Zoe Ko’s Latest Single Cannot “Get Out” of Our Heads
Zoe Ko is an artist to add to your playlists for this upcoming year. Capping off 2022 with the release of her latest single “Get Out,” Ko illustrates the universal feeling of having a certain someone stuck in your head. In an attempt to shake such a feeling off, Ko gives us the glittery Pop track that whisks the person taking space in our heads away. In the past year, Ko has given us addicting hits such as “Lovesick in Public,” “Line,” and “Til U.” Her sound combines the spunk of Pop-Punk with her twists on Singer-songwriting sensibilities. “Get Out” reflects these qualities, making it another unforgettable addition to her discography.
[UNPUBLISHED]: The last time we spoke to you, you had just released “Lovesick in Public.” How do you feel now that it’s been out for some time? How was it received?
[ZOE]: It's been so cool. I feel like "Lovesick in Public" actually reached the right audience and I found my people through that. There was such an amazing response to "Line" and "Til U." But I feel like now, my audience is learning and understanding other versions of me and the people to who I relate to. We're all emo, grungy people. It's been nice to reach the right people and to allow my listeners to resonate with my music. I think because "Lovesick in Public" is a lot more fun, cheeky, and playful; people just have a lot more fun with it. It's been added to so many funny playlists! I'm so grateful for the response to it. "Lovesick in Public" got me to a massively different spot in my career.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Congratulations on the release of your new single "Get Out." Did you take any new creative approaches to this song?
[ZOE]: For this one, I did a little less perfectionism and just went with it. We wrote this song in a four-hour session. I just went in and told the Producer and Co-Songwriter that I wanted it to be a certain vibe reflecting how stuck I was on a guy and how I just needed to get him out of my head. I wanted the main chorus line to be "get out, get out, get out," over and over. As my songwriting partner was putting down some instruments and creating the setting for the song, I was typing every single feeling I’ve experienced as lyrics into my computer. It felt like I was ranting to my best friend at 3 am about this guy. It was a free-for-all of words spilling out which was different. It felt exactly like what I was feeling at that very moment and in that week. It wasn’t a perfect summary of the situation by any means. Instead, it felt more like a journal entry to myself.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Do you have an inspiration behind the song? When did you start writing it?
[ZOE]: I started writing it that day. I don't think I could write about anything else that day because I was just so stuck. I was stuck on a guy for a month and it was so embarrassing. I was newly single and experiencing single life for the first time since high school because I was in a long-term relationship up until then. I've never had that "catching feelings after one night" kind of thing before. I feel like I'm still emotionally at the high school level of that because it's all new to me. So I decided to create the song to get it all off of my chest as a final statement. And guess what? It worked. I pushed him out of my head.
[UNPUBLISHED]: I feel like the lyrics are so clever, very story-like. Do you have a favorite line or a favorite part of the song?
[ZOE]: I think one of my favorite lines is "Did you tear your sleeves because you don't wear your heart out there?" And then also I like the last line of the chorus, "I let you make a mess of me – ow." I liked saying "ow," because I felt like it stung.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How have you been approaching songwriting lately? Do you ever hit writer's block? And if so, what do you do to inspire yourself?
[ZOE]: Because I'm also getting to work with so many cool, new people, I've been doing a lot of writing trips and meeting new people and collaborating with them. It’s been difficult to get writer's block when I'm surrounded by such amazing, creative people. The main thing I do to avoid any writer's block is write down any lyrics that seem to inspire me in a new Notes pages on my phone. I have so many Notes pages that are just one word or a tiny little concept. If I'm stuck, I'll just go through the hundreds of random notes to see if anything calls out to me. As a newly single gal, I have a lot to write about now. Processing feelings, living on my own/away from my parents, and a lot of life changes have also been fueling a lot of writing for me.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Are there any artists or songs that you haven't been able to get out of your head?
[ZOE]: I think "Ur Mum" or "Too Late Now" by Wet Leg. I have Wet Leg’s entire discography on repeat constantly.
[UNPUBLISHED]: The last time we spoke you said you were working on your debut EP. How’s that coming along, what can people expect?
[ZOE]: I'm working towards an EP. The EP that I thought was happening is no more. It’s being broken down into singles now. I realized that I wanted my first project to mean something and the singles that I wrote didn’t feel like a completely clean-cut project. I want to be releasing new music every six to eight weeks and never going beyond eight weeks in the new year. There's so much music now, though. I'm excited.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How does it feel to be on Spotify's Fresh Finds: Class of 2022?
[ZOE]: Honestly, I didn't even know it was a thing. So, that was a lovely surprise. I was like, "Hello, what is this?" I feel so much gratitude for everything that has happened with just three songs. When I released "Line," I didn't have any managers, I had no one. It was just me and I pitched the song to the Spotify editorial playlists. I was praying to the Spotify gods they heard me. Someone found it and resonated with it. I just could not be more grateful. Spotify has been so supportive and I wish I could actually meet the people who have been adding me to these playlists and hug them and genuinely thank them for making my career happen in front of me. It's so much validation that I didn't even expect. So, that was cool.
[UNPUBLISHED]: As the year is coming to a close, what are your key takeaways from 2022? Is there anything that you learned that you'd like to share?
[ZOE]: I feel really lucky to be able to follow the path to becoming an artist and to have a crazy and adrenaline-chasing lifestyle. I'm happy with every single day that I get to live because I get to do what I love. That would not be possible without my amazing team and Spotify. I've just been overwhelmed with gratitude this year. If you put yourself out to the world, you have no idea what's going to come back to you but you just have to try.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What are your aspirations for the new year?
[ZOE]: I think a massive goal is consistently releasing music and reaching out to, I don't want to say fans, I like calling them friends. I’d love to send gifts and handwritten letters. I started a mail club and a whole bunch of people signed up so I'm going to send out a message at the top of the new year and hopefully go on tour with an artist. That's a massive goal for me, going on tour. Oh, and putting out a project by at least the end of the year.
[UNPUBLISHED]: For your music videos, did you teach yourself how to edit videos? Or was it something you learned separately in school?
[ZOE]: I was always intrigued by video editing and would make little videos growing up. My mom was pretty into video editing as a hobby and she also worked in the commercial world. So she was the main person who taught me how to use DaVinci Resolve. I picked it up and would make my own YouTube videos that I never posted. Even my college application was a creative sample, which was a six-minute music video showcasing a catalog of everything I’ve done. I knew I wanted to get good enough to direct and edit my visuals.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Anything else you want people to know?
[ZOE]: I'm still editing the "Lovesick in Public" music video, but it's still coming and the "Get Out" music video has been filmed and will also be on its way. Stream the music and enjoy the next song that's coming out!
