There’s something inexplicably hypnotic about the music of Sydney-based singer-songwriter Heleina Zara. Her music is simultaneously gentle and powerful; with deft lyricism, stunningly sweet vocals, and catchy melodies that will stick with you for days.
With the release of her debut EP Lessons, Heleina has immediately established herself as an artist to watch. Here’s a hot tip from the Happy Mag team: keep an eye on this name, we’re expecting big things.
Heleina Zara unveils her gorgeous debut EP Lessons, a fresh-faced approach to pop music that captures the anxieties in teen and millennial hearts alike.
18-year-old singer-songwriter Heleina Zara’s music captures the anxieties in teen and millennial hearts alike, with emotionally honest lyrics that mirror her moral values and beliefs, promoting resilience, compassion, and self-love. Her very strong advocacy for mental wellness, especially in youth, is something that she affirms in her debut EP Lessons.
Throughout the EP, Heleina showcases her ability to transcend her personal experiences to create tracks that are relatable infectious. There’s a charming naivety that shines through her heartfelt lyricism and smooth vocals that’s relatable and all-round lovely.
The bright-eyed and fun track Fake, sounds like a Taylor Swift high school anthem, with a catchy chorus about friends who flake, it’s incredibly youthful and likely to resonate well with her younger audience. End is an earnest pop ballad that’s injected with fresh-faced energy; a break-up song for the ages.
The emotional peaks and valleys of the album are at their highest and deepest on Naive and Quietly. There’s a soft vulnerability to Naive, a vulnerability which Heleina uses as her strength. In Quietly, Heleina untangles the messy thoughts that she struggled to express through years of letting anxiety get the best of her. It’s as emotional and poignant as it is spellbinding and graceful, and highlights a depth of emotional experience that reaches far beyond her years.
She comes into her own on Mistaken, with effortless vocals hung across simple acoustic guitar tones and a light poppy beat, as Heleina asserts her independence with the lyrics “don’t need your company, please don’t sit next to me.” The album closes on a high note on the title-track Lessons, with Heleina’s breathy vocals layered upon an intoxicating fusion of trap beats and electrifying synthesizer stabs. Her vocals are youthful and filled with anticipation and emotion, while her lyrics are relatable and undeniably addictive, this track is arguably the highlight of the EP.
These are still early days for this Sydney artist, but judging by the quality of everything we’ve heard so far, I think we can safely expect plenty more great material from Heleina Zara in the near future. In the meantime, do yourself a favour and listen to her debut EP above.
