Add to Library: "Control" by Zoe Wees

A voice well beyond her years and lyrics that tell an identifiable story dealing with anxiety.

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The song

Zoe Wees is 18 years old. Her powerhouse voice will certainly surprise you after hearing that. And the fact that she took a deeply personal story and channeled that into a smash pandemic hit will also surprise you after hearing it.

Her debut single, “Control,” is the latest Add to Library pick, not only for its lyrics in this time and how many people will be able to relate to them, but also the captivating production on the track.

In one of her first lines, Wees writes, “Even when I know it’s been forever I can still feel the spin. Hurts when I remember and I never wanna feel it again.” Battling with seizures from benign rolandic childhood epilepsy, still at a young age, Wees was able to eloquently describe the anxiety that comes with uncertainty. Sound familiar?

Growing up in Hamburg, Germany, Wees lyrically thanks a school teacher who helped her through her struggles as a child and describes “Control” in interviews as a defiant song, solidifying herself as a fighter.

Melodically, you’ll hear notes of Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” in the verses and even in some of the stripped piano production at the beginning of the track. When the marching chorus kicks in, the percussive production sounds nearly like Timbaland might be in the credits (he’s not). Think of how the way he upped OneRepublic’s “Apologize.”

The producers and co-writers with Wees on the track are mostly unknown to the U.S. pop music scene, begging the question of what the next single, slated for later this year, will sound like.

The reason I chose this song for the series was two-fold. When I heard Wees was only 18 I knew I just wanted everyone to know that and listen to this song; and we’re living in a time where anxiety and depression is at an all-time high but still stigmatized.

Add to library 👇