American singer-songwriter Zolita released her EP “Falling Out/Falling In” on Feb. 10, 2023. While half of the six songs were released months prior, there are three fresh singles that complete the EP.
Zolita takes listeners on a journey from heartbreak to bitterness, and then onto recovery — all in less than 20 minutes. In her pronounced uncertainty and jealousy after a challenging relationship that leaves her guessing, Zolita is able to fall in love once again with someone new. That is, of course, after a bout of poor choices and sleepless nights.
However, once her next relationship falls apart, she gains a whole new perspective. With compassion, she mourns and then moves on to something better.
The title itself, “Falling Out/Falling In,” is indicative of the progression listeners are about to embark on. Unlike the logical order of most breakup tales, Zolita’s story has a happy ending, accredited to a new love who simply wants what’s best for her. Listening to the EP from beginning to end reveals not one but two breakups as well as two love stories. What starts as doubtful love morphs into deranged malice. In the end, however, Zolita sees no point in harping on the past.
Resentment and jealousy are framed as curiosity in the leading track “20 Questions.” Though she only lists eleven of those questions, Zolita interrogates an ex down to the bone about their hookup. Possibly an affair, the rendezvous is something Zolita has turned over in her head time and time again. In this song, she communicates precisely what she wants to know about what went down. As she puts it “You just gave me questions.” Cue the sense of worry that becomes a theme throughout the EP.
Zolita showcases her anxiety and tendency toward endless questioning once again in “Drunk with Your Exes.” In her confusion over how to endure with her current partner, Zolita manifests her lack of clarity through a desire to engage in a drunken conversation with all of their exes.
The lack of communication in her relationship leads Zolita to overcompensate by crafting hypothetical fantasies that would reveal the truth. Such ambiguity is disconcerting, as she explains, “you don’t tell me nothing, so I’m searching for something.”
Grappling for answers yet again, Zolita turns to their past lovers for reference, even calling them out by name. Ultimately, she just wants the relationship to persist in the right way. She speculates, “Maybe if I ask ‘em all the right questions, I won’t end up being just like all your exes.” Like most girls, Zolita wishes to be the exception.
Nevertheless, such aspirations are to no avail. As Zolita confirms on her third track, she is now that “Crazy Ex.” Unable to cope with the breakup, Zolita loses it.
Once again, ignoring any sense of boundaries, she asserts, “I’m gonna turn up in the middle of the night” and “Lay in your bed like a psychopath.” Of course, such activities are all made possible by the fact that she’s actively stalking her ex, admitting, “I still got your location.”
She’s in denial that the relationship is over, which is why she’s “that psycho bitch you can’t get rid of.” At this point, Zolita is hung up on her ex to an obsessive extent; she can’t picture her life with anyone else.
Like all catastrophes, the moment passes. In “Ruin My Life,” Zolita falls for someone new. As was true in her last relationship, she becomes overly absorbed in the subject of her affection.
However, similar to her self-awareness in her last song, Zolita recognizes her own insanity, acknowledging, “It’s so dramatic and probably problematic.” In a series of precarious statements, Zolita declares that she would willingly drop everything for this new person. She even asks them, “Would you come be my downfall?”
She knows she’s in over her head, but she doesn’t care. Infatuated to the point of ignorance, Zolita seemingly forgets all about her last romantic fallout.
Perhaps giving a name to her new love interest, Zolita’s fifth track “Ashley” mentions the crush directly. Essentially, Ashley is Zolita’s biggest weakness. She affirms, “if lovin’ you kills me . . . I would die happy.”
Falling victim to love once again, Zolita pleads for and dreams of a world where the two can be happy together. Retaining her consciousness, however, Zolita confronts the fact that “one day you could hurt me.”
However, once again, she ignores her gut feeling, insisting “I’m sure that this is worth it.” It feels likely that she would’ve said the same thing about her last relationship. Regardless, she maintains her passion for Ashley.
The final track, “For the Both of Us,” leaves room for interpretation. In the song, Zolita mourns the end of a six-year relationship. It remains unclear whether this is the relationship recounted at the beginning of the EP, the relationship with Ashley or even an unnamed affair.
Something has shifted this time, however. In contras to “Crazy Ex,” this ballad shows progress and growth on Zolita’s part. This time, in the wake of a breakup, she has “found a way to let go of the hurt.”
She notes that her ex has “got enough for the both of us,” referring to the hate and hurt she once felt. For maybe the first time, she is able to move on without all the craziness.
Quite the roller coaster, Zolita’s EP takes her listeners to familiar territory through a new route. Pairing fixation with willful ignorance, Zolita’s words show cognizance while retaining preoccupation.
In an EP addressed directly to her exes, Zolita finds purpose in each song. Her approach, though sometimes questionable, is relatable and explores the connection between the human heart and brain. From wreaking havoc on an ex to opening up to a new person, Zolita encases the gamut of experiences and emotions on this short but powerful release. Here’s to hoping that someday soon she comes out with an album.
