Hailing from a Bohemian family in the middle-of-nowhere town of Pinetop, Arizona, singer-songwriter Zella Day quickly set herself apart with her unique voice and creative lyrics, now releasing her long-awaited sophomore album Sunday In Heaven on October 14, 2022, under Concord Records. In 2015, she released her debut Kicker, a synth-pop collection that showed off Day’s strong voice and intense melody, making her a must-know rising name in the industry as she landed projects working with stars like Lana Del Rey, Weyes Blood, and more. Sunday In Heaven is Day coming into her own, experimenting with different sounds and ultimately producing something truly extraordinary.
The album starts off with “Mushroom Punch”, a psychedelic experience with elements of art-pop that showcases immediately Day’s versatile vocals. It’s a whimsical song that’s a reminder to take each day as it comes, especially with the dreamy lyrics like, “And I drink too much and think too much, no self-control/ I’m gonna mushroom-punch my way down the rabbit hole.” The next song, “Am I Still Your Baby”, maintains the upbeat, rock and roll nature with a track covering the feeling of knowing someone will never get over you.
Day changes her tune in the fourth song, “Girls”, something reminiscent of old Hollywood and cigarette smoke. At seventeen, the artist moved to California, now currently living in Los Angeles, and the state has had a major impact on her music. It’s a sultry piece on the idea of living a life where the only qualities that matter are having fun and being free: “We don’t pay for pleasure/ Every night is one to remember/ We’re down in Los Feliz/ Getting rich now, can you feel it?” The sixth song, “I Don’t Know How To End”, keeps the old California energy, especially with the song being a love letter to Long Beach where Day’s mother grew up. With orchestral-synth notes and distinctive melodies, the track is telling of Day’s potential when it comes to branching out and making something new.
The seventh piece, “Radio Silence”, covers a traumatic period in Day’s life: A ectopic pregnancy that she was unable to talk about for a long time before deciding to work her feelings out through music, hoping to create something that would touch the hearts of other women who’ve been in the same struggle. “You have anxiety over pregnancy/ So you bought this f*ckin’ pill for me/ Now it’s Friday night and you’re out/ My head’s inside the toilet.”
Perhaps the most eccentric song on Sunday In Heaven is the tenth one, “Almost Good”, a multi-genre piece that jumps from folk-rock, to alternative, to pop, to rock and roll. With a second verse perfect for screaming, Day experimented with slowing down parts of the song to create an impactful build-up, guiding listeners on a musical adventure. The twelve-track collection closes with “Sunday In Heaven”, the softest song on the album that displays Day’s ability to sing as delicately as she can powerfully. It’s commentary on being too focused on the destination rather than the journey, and focusing on trying to prevent disappointment by changing your ways for the better. “It’s Sunday in Heaven/ It’s been a long year/ I’m killing time turning water to wine/ And I’m waiting for you right here.”
Sunday In Heaven is no short than Zella Day’s official breakthrough album, an encompassment of all she’s learned from working with the big names and making her way through the industry; by not limiting herself to one style, she’s effectively captivated audiences with the wide use of her stunning voice, taking everyone along for a trip of introspection and reminding those who listen that they have the power to create their own salvation.
Download ‘Sunday in Heaven’ by Zella Day here.