With a compositional structure that flirts with reggae, worldbeat, western pop, and just a touch of club music, there’s definitely no describing the new single “Zigiyaga” from Mirabelle Fobi as anything other than a diversely-appointed pop juggernaut. Although it’s got one of the more unpredictable frameworks of any new track I’ve listened to in the underground over the past year, “Zigiyaga” plays out like a true dime piece, elegantly stretching a soft, percussion-driven groove across the song like a blanket atop which Fobi will build some of the sexiest harmonies of the year so far.
She’s got an eroticized command over every element in this single, and yet scarcely does she ever sound like someone interested in pop indulgence more than she is songwriting efficiency – after all, there’s no filler here to be pointed out. The simple, beachy aesthetics of the music video for the song are definitely on point with this theme, and while there’s nothing wrong with sporting some excess when you can get away with it, this artist provides us the right sort of sampling of what true talent can produce with literally no bells and whistles to assist.
The collective force of the instruments shapes the tone of the lyrics rather than the vocal alone, and I would even go so far as to say that without the physicality of her backing band, Fobi might not have sounded as intimate in her execution as she does in this performance. She isn’t overshadowing the intricacies of the arrangement with her voice, but there isn’t a doubt in my mind that she probably could – especially in a concept piece not as precisely illustrated as this one is.
Mirabelle Fobi – Zigiyaga (Official Video)
Official video for “ZIGIYAGA” by Mirabelle Fobi.Audiomack: audiomack.com/mirabellefobiSoundCloud: soundcloud.com/user-429780720/mirabelle-fobi…
I’m not going to say that the bassline is muted here, but there’s no disputing that the bottom-end is rather minimalistic in comparison to what a lot of artists would have done with this same material. Fobi’s stylish control over seemingly every detail, no matter how small or big, never comes across as egomaniacal, but instead quite reflective of how invested she is not only in her own music but in the medium as a whole.
There aren’t many vocalists who have the sheer potency this one does, and this is part of the reason why “Zigiyaga” is getting the love from the press that it is this January. For the most part, an artist like Mirabelle Fobi has a short shelf life in the underground world; with a talent like hers, she’s going to outgrow the insularities of her scene much quicker than many of her competitors will, just out of a need to reach a larger audience.
“Zigiyaga” is one of the most exotic pop singles I’ve listened to since the start of 2022, and if it’s giving us an indication as to what this creator is going to be putting out through the rest of the year, she’ll be in for quite the thrill ride as she ascends from the minor leagues to the bright spotlight of the primetime.
Clay Burton