ZØ Marie, born Kristina Marie Rizzo, self-describes her genre to be both R&B and pop, though she argues that her music will appeal to anyone who can relate to the complexities of love, heartbreak, and the hardships of navigating young adulthood. While, of course, anyone is allowed to enjoy her music, ZØ is particularly proud of the large female audience she draws and is deeply passionate about inspiring and uplifting young women.

Incredibly established, she is both an alumna of Columbia University and a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University. As the recipient of an English degree, ZØ’s art is a beautiful blend of both her academic background and natural creative expression.

ZØ gained recognition from her hit music video for the song “Alright”. Currently, she is producing another music video composed entirely of footage captured with Apple’s new VR headset. Viewers will have the ability to immerse themselves in a first-person perspective, assuming the role of the main male love interest. ZØ states that the video will be released sometime in the late summer or early fall coinciding with her upcoming album “SOUL-SEARCHING”, presently in the works.

ZØ shared how she feels about the influence of not only her own, but music as a whole after dedicating so many years to the field. “I think we’re in a really interesting point at society. There’s a lot of fear around technology–or whatever–and I think when there’s a tumultuous time in society, that’s when the best music comes out. Like, I think of the Beetles in the 60s, [the song] “Imagine”, and John Lennon. So, I think because of that, you can use art as a platform to connect to people. I believe that art can connect to people deeper than politics sometimes, because all you have to do is write about a concept and maybe it has this other meaning, but someone will interpret it a different way and will still like it, even if they don’t believe in another person’s politics.”

She also shared some guidance or anyone reading this who is interested in becoming an artist themselves. “I think, in whatever you choose in life, if you love it and you’re passionate about it always ask, like, “if this is all you can do in your life and you never made any money, would you do it?” That should be the first question you ask yourself. If the answer is yes, then I would say, set short-term goals, and I’ve set like, maybe five long-term goals for the year and then short-term goals for each month and when you check them off you feel really good about yourself because you feel one step closer to your dream making it a reality.”

ZO will be performing in Stockton’s Campus Center Coffee House on Monday, March 25. The concert will take place from 8-10:00 p.m.

You can enjoy her music on both Spotify and Apple Music, and find her on Instagram, YouTube, X, and Facebook. Keep an eye out for updates regarding the concert on SET’s official Instagram page, @setstockton.