Gina Zo’s main character era has officially begun with “Dirty Habits,” a pop-rock firecracker with the kind of effervescent energy that demands to be shouted out of car speakers and rooftop stereos all summer long.
After leaving her Philly rock band Velvet Rouge, Zo makes a raucous and inescapable return here with what sounds like California sunshine in song form. Co-produced by Grammy award-winning duo Justin Miller and Zach Bryan, as well as Jazmine Sullivan and Tim Sonnefeld, Usher, “Dirty Habits” introduces us to a new chapter in Zo’s artistry, one that’s coated in lusty 80s synth sparkle, pulsating pop-rock guitars, and unapologetic fun. The song evokes a jaunty tension, the push and pull between ambition and indulgence, dreams and detours. Her voice shifts effortlessly between sultry verses and a soaring chorus, exuding unshakable self-assurance. It’s like Stevie Nicks took a girls’ trip with Haim and disappeared somewhere between heartbreak and Hollywood.
“Dirty Habits” is a celebration of duality, the fantasy versus reality, the stiletto versus the sneaker. It’s going after something you know may never totally satisfy and going for it, anyway, in red lipstick and with the top down. The lyrics flirt with daring, but the energy is gleeful, perhaps even empowering. You can’t help but feel like Zo has some instinctive sense of what she’s doing, and she wants to take you along for the ride.
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