Zion Yande formerly known as Sosa is a singer based in Lagos. She surfaced in 2018 when she opened for Alxndr London at Oslo Hackney in London. Since then, she is proven to have a good grip on soulful sounds with singles like Solitary and Where Are You Now. Having experimented with various forms of artistic expression while studying at the Royal College of Art, Zion has found solace in music which allows her to combine all her interests, fashion, visual communication, and writing. Her debut EP Free Was The Aim, Love Was The Game tells a story of her cyclical experience of looking for love and completion in all the wrong places.
On the five-track project, Zion explores spoken word and melodies as an avenue for release in the pursuit of emotional liberation. The opener, Release, reveals the part of Zion that’s an unusual Poet and Painter hybrid. It is a poetic picture, painted with whispery words and laced with dreamy runs, telling of the actions leading to the state of mind that birthed the EP. On the ensuing track, W.A.Y.N, Zion is a storyteller and she tells the story of love lost in angst that exhibits cravings for the presence of an elusive partner.
Despite being cast in the light of an Angel by way of her delivery and demeanor, Zion maintains her existence as a human being and she exhibits that on Cracks, a song born from insecurity on which she expresses fatigue after numerous failed attempts at filling the void with what she perceived to be love. Her longing for love is palpable and in what she describes as a love letter to love on Hey Love, she expresses excitement and uncertainty at the prospect of finding a new lover. Also, her desire to be in it despite circumstance on soothing closer, Your Last.
Coupled with the inclusion of spoken word; Free Was The Aim, Love Was The Game is a soothing blend of soulful melodies and striking, yet relatable lyrics.