Foreword by Jocelle Koh
Playlist Notes by Zuo En
With clear, bright vocals and a quirky outlook on life, Singaporean singer-songwriter Zuo En‘s music is a welcome change for lethargic ears. Dreamy melody lines combined with vibrantly coloured arrangements and an unconventional, tongue-in-cheek streak, the artist’s debut album 《zuò》makes for a perky listen. Releasing music since 2010, this long-awaited debut album is the happy-go-lucky musician’s pièce de résistance, showing how the talented songwriter has transitioned from being deeply influenced by the likes of Mayday and Cheer Chen, to creating original works that are truly unique.
Read (and listen) on to learn more about Zuo En’s musical influences interspersed with new and past original tracks!
Track 01: What Kind Of 什麼樣 – Zuo En 張祚恩
This is the opening track of my first mandarin original album -《zuò》. The song is about me exploring the question of “What is my true self really like?” and also expresses my sentiments during the making of this album in a quirky way.
Track 02: Migratory Birds 候鳥 – Mayday 五月天 feat. Glay
“Migratory Birds 候鳥“was the first song which got me into Mayday’s music, and Mayday being one of my biggest inspirations that sparked my interest in songwriting, this song has a special place in my heart.
Track 03: I Wait (아 왜) – DAY6
I was blown away by the band’s vocal skills when I first found out about them. Being a 5-vocalist band, they also write their own music materials. This song “I Wait” is an energising track with strong rock and electronic elements, it also has the vibe of a Japanese anime theme song. (I also highly recommend their latest album “Entropy” too!)
Track 04: Let’s Fall In Love For The Night – FINNEAS
I think this is a great track to listen to at night. I enjoyed the whole EP “Blood Harmony” a lot!
Track 05: Our Fingers Have All Fallen Ill 我們的手指都生了一場大病 – Zuo En 張祚恩
Another track from my album《zuò》, this song describes a commonly observed social phenomenon: the modern-day human with mobile phone always in hand. I cannot deny that me myself also have my phone in my hand most of the time as well, are you too?
Track 06: For lovers who hesitate – Jannabi
Jannabi is a South Korean indie band, their song “For lovers who hesitate” from their album – “Legend” is one of my most played song in 2019. Jannabi’s music has a touch of vintage, and I love how their lyrics are really poetic.
Track 07: Waste 浪費一整天 – Cosmos People 宇宙人
This song is about how you want to just stay at home and not do anything, a perfect song to listen to on a rest day.
Track 08: Touch My Body – Sam Kim
Sam Kim has a really beautiful and soulful voice which you really need to check it out if you haven’t, and this is one of my favourite track by him!
Track 09: Sunny Love 太陽的愛 – Zuo En 張祚恩
This song was written by Singaporean songwriter Shirley Ang 洪婉美, it won the Best Melody in the SG:SW I Write The Songs 2019, a nationwide Mandarin-Pop songwriting festival. I was really honoured to share my vocals in this song. The song is penned about our love for the sun and the warmth that it brings in life. Hope you’ll find some warmth from this song too!
Track 10: Julia – Lauv
One of the tracks that I listen to a lot lately, I just love the raw and rich emotions in this song!
