Five minutes with 'NXT LVL Show' winner Zethe ahead of her comeback

After a three-year hiatus, acclaimed singer-songwriter Zethe is poised to make a triumphant return to the music scene with her highly anticipated debut album BREATHE.

The Empangeni-born artist, known for her soulful voice and genre-bending sound that blends jazz, soul and traditional African influences, is ready to re-establish herself as a leading voice in South African music as she gears to embark on a nationwide tour.

TshisaLIVE spoke to the singer about her musical journey and more.

Congratulations on your upcoming album BREATHE. How does it feel to finally share your debut album with the world?

It's an unexplainable feeling. To see all my hard work come to life and be rewarded with other people's experience is unmatched. I am happy to have finally reached this stage of the project.

You won the first season of the Vodacom NXT LVL Show in 2017. Can you take us through your journey since then? What were some of the challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?

Winning the competition changed my life. I  became the face of Newtown Junction, performed on many stages and truly got tapped into the industry. The music industry is not easy and is filled with many challenges. The biggest one had to be Covid and navigating my art around that. Time and taking everything one day at a time helped me navigate that time. Beyond that there were a lot of lessons that came with the time.

How has your perspective on music and your career changed since winning the Vodacom NXT LVL Show?

It has changed a lot in a sense that I became more confident not only as an artist but as a business as well. There’s a lot to navigate through when you are an artist. There's recording, performance, finances, marketing, the list is endless. I was able to fast-track and learn a lot through winning the competition.

You seemed to take a break from the music scene after your win. What were you up to during that time, and what inspired you to return to music? How long was your hiatus from the music scene?

I took a break in 2020, two years after I won, for about three years. There was Covid and I also fell pregnant that year. I then decided to focus on figuring out what I want to do with my career, my purpose, the type of music I want to continue producing and, overall, have important conversations with myself. I needed it.

BREATHE is described as a journey of healing and self-discovery. Can you elaborate on what inspired the theme, and how you hope it will resonate with your listeners?

BREATHE is more than an album. It is a personal journey of healing and reflection. The music is composed to serve as a form of medicine, “ikhambi”, which provides solutions to the myriad issues we face in our daily lives. Breathing amid the chaos, reclaiming our humanity, summoning courage, nurturing hope and finding solace in love and prayer. Ultimately, the music carries therapeutic musical strategies on mental health, serving as a mirror and a remedy for the soul. I invite listeners to breathe as they go through personal life journeys and take their healing (ikhambi) in the album, as each track offers a dose of insight, comfort, hope and strength.

The album explores themes of mental health, resilience and connection. How do you think music can be a powerful tool for healing and self-expression?

Late last year I did a private listening event for the album. I have received so many messages from people who attended about how much it has made them not feel alone, get assurance, find comfort and truly find a safe space to relate about their mental health, among other things. This is an example of how powerful music is and, where sometimes you fall short of words, music can help you express yourself.

What was your creative process when working on BREATHE? Were there any specific artists, experiences, or emotions that influenced your songwriting?

It's been a three-year journey. I generally write thoughts and feelings and come up with melodies separately, and then put the writings to the melody. The lyrics in the album are mostly from my journal — true, vulnerable and honest moments. I worked with a great South African pianist, Sibusiso Mash Mashiloane, who took his time when he was helping me produce the album. There were many times I wanted to give up but we are here.