New York-based pop artist A-Zal is tapping into our collective love of nostalgia with new single “Phonebook”. Straying away from the recently re-popularized indie sleaze and scene aesthetics, he’s partnering with Grammy-nominated Benny Steele to recapture the essence of the genre that brought us Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend”.
The cover art, featuring a payphone, draws younger listeners into a world they didn’t necessarily get to experience firsthand. It produces the same feeling that causes us to keep coming back to Maroon 5’s “Payphone” and “Kyoto” by Phoebe Bridgers (“Called me from a payphone / They still got payphones / It cost a dollar a minute”).
With this track, A-Zal has taken a page or two out of Ed Sheeran’s book, with vocal layering and a slightly more gritty element that suggests inspiration from Sheeran’s 2017 hit “Shape of You.”
Like the aforementioned artists, A-Zal is not a newcomer to the music scene. The artist shows a knack for not only pop music, but for cinematic projects, having composed the original score for the 2013 Bollywood film “Monsoon Shootout.” His projects have also found footing in season one of Ms. Marvel, season 11 of NCIS: Los Angeles, and a Netflix film by the name of Resort to Love.
The amalgamation of projects A-Zal has fit into his portfolio is astounding, impressive and quite mind-boggling. “Phonebook” serves as a cherry on top of the list, and drills itself so far into the listener’s brain that you may just have to look him up in the Yellow Pages.
Keep up with A-Zal: Instagram // YouTube // Tiktok // Spotify
