To reinvent yourself, there has to be a clear and present need to be someone else. For the sake of artistry, it requires you to look at everything and decide who you want to be, not what others want from you. Heeding that call to become someone new as an artist led Velvet Rouge singer Gina Zo to where she is now. After growing disillusioned with the music industry, the former The Voice contestant found her way back to performing with a renewed sense of self. Together with the Philadelphia-based, alt rock band, their latest single, “Save Me,” finds Zo sifting through a smoky aura as she emerges from the haze to reconcile with herself.
Above all else, “Save Me,” is a searing bundle of guitar riffs and Zo’s vocal runs. The sheer intensity is at a slow, simmering pace that allows each emotional rip and tear from Zo to speak louder than if it was a shout from the rooftops levels of volume. Being strung out on elongated chords and extended vocals are what make this track into such a delightfully, exasperating experience. It brings you to the edge and wrings out all of the pent up frustration that led up to the breaking point.
Eventually, “Save Me,” boils over and sets free an inferno of guitar and vocals that are the consummation of all the bottled up frustration being set free. Meanwhile, Zo caps it off with a resounding proclamation of “you’ll see that I’m happy without you.” It’s her big moment to sever the ties that bind her to who she was. In a grand finale, the last semblance of rage is played out with a solitary, yet impactful drum solo that is the final hammering heartbeat of this track.
If a song can encapsulate someone’s personal journey as an artist, “Save Me” is a shining example of Zo’s trek from stepping aside from music to coming back with a vengeance. Together with Velvet Rouge, all involved have brought this evolution to life with outstanding aplomb.
Written by Travis Boyer
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