Zoë Badwi “Zoë” Album Cover and Preview

Our nation’s first lady of dance is ready to let the children have it.

Zoë Badwi must’ve been working on her inaugural solo dance album for a good two years now. To those only joining the party after the pop crossover of ‘Freefallin’, there’s much to be discovered with this forthcoming album because so many of Ms Badwi’s material has carved a mark exclusively in the dance/club world.

You gotta start with the late-2008 smash ‘Release Me’ – not to be confused with Agnes‘ dance/pop anthem – and work your way through to the 2009 ARIA Top 10 club chart hit ‘In The Moment’ with TV Rock, and more recently radio ready cuts like ‘Accidents Happen’ and ‘Carry Me Home’.

Warner Music Australia has uploaded a six-track Zoë album sampler featuring the four singles, as well as two new tracks. Here’s the verdict:

1 – ‘Freefallin’

You already know how this mega hit goes. The opening verse still ignites a flurry of faggatronic dramatic hand movements at The Peel. ’Freefallin’ is Zoë‘s biggest hit to date and this week, it won the APRA award for Dance Release of The Year, so major kudos also to local producer Denzal Park and star songwriter Amy Pearson.

2 – ‘Release Me (TV Rock Edit)’

I remember the moment I learned that this was Zoë Badwi. Utter jaw meets floor moment. She sounds like an American dance vixen here and the slight growl in her voice kinda reminds me of a lean mean white woman version of Inaya Day. This woman is a true vocal chameleon.

3 – ‘Until You’re Over Me’

The missing piece in my Zoë appreciation has always been that much needed immense dance ballad. Look what just turned up. “Cause I can’t get over you ’til you get over me. No I can’t let you go until you set me free. Fighting my feelings on this dance floor wishing your body was next to me…” Is it too late to arrange for Ms Badwi to cover Geri Halliwell‘s album track ‘Love Never Loved Me’? Gurl, I know your people will be reading. I’ve attached the link.

4 – ‘Carry Me Home’

I know some of y’all are pressed that she’s covering a Sarah Connor song but Zoë is totally serving it vocally here. Why does it matter when the single wasn’t even released outside Germany? It probably flopped hard there anyway. I still feel that the radio/single edit is too short. Something needs to be done here.

5 – ‘Accidents Happen’

I don’t understand why this never made Top 20 on the ARIA singles chart. It was such an appropriate light weight dance/pop number to follow ‘Freefallin’. I still do face-framing actions to the “I didn’t mean to! Didn’t mean to!” bits. I’m a fan.

6 – ‘Believe You’

Uh oh, somebody just dimmed the lights and lifted the curtains on a stage covered in candles. ‘Believe You’ is a tender piano-based ballad you never saw coming from our club queen. “Don’t you remember when you wouldn’t even hold my hand. I guess that you never felt proud to be my man. I haven’t forgotten all the times that you let me down. There’s nothing you can say to turn the past around…” – for every gay who has ever dated a man in the closet, I am weeping silently for you now.

Ms Zoë has been working with various producers like TV Rock, Rogue Traders, Stuart Crichton (Pet Shop Boys and Delta Goodrem) and Static Revenger (Wynter Gordon), so it’ll be interesting to see what makes the cut. I am eagerly anticipating on it.

Footnotes:

Zoë Badwi will release Zoë in Australia on 5 August. The diva has also been signed by Atlantic Records in the US (home to pal and local label mate Wynter Gordon), Warner Music UK and Sony Music France. Global domination here we come.