ZZ Ward | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Zsuzsanna Eva Ward |
Born | Abington, Pennsylvania, U.S. | June 2, 1986
Origin | Roseburg, Oregon, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation |
|
Instruments |
|
Years active | 2012–present |
Labels | |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Website | www |
Zsuzsanna Eva Ward (born June 2, 1986) [1] is an American singer-songwriter from Roseburg, Oregon. She signed with Hollywood Records to release her debut extended play (EP), Criminal (2012), which preceded the release of her debut studio album, Til the Casket Drops , that same year. [2] Her second studio album, The Storm (2017), peaked atop the Billboard Blues Albums Chart. Her third studio album, Dirty Shine (2023), was released independently, and met with critical acclaim. [3]
Born in Abington, Pennsylvania, Ward grew up in Roseburg, Oregon, [4] where she joined her first band, with her father, at the age of 12. [5] Ward recalled the first song she sang was "an Albert King track called 'As the Years Go Passing By'". [6]
Ward's maternal grandmother, Zsuzsanna Friedman, was a Jewish Hungarian who converted to Catholicism to avoid persecution during the Holocaust. On discovering this, Ward, who grew up in a secular household, took an interest in reclaiming her Jewish roots. [7]
After moving to Los Angeles and signing to E. Kidd Bogart's Boardwalk Entertainment Group, Ward began recording the Criminal EP, as well as Eleven Roses, a free mixtape on which she offered her interpretations of tracks by Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Tyler, the Creator, [8] Freddie Gibbs and Wiz Khalifa. [9] Eleven Roses features "Better Of Dead", "Got It Bad", "Overdue", "Criminal", "Morphine", and "Cinnamon Stix". It was released on 3 November 2011. [10] For the recording of "Criminal", she sampled the beat from "Oil Money" by Freddie Gibbs, who was so impressed by Ward's remake that he asked to contribute a guest verse to the official version on the EP. The Criminal EP was released on May 8, 2012, and features the songs "Til the Casket Drops", "Put the Gun Down", "Move Like U Stole It", and "Criminal" (feat. Freddie Gibbs).
Ward's debut album, Til the Casket Drops , was released on October 16, 2012. [11] It includes the singles "365 Days", "Put the Gun Down" and "Last Love Song", the song "Cryin' Wolf" with Kendrick Lamar, as well as appearances from Ryan Tedder, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Theron "Neff-U" Feemster and Fitz of Fitz and the Tantrums. [12] Ward performed the album's first single, "Put the Gun Down", on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live with Carrie Keagan on September 19, 2012, [13] The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on November 1, 2012, [14] and Conan on January 10, 2013. [15] In March 2013, the New York Times said of Ward, "Her energy evokes Tina Turner's, her chops Aretha Franklin's and her soul Etta James's", [16] and she was named one of Fuse TV's 30 must-see artists at SXSW. [17] Ward performed her second single, "365 Days", on Good Morning America [18] and Big Morning Buzz Live, [19] both on March 7, 2013; on the September 3, 2013, episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ; [20] and on the January 30, 2014, episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson .
On April 20, 2013, for Record Store Day, Ward released a limited edition 7-inch vinyl that included her cover of "Grinnin in Your Face", written and originally recorded by Son House, [21] and a previously unreleased song, "Everybody Wants to Be Famous". [22] The 7-inch cover features an image taken of Ward when she was 11 years-old. [23] The following month, Ward, in conjunction with her second single release, launched her 365 Days of ZZ Ward app. [24]
Notable live appearances in 2014 include Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, [25] Bonnaroo Music Festival, [26] and a short tour with Eric Clapton. [27]
Ward's second EP, Love and War, was released on Hollywood Records on August 28, 2015. [28]
On February 11, 2017, Ward performed at the Americana Music Association's tribute concert to Loretta Lynn at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California, performing a cover of "The Home You're Tearing Down". [29] [30] She performed at the inaugural Arroyo Seco Weekend festival in June 2017 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. [31]
On March 2, Ward released the single "The Deep", featuring Chicago MC Joey Purp. The track is built around a sample of "As Long As I've Got You" by The Charmels, which is also sampled in "C.R.E.A.M." by Wu-Tang Clan. The song is about Ward's feelings of being trapped in a bad relationship. [32] The song's music video premiered on W magazine's website on March 9, 2017. [33] Also in 2017, Ward collaborated with Gary Clark Jr. on "Ride" from the soundtrack to the Pixar film Cars 3 . Ward performed "Ride" on Dancing with the Stars on April 17, 2017. [34]
Ward's second studio album, The Storm , was released on June 30, 2017, through Hollywood Records. [35] It peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart in July 2017, [36] at number 12 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart, [37] and at number 75 on the Billboard 200. [38] The music video for the single "Cannonball" (featuring Fantastic Negrito) was released in July 2017. [39]
In 2019, Ward released a new single which was speculated to be the lead single from a potential third studio album, the single "Sex & Stardust" was released on December 13, 2019. [40] On 2020, Ward released three more singles [41] "Break Her Heart", "The Dark", and "Giant", [42] these songs would be her latest releases under Hollywood Records before parting ways with the label. [43]
In 2021, Ward became an independent artist when she funded her own label Dirty Shine Records, the name being a nod to Ward's fanbase which reference themselves as "Dirty Shine Fam.” [44] She also announced her first independent single "Tin Cups" with Aloe Blacc which end up being the lead single of her third studio album Dirty Shine ; [45] five singles were released prior the album release. [46] The album dropped on September 8, 2023, to widespread critical acclaim by music critics, who praised Ward's versatility and overall performance. [47] [48]
On February 9, 2024, Ward released the single "WTH Did I Do?". She followed it up with the single "Best Friends" on March 8. Both songs were included on her third EP, Where Did All the Love Go?.
On May 20, Ward announced that she had signed with Sun Records. [49] Her first release with them was "Mother" on July 19.
Ward married record producer E. Kidd Bogart in May 2017. [50] Their first child, Ezra Jack Bogart, was born on February 3, 2021. [51] Ward announced her pregnancy in November 2020 in the music video for her song "Giant." [52] In October 2023, Ward announced via her social media accounts that she is expecting her second child. [53]
Ward is sometimes called "the hat girl" due to her always wearing a fedora onstage. [54] She began doing this at 12 years old when she performed with her father's blues band and wanted to feel "more confident like Muddy Waters and Big Mama Thornton."
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Wally Got Wasted | Officer Sanders | Acting debut |
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [55] | US Rock | US Blues | |||
Til the Casket Drops |
| 72 | 31 | — |
|
The Storm |
| 75 | 12 | 1 | |
Dirty Shine |
| — | — | — |
Title | Extended play details |
---|---|
Criminal EP |
|
365 Days |
|
Love and War |
|
Where Did All the Love Go? |
|
Mother |
|
Title | Details |
---|---|
Eleven Roses |
|
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US AAA | US Adult | US Alt | US Dance | |||
"Put the Gun Down" | 2012 | 7 | — | 39 | — | Til the Casket Drops |
"365 Days" | 2013 | 4 | 28 | — | — | |
"Last Love Song" | 2014 | 15 | 30 | — | 19 | |
"Love 3x" | 2015 | — | — | — | 5 | Love and War |
"The Deep" (featuring Joey Purp) | 2017 | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
"Help Me Mama" | 18 | — | — | — | The Storm | |
"Ride" (featuring Gary Clark Jr.) | — | — | — | — | Cars 3 & The Storm | |
"Cannonball" (featuring Fantastic Negrito) | 25 | — | — | — | The Storm | |
"Domino" (featuring Fitz) | 2018 | 24 | — | — | — | |
"Sex & Stardust" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
"Break Her Heart" | 2020 | 28 | — | — | — | |
"The Dark" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Giant" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Tin Cups" (with Aloe Blacc) | 2022 | — | — | — | — | Dirty Shine |
"Baby Don't" (solo or featuring DijahSB) | 2023 | — | — | — | — | |
"Ride or Die" (featuring Vic Mensa) | — | — | — | — | ||
"Forget About Us" | — | — | — | — | ||
"On One" (featuring Jean Deaux) | — | — | — | — | ||
"Evil on the Inside" | — | — | — | — | Dirty Shine (Dirty Deluxe) | |
"WTH Did I Do?" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | Where Did All the Love Go? |
"Best Friends" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Mother" | — | — | — | — | Mother | |
"My Baby Left Me" | — | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released |
Song | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"See the World" (Remix) (Blended Babies featuring Asher Roth, Chuck Inglish and ZZ Ward) | 2013 | Non-album single |
"Parties at the Disco" [62] (Asher Roth featuring ZZ Ward) | 2014 | RetroHash |
"Hold My Heart" (Lindsey Stirling featuring ZZ Ward) [63] | 2016 | Brave Enough |
"No Rest For The Wicked" [64] (LVCRFT featuring ZZycho Ward) | 2020 | The Sequel |
Song | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Insurance" (Asher Roth featuring ZZ Ward, Rockie Fresh, and Blue) | 2013 | Pabst Jazz |
"Away In a Manger" (Anthony Hamilton featuring ZZ Ward) | 2014 | Home for the Holidays |
"Breath of Me" (Robben Ford featuring ZZ Ward) | 2015 | Into the Sun |
"7 Digits" [65] (RichGains featuring Freddie Gibbs, Nico Segal, and ZZ Ward) | 2017 | Gains |
"Loving You Loving Me" (Matt Koziol featuring ZZ Ward) | 2022 | Wildhorse (Barrel Aged) |
Title | Year | Director(s) |
---|---|---|
"Til the Casket Drops (Pretty Little Liars Version)" [72] | 2012 | Unknown |
"Put the Gun Down" | Alex Bulkley [73] | |
"Criminal" | 2013 | The Engine [74] |
"365 Days" | Roman & Pedro [75] | |
"Last Love Song" | 2014 | Joseph Toman [76] |
"Last Love Song (Pretty Little Liars Version)" [77] | Unknown | |
"Love 3x" | 2015 | MIE [78] |
"The Deep" | 2017 | Kyle Cogan [79] [80] |
"Help Me Mama" | ||
"Ride" | Declan Whitebloom [81] | |
"Cannonball" | Kyle Cogan [82] | |
"Sex & Stardust" | 2020 | Alexa Kinigopoulos & Stephen Kinigopoulos |
"Break Her Heart" | ||
"The Dark" | ||
"Giant" | 2020 | David Dutton |
"Tin Cups" | 2022 | Nayip Ramos |
"Baby Don't" | 2023 | Adam William Ward |
"Ride Or Die" | ||
"Forget About Us" | ||
"On One" |
ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For 51 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sound based on Gibbons' blues style and Hill and Beard's rhythm section. They are known for their live performances, sly and humorous lyrics, and the matching appearances of Gibbons and Hill, who wore sunglasses, hats and long beards.
Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall, better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a solo artist.
William Frederick Gibbons is an American rock musician, best known as the guitarist and primary vocalist of ZZ Top. He began his career in Moving Sidewalks, who recorded Flash (1969) and opened four dates for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Gibbons formed ZZ Top in late 1969 and released ZZ Top's First Album in early 1971. He has also maintained a solo career in recent years, starting with his first album Perfectamundo (2015).
Bonnie Leigh McKee is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album Trouble was released in 2004 by Reprise Records. After being dropped, she took a musical hiatus and established herself as a songwriter. She has written 10 singles that have reached number one in either the United States or the United Kingdom, which have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide combined. In 2013, she made a return to music with the single "American Girl". In 2015, she independently released the EP Bombastic.
Beth Hart is an American musician from Los Angeles, California. She rose to fame with the release of her 1999 single "LA Song " from her second album Screamin' for My Supper. The single was a number one hit in New Zealand, as well as reaching the top 5 of the US Adult Contemporary and Top 10 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 charts.
Diana Gordon, known professionally as Wynter Gordon, is an American singer and songwriter. She began her career writing music for other artists, later signing with Atlantic Records where she started to work on her own album. Her debut album With the Music I Die was released in 2011, with its lead single "Dirty Talk" receiving triple platinum and gold certifications in Australia and the United Kingdom. She began going by her birth name in 2016, and released the extended plays Pure (2018) and Wasted Youth (2020)
Karen Lucille Hale is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including seven Teen Choice Awards, a Gracie Award, a People's Choice Award, and two Young Hollywood Awards.
Cassadee Blake Pope is an American pop and country singer. She was the lead vocalist and songwriter of the pop punk band Hey Monday, with whom she released one studio album and two EPs. Pope embarked on a solo career in early 2012 and released the EP Cassadee Pope in May 2012. She took part in the 3rd season of The Voice and became the first female winner in December 2012. Her debut solo country album, Frame by Frame, was released in 2013 to a top 10 Billboard 200 charting. It debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, with 43,000 copies sold in its first week.
Nayer Regalado, known mononymously as Nayer, is an American singer. She gained recognition in 2011 after being featured on Pitbull's hit single "Give Me Everything", and releasing her single "Suave " featuring Pitbull and Mohombi which was a success in Europe and the Middle East. Her other known collaborations include songs with Ne-Yo, Enrique Iglesias, Lil Wayne, Usher, Fonseca, Juan Magan, Yomil, Jean-Roch and Melissa.
Austin Harris Mahone is an American singer. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, he gained initial recognition performing covers of pop songs on YouTube.
John Stephen Sudduth, known professionally as Mikky Ekko, is an American singer and songwriter from Nashville. He co-wrote and was featured on Rihanna's 2013 single "Stay", which charted in multiple countries, becoming his first-charting material. Ekko released his debut studio album, Time, in 2015 through RCA Records. Fame, his second album, was released in 2018 on Interscope Records.
The discography of Austin Mahone, an American singer-songwriter, consists of two studio albums, two mixtapes, five extended plays, twenty three singles, twenty six promotional singles, and thirty-six music videos. Mahone independently released his debut single, "11:11" to iTunes on February 14, 2012. On May 29, 2013, he released his debut EP, Extended Play, in Japan only. On June 5, 2012, Mahone independently released his second single, "Say Somethin", his first release under the management of Chase Entertainment. On August 28, 2012, Mahone announced that he had been signed to Chase/Universal Republic Records.
"Baby I" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released on July 22, 2013 by Republic Records as the second single from her debut studio album, Yours Truly (2013). The song was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio Dixon and Patrick "J. Que" Smith and produced by the first two. "Baby I" is a pop and R&B song with drums, horns and a syncopated beat. It also contains an uptempo '90s-inspired beat. Lyrically, the song is about not being able to fully express your feelings towards someone you love. The song was well-received by music critics, who complimented the song's "throwback" sound, while others praised Grande's vocals, which were compared to those of Mariah Carey.
The discography of Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna consists of four international studio albums, three Malaysian albums, six EPs, 32 international single releases, and 43 music videos.
Beatrice Annika Miller is an American singer and actress. She was the fifth contestant eliminated on season two of The X Factor (US) when she was 13 years old. She was later signed to Hollywood Records. Her debut EP Young Blood was released in 2014, and her debut album Not an Apology was released on July 24, 2015. In 2016, she released the single "Yes Girl". During 2017, she released the EPs Chapter One: Blue, Chapter Two: Red, and Chapter Three: Yellow. The three EPs, along with five additional songs, were collected as her second studio album, Aurora.
Til the Casket Drops is the debut studio album by ZZ Ward, released on October 16, 2012. The album generated three singles, "Put the Gun Down" which reached number 7 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs, "365 Days" which reached number 4, and "Last Love Song" which reached number 15.
The Storm is the second studio album from American singer-songwriter ZZ Ward, released on Hollywood Records on June 30, 2017. The album reached number 1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart.
Dirty Shine is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter ZZ Ward and her debut release through her independent label Dirty Shine Records. The album follows The Storm (2017) and features vocals from Aloe Blacc, Jean Deaux, and Vic Mensa. A deluxe edition named the Dirty Deluxe was released on November 17, 2023.
"Put the Gun Down" is the 2012 debut single by American singer-songwriter ZZ Ward. It was ZZ Ward's first single with Hollywood Records. While the song was originally included on Ward's EP, Criminal, it was also included on her first album Til the Casket Drops. The song uses repetition and vivid imagery to tell the story of a classic 'home-wrecker'.
"Last Love Song" is a song by American singer-songwriter ZZ Ward and the third single from Ward's debut album, 'Til the Casket Drops. While initially released in 2012, it was later re-released in 2014 as part of an EP. "Last Love Song" reached number 15 on Billboard's US Adult Alternative Songs and 30 on the US Adult Pop Airplay.