Breaking the cycle of Toxic Relationships with Zowie’s Debut EP, “You Never Learn”
Weeks after dropping her collaborative single “Touch” alongside NGE-THE-PRODUCER as part of TANGAZA Magazine’s upcoming compilation album, Zowie (she/they) makes their highly anticipated return with their debut EP, “You Never Learn”, an amalgam of denuded electronic dance music and alternative R&B that explores the complexities of love, loss, distance, regret and betrayal.
Zowie describes this body of work as a love letter to black women, choosing to honour their anger and highlight the frustration that emanates from toxic relationships. This is crucial to her as it diverts from the typical grace black women are presumed to extend in the face of disrespect and negligence – a feat that permeates a plethora of sectors in their life, particularly in romantic situations. Instead, Zowie chooses to centre the black woman’s experience and uses her voice as a vessel to acknowledge their pain and empower their autonomy.
Whilst this EP is largely inspired by personal circumstance, Zowie’s artistry also leans on stories and anecdotes from friends, who have similarly suffered betrayal by a romantic partner. As a result, they made the decision to structure their EP parallel to a film by underlining a distinct shift between the first and second half; the aforementioned told from the perspective of a woman desperate to salvage a failing relationship and regain the love of their partner in contrast to the latter, where the woman in question has evidently grown weary of their partner’s antics and is now enlightened and free of their angst.
“You Never Learn” is a concoction of feeling. Written over the period of a couple years, Zowie admits the hurdles she faced whilst putting the project together, often losing sight of what she wanted to communicate in favour of catering to other people’s desires. Nonetheless, time and discernment proved her closest friends, as it soon became clear that she desired a project that showcased her talent and reflected her reality; in essence, a body of work that she could call her own. Subsequently, Zowie chose to go in the direction of releasing a solo (non-featured) project, employing a roster of producers, engineers, and kindred spirits to bring it to life: Joshua Ngethe (NGE-THE-PRODUCER) with whom she has worked several times before, Jack Mboya Jr. (jackthemfgiant), Mark Gerson and Hawi Okello.
Weaving in delicious melodies and transcendental harmonies, Zowie boasts her vocal abilities and impressive range. The way in which she sneaks in pockets of velvety textured tones alongside her rich vibrato, she could easily be mistaken for a siren. However, it is Zowie’s lyrical prowess that proves the real hypnotiser, as she flawlessly engrosses the listener through building a world of hurt and hurling herself (and therefore, us) into it. This is a journey of reckoning and Zowie’s words are the beam of light that lead us through it.
“You Never Learn” opens with the heart-wrenching “Fragile”, a song that is akin to a desperate plea for one’s lover to remain; for a love slowly slipping away. Opening with soft percussion and strings there is a delicacy that reflects the sensitivity of the written matter. Zowie questions if there is “another” person in their lover’s life that may be the reason behind their detachment. By the end of the song, Zowie has not received any clarity and is desperate for their lover to “just say it” and provide them with the answers they already seemingly have.
This feeling of helplessness is carried on in “Pill”, whose title serves as a metaphor on the addictive nature of unrequited love. Zowie accompanies this upbeat track with loaded lyrics depicting their partner as a “drug” that they “need now”, whilst simultaneously threatening to hit up their (partner’s) homie soon”. This contradictory mindset conveys the extent to which one is willing to go in order to retain their lover’s attention. Unfortunately, their efforts prove futile as they are once again reduced to a pleading wreck, concluding the song with the repeated, slightly frantic “I need you”.
Zowie’s lyrical intellect can be attributed to her deep understanding of the nuances that accompany toxic relationships and the vicious cycles that keep one entrapped and powerless. It is because of this understanding that Zowie is a phenomenal storyteller who allows us to undergo the peaks and valleys of loving someone that does not love you back.
Whilst acknowledging their vocal talent, Zowie admits that layering harmonies and “filling in the empty spaces” within each piece proved tricky and required patience and practice. The third track “Fold” is a testament to this preparation as it is brought alive by a composition of strings and ethereal harmonies as Zowie depicts the fatigue that eventuates in an unequally yoked relationship. This piece documents the slow realisation that one is stuck in a toxic cycle and thus must let go of their lover if they are going to retain their stability.
Even so, it is not until we get to “Untitled z” that we truly perceive the turning point. Zowie opens with an enervated, “I’m actually tired of this shit right now” before launching into a tirade of criticisms against her partner whom she advises to “toughen up because the worst is yet to come”. Despite being the shortest song on her EP, there is a deep sense of joy and excitement as the listener anticipates the next stop on the journey that is Zowie’s love life now that they are enlightened and therefore emancipated from their careless lover. We are encouraged to join her in celebration, as she explores this newfound freedom.
“Skin” is Zowie’s most personal and my personal favourite. Commencing with the assertion that they are now “in control” they expertly bait the listener into believing that they currently hold the power. However, the spiral begins as they recount the numerous times, they let their guard down and were subsequently exploited, something that Zowie does not solely attest to romantic relationships and has experienced within friendships and familial settings. They expertly use puzzle imagery to describe all the “missing” and “broken pieces” that their lover witnessed but could never put back together and whilst heart-breaking, the acknowledgment that their own healing could never occur at the hands of another is relieving and allows for them to step up and make the relevant changes.
To conclude the EP, Zowie appoints the jovial “I Know” that ironically seems to play off the EP’s title and could thus be interpreted as Zowie’s self-acknowledgement that she indeed never learns, foreboding a possible repeat in the cycle she seems to have escaped. Alternatively, the positive interpretation, that the track seems to reflect, is her awareness that her lover has been using her and “one day (they) will get what’s coming (their) way”, a warning that places the responsibility of revenge on the universe, instead of on herself which is a sure sign of growth. This growth is reflected throughout the song as Zowie also instructs her partner not to “waste (her) time” as she is “in (her) prime” a beautiful sentiment that showcases the flourishing that ensues once one is able to detach themselves from draining relationships.
Zowie stretches herself musically by experimenting with various genres, revealing Tems, Billie Eilish and Mannequin Pussy as her biggest inspirations when constructing this project. This musical exploration was especially important as she did not want to fall into the stereotypical “sad girl” box, that she is seemingly unable to evade. Ergo, this EP challenged her the most lyrically as there were several moments where she had to adjust her lyrical content in order to communicate a certain feeling without compromising the backing track. Indeed, there are a plethora of versions of this EP, all of which celebrate the black woman’s resilience and document her refusal to be tied down to things and people that no longer serve her. This not only conveys Zowie’s determination to speak to and uplift her demographic of people but also highlights her willingness to try again and again until she has achieved greatness; something I believe she has fulfilled with “You Never Learn”.
