(February 16, 2021) It’s a cold, cold world we’re dwelling in: snowing or not, winter or not, there’s enough turmoil to bring the blues. We may not be able to control the circumstances, but what can be tweaked is our response, as Zuli Jr. is alluding to with a glib and upbeat funk and pop hybrid, ” How To Feel.”
A native New Yorker who caught national notice with his 2017 debut (named an “Artist You Need To Know” by Rolling Stone), Zuli describes the song as “examining the ego from the outside looking in and how that affects the people around you.” With his smooth tenor and capable falsetto, however, “Feel” is more celebratory than cerebral, coming across as a light and airy observation of moods and emotions and how universal they are and not to get stuck idling either way, undergirded by an irresistible, step-ready groove: “I don’t wanna tell you how to feel, believe it or not/but baby’s burnin’ up behind the wheel, and I need you to drive.”
The first single from Zuli’s upcoming sophomore release, Stop It God, “Feel” is an irresistible introduction for those who are just entering his orbit and a way to enjoy a catchy slice of levity in serious times. If managing the turbulence of life means not anticipating the music, but learning to improvise to its rhythms, then “How To Feel” is a great way to absorb the lesson, while burning some of those comfort food calories at the same time.
By Melody Charles
Zuli Jr – “How to Feel”
