Zenizen

Zenizen is the moniker of Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Opal Hoyt, though it is sometimes also the name of the band she leads. Her music takes the R&B tradition as its base and pushes it in the direction of soul and pop hybrid, while also taking bits and pieces from funk, disco, jazz, and hip-hop along the way. There is a diversity in her songs that comes from the wide net she casts stylistically. The music is built on cool mid-tempo grooves with interesting rhythmic textures and arrangements. It is smooth and relatively understated, with her emotionally expressive voice and deft vocals weaving in and around her often jazzy instrumentation.