COLUMN – I’ve always thought PinkPantheress was one-of-a-kind. That is, until I encountered a small Parisian artist with barely five released songs: Yazida.
I initially forgot about her, but when I listened to her six months later, I couldn’t recognize her music because of how much more mature it felt. After this, I excitedly kept up with her releases, saw her music evolve and felt like I’d grown with her. That cemented my loyalty to Yazida.
The 24-year-old French-Tunisian artist creates a Y2K feel similar to fellow UK garage musician PinkPantheress. Since releasing her first single, “freak!” in 2022, she has padded her discography with numerous singles and two EPs.
Yazida has grown much since that first song. The simplicity of “freak!” is addictive, but its backtrack lacks layers, making it feel less mature than her more recent tracks. The runtime also barely breaks a minute, which gives it less time to develop a musical or lyrical theme.
After “freak!,” she began to experiment with different styles and slowly zeroed in on her hyper Y2K aesthetic. But despite her musical exploration, her voice takes a backseat in most of her songs. She sings softly and lets the harmonies and instrumentals drown her out.
Then in 2023, she released “déjà vu.” This was the first song that I felt matched her current signature style. The song has an infectiously fast drum beat and a glitchy, glittery soundscape, all while still making her voice pop. The song is markedly longer than previous releases and has a proper verse-chorus structure with a bridge. She also expands on the motif in her chorus by distorting it more as the song progresses.
Then, Yazida’s big break came. After collaborating with Lil Hero, she met his producer Jdolla, who has also worked with big names like Yeat, Drake and Lil Uzi Vert. He agreed to produce her singles “greedy” and “guy like you.”
Featuring glitchy vocals, the sound of “greedy” adds to its own story about how a love interest is clueless despite many hints. She sings “cut it out,” but it is repeatedly cut off by the glitch and rewind, adding to the theme of miscommunication central to the track. The soundscape is fuller, and the harmonies and effects are more complex. Jdolla was able to unlock Yazida’s potential, and it was a proud moment to hear.
From glittery backtracks to cool electronic effects, Yazida’s music is like a time capsule to the early 2000s, old video games and dreamcore aesthetics. It’s been amazing to witness how she has discovered and developed her niche since I tuned in three years ago. As she grows in technical skill and confidence, she continues to push the boundaries, and I can’t wait to see her evolve even further. All I can say is, I’m “greedy” for more.
