Zolita

Boasting an ominous amalgamation of pop and R&B that draws equally from both religious and pagan imagery, singer-songwriter Zoë Montana Hoetzel (September 23, 1994), better known by her stage name Zolita, gained viral attention after the release of her single “Explosion” in 2015. Born in New York but raised in the city of Calabasas, California, she was encouraged to perform by her father and grew up playing bluegrass music. In 2015, she made her official debut with the single “Explosion,” a tale about an unrequited love affair between two friends whose video accumulated over 16 million views on video-sharing platforms. The track was included in her debut EP Immaculate Conception (2015), as well as the single “Holy,” an exploration of female spirituality and sexuality. Preceded by the singles “Fight Like a Girl,” “Come Home With Me,” and “New You,” her second extended play Sappho arrived in 2017. Between 2018 and 2020, Zolita released the singles “Truth Tea,” “Black Magic,” “Shut Up and Cry,” “Oblivion,” and “Bedspell,” all of which were included in her 2020 full-length Evil Angel. Two promotional singles were issued after the album’s release—”Loveline” (2020) and “Somebody I Fucked Once” (2021).