Los Angeles-based indie and alt-pop artist ZOZO taps into something deeply real on her newest surprise single, “Maiden Name,” released June 20. Part dreamy confession, part emotional gut punch, the track tells the story of a queer friends-to-lovers connection just starting to bloom, but held back by fear. It’s a feeling many know but few say out loud, and even fewer put to music.

Wrapped in soft synths and glossy, early-2000s pop textures, “Maiden Name” explores what happens when love is unspoken, closeted, or denied.

Since its release, “Maiden Name” has crossed 10,000 streams and is quickly becoming a fan favorite. It follows ZOZO’s earlier singles “Droptop” (closing in on 100,000 streams) and “Hurricane,” both of which introduced her as a voice unafraid to merge softness with spectacle.

“I wrote it during a weird in-between space where I felt like I was mourning a version of myself,” ZOZO says. “There’s something quietly powerful about saying goodbye to the name you had in someone else’s world.”

At just 22, ZOZO is building a genre-blurring sound that pulls from indie pop, hyperpop, and a little bit of Y2K glitter. Think Lorde meets Chappell Roan, with the emotional precision of Billie Eilish and the cool-girl ache of Addison Rae. She’s part of a new generation of artists making space for complex, queer narratives in glossy, cinematic pop.

“Maiden Name” is available now on all streaming platforms.

STREAM “MAIDEN NAME”

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Instagram: @zozo4realz

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