ZARA SMILE RELEASES
HAPPY
Smile's first single, reflecting on their experiences of social media and the trends on social media platforms.
MISPLACED
Smile's second single reflects on their gender identity, and coming to terms with and loving your gender no matter what you identify as.
HUMAN
‘Human’, Smile’s fourth release, touches on their experiences with dissociation and feeling ‘spaced out’. Talking on the single, she says: “I talk about a time where I didn’t feel like I was in my body and got so desperate to feel ‘normal’ again, that I was screaming out ‘why do I not feel human?’”.
MISPLACED
“Misplaced” by Zara Smile is a compelling alternative rock anthem that channels the raw emotional landscape of gender dysphoria and the complexities of queer identity. Layered with razor-sharp lyricism, distorted pop-punk guitars, and ethereal melodic riffs, the track blends vulnerability with defiance. Zara confronts societal expectations head-on, voicing the pain of invisibility and the urgency of self-definition. Misplaced is a cathartic, emotionally charged statement—both deeply personal and widely relatable—offering solidarity to anyone who’s ever felt displaced in their own skin. It’s not just a song; it’s a declaration of presence.
FIGHT BACK
"Fight Back" is an aching, angry folk tune that lays bare the quiet battles of imposter syndrome. With stripped-back intensity and sharp, vulnerable lyricism, Zara Smile captures the crushing weight of self-doubt and the fear of never being enough. It’s a song for the days when showing up feels like losing, and for the voices in your head that scream louder than the world outside. Equal parts resignation and resistance, "Fight Back" is the anthem of someone too tired to keep proving their worth, but still brave enough to sing about it.
REWIND
"Rewind" is a tender, hopeful folk track that captures the quiet beauty of healing. With warm melodies and heartfelt lyrics, Zara Smile reflects on the pull of the past and the strength it takes to choose joy after pain. It’s a song about growth—about letting go without forgetting, about finding peace without needing closure. "Rewind" is for the moments when you finally feel the sun again after a long winter, when you start to believe happiness is possible, and maybe even deserved.
BETTER
“Better” by Zara Smile is a high-energy, emotionally charged alternative rock anthem that dives headfirst into the messy, non-linear reality of healing. Pulsing with danceable rhythms, shimmering harmonies, and driving guitars, the track captures the tension between progress and relapse; the moments where growth feels just out of reach. Balancing catharsis with urgency, “Better” transforms inner turmoil into something kinetic and alive, inviting listeners to move through the chaos rather than escape it. It’s a defiant, electrifying release, honest about the setbacks, but still reaching, still fighting. Not a neat resolution, but a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t follow a straight line and that doesn’t make it any less real.
SKIN
“Skin,” the new single from Zara Smile, releasing July 3rd, is a delicate and deeply intimate ballad that captures the quiet exhaustion of a relationship nearing its end. Built around light piano melodies, swelling strings, and swirling layered harmonies, the track drifts through the ache of loving someone when there’s barely any fight left to give. Zara’s vulnerable songwriting lays bare the emotional limbo between holding on and letting go, exploring the numbness, grief, and tenderness that linger in the aftermath of repeated hurt. Soft yet devastatingly raw, “Skin” trades grand declarations for emotional honesty, creating a cinematic atmosphere that feels both fragile and consuming.
LISTEN
“Listen” by Zara Smile is an emotionally explosive alternative rock track that fuses vulnerability with simmering anger, confronting the isolating experience of never quite feeling like you belong. Driven by heavier guitars, relentless momentum, and raw, impassioned vocals, the song explores the tension of growing up between cultures as a mixed-race person constantly navigating identity, expectation, and the pressure to fit neatly into spaces that were never built for complexity. Zara channels frustration, exhaustion, and defiance into razor-sharp lyricism that speaks to anyone who has felt unseen, misunderstood, or fundamentally out of place. Beneath its driving energy lies a deep emotional ache, capturing the burnout that comes from trying to make yourself smaller just to be accepted.
GRAPES
Closing the “Listen!” EP on a note of warmth, absurdity, and hope, “Grapes” by Zara Smile is a heartfelt celebration of friendship, survival, and finding joy in the people who make life feel worth living. Inspired by the New Year’s tradition of eating 12 grapes under a table for luck, the track transforms small rituals and shared moments into something quietly profound, an anthem for those learning to believe that maybe things won’t always hurt this much. Layered with sweeping strings, orchestral flourishes, and delightfully weird, off-kilter rhythms, “Grapes” balances sincerity with playful unpredictability, embodying the messy beauty of chosen family and community. Beneath its quirky charm lies a deeply emotional core, reflecting on the experience of carving out belonging in a world that often feels unwelcoming.