Toronto singer-songwriter Maya Zita recently released her first single, ‘Ouija Board,’ and though she hopes listeners will enjoy the song, she wants their experience to go beyond that.
“I just wanted them to get lost in it, to kind of be confused, you know? I love being mysterious,” Zita said.
She perfectly accomplished this element of mystery with her accompanying music video. As an avid horror movie fan, Zita wanted to dive into a darker scene. Since she can swap favorite horror film titles with someone as seamlessly as she can soar from alto to soprano notes, an edgy tone came naturally.
The video opens with Zita sipping wine in various stunning outfits, transitioning between different rooms of her classy apartment. As the chorus kicks in, we find Zita under a blacklight in a dark room pulling off neon green lipstick and a matching glow-in-the-dark mask.. Through these visuals, she welcomes us into a new world of mystery as she sings of love, ghosts, and other frightening things.
Written and performed by Zita, ‘Ouija Board’ was a collaborative effort between the songstress and producers Ben Pelchat and Harrison Fine. Pelchat recently worked with Snoop Dogg and has written and produced for artists such as Boy George in the past. Though Zita met the two producers pre-COVID, they continued to collaborate throughout the pandemic.
Zita also spent the pandemic immersing herself in her hometown of Toronto. Though she’s passionate about the Toronto music scene and inspired by the people involved in it, Zita is still growing into herself as an artist.
“I plan to stick to my own stuff. I find that a lot of people in Toronto are very into rap, R&B and I love that stuff, I still write it sometimes. But I’m going to hone into my own style and keep that melodic, kind of creepy vibe I have going.”
As she establishes the sound she’s going for, Zita remains confident in her own voice and has plans for her future endeavors.
“I can sing whatever I want, my voice is so unique, it’s going to be recognizable universally. People will know who it is, just by hearing me. So I’m going to go more towards finding my own style in terms of what I’m in control of completely, which is my own voice. Eventually, I want to produce my own music but for now I’m still learning.”