Nigerian breakout star Zinoleesky delivers a spiritual body of work with his debut album, GEN Z. It is a frenetic, genre-bending work that pulses the heart of a global youth culture while embodying the guts of Lagos’ soul.
"GEN Z" is a 16-track journey that spans 44 minutes of pure musical fervor. Zinoleesky skillfully straddles genres from Afropop and Amapiano to Trap, R&B, Hip-Hop, and Alté, creating a multi-dimensional sonic world as complex and colourful as today’s Gen Z listeners. It doesn’t matter if he’s flowing in Yoruba, vibing in Pidgin, or crooning in English. Zino’s lyrically nimble and culturally ambidextrous approach makes this an album that’s a fascinating global listen.
Zino was born Tayo Manuel Adebisi in Agege, Lagos, and has long served as the voice of the dispossessed streets, but "GEN Z" represents his loftiest leap yet. Self-assured maturity is woven throughout this project, in sound and in spirit. He’s talking for them.
Two overwhelming highlights are undeniable. There’s “GIFTED,” a song that explodes with victorious energy and an insistent, mesmerizing Amapiano groove. Here, Zinoleesky flexes his artistic evolution, rapping and singing with ease over a popping beat bound for dance floors and deep headphone sessions, a catchy celebration of his ascent. Just as impressive is “DOCTOR,” a melancholic but restrained number on which his vulnerability and streetwise storytelling meet on plush R&B textures and trap influences.
Though "GEN Z" flits around from one extreme to the next, it never comes across as scattered. One song leads into the next like the chapters of a coming-of-age story, from elated bangers to soul-baring confessions. It’s an album for playlists, parties, and personal reverie, a soundtrack to the chaos and dazzle of young adulthood.
Connect with Zinoleesky: Instagram
