as a debut single is a bold choice, but the risk paid off. ‘Body’ is a gentle yet powerful anthem of self-love.
Written by: Melanie Falkensteiner
Edited by: Mandy Huibregtsen
