Lolo Zouaï

A singer, songwriter, and producer who spends her time between New York and Los Angeles, Lolo Zouaï (“zoo-eye”) combines atmospheric electronics, smoky R&B, and elements of hip-hop in her stylish, intimate songs. Her 2017 single “High Highs to Low Lows” was her first to go viral, leading to collaborations with artists including H.E.R. and Blood Orange. While continuing to concentrate mainly on singles, she delivered a three-song EP, Beautiful Lies, in 2020. Zouaï’s 2022 single “Give Me a Kiss” coincided with a tour with Dua Lipa.
Born in Paris, Lolo Zouaï grew up in the Sunset District of San Francisco on a mix of musical genres that included rap and her Algerian father’s Arabic music. As a child, she took piano lessons and sang at her French elementary school. After she graduated from high school, her family relocated to Nashville, and Zouaï spent a semester there studying songwriting at the college level. Dissatisfied with the curriculum, she dropped out and briefly moved back to San Francisco, then Paris — where she made her first recordings — and Nashville again before following her mother to New York City. After some false starts with collaborations and recordings, she had a viral hit with 2017′s “High Highs to Low Lows.” That same year, she co-wrote a song for H.E.R.’s eponymous debut, a record that went on to win the Grammy for Best R&B Album.
In 2018, Zouaï collaborated with producer Stelios on a series of singles, including “Blue,” “Desert Rose,” and “Brooklyn Love,” each of which garnered over a million streams before the end of the year. That October, she toured in support of Alina Baraz before ending the year with a tour of Europe as headliner. In January 2019, she issued the double A-side single “Ocean Beach,” containing the songs “Lose Myself” and “Jade,” featuring Blood Orange. A subsequent headlining tour was followed by the release of the EP Beautiful Lies in 2020. Between singles “Galipette” and “Give Me a Kiss,” Zouaï toured in support of Dua Lipa in early 2022. ~ Marcy Donelson