LA-based artist-to-watch Gina Zo opens up about her seductive debut single “Dirty Habits,” a lush, intoxicating introduction that pairs sultry indie pop hooks with candid, self-assured storytelling – blurring the line between fantasy and reality along the way. With a trove of catchy, cathartic songs already out and her album on the horizon, Zo offers a bold glimpse of an artist unafraid to be messy, magnetic, and entirely herself.
Stream: “Dirty Habits” – Gina Zo
Some habits are hard to break – and some are so good, you never want to.
For Gina Zo, that obsession comes in the form of a fantasy: A dream lover she can’t – and won’t – let go of, even if they only exist in her mind. The Philadelphia-born, LA-based singer/songwriter’s debut solo single “Dirty Habits” bottles that craving into a lush, late-night daydream that’s as intoxicating as it is relatable. It’s the kind of song that makes your heart race and your lips curl into a smile at the same time – a dreamy, dramatic, and delicious dose of indie pop that’s as catchy as it is confessional.
With sprightly synths, soulful vocals, and a chorus that swells like heat rising off asphalt, “Dirty Habits” is a sweltering seduction full of light and life, love and lust – and an absolutely enchanting introduction to the singular Gina Zo.
Woke up in a sweat
Dreams are dripping wet
Haven’t met him yet
But I plan on it
A hero in my mind
Settled for what’s mine
Which is nothing at all
No man breaking down these walls
Produced by Grammy winners Justin Miller (Jazmine Sullivan, Zach Bryan) and Tim Sonnefeld (Usher) and released in late May, “Dirty Habits” captures the tension between fantasy and reality, between the rush of infatuation and the ache of longing. “The phone rings / I let ‘em have it / I can’t breathe / It’s a dirty habit,” Zo sings, her voice climbing with urgency as the rhythm pulses beneath her. It’s a confession wrapped in illusion; a radiant reverie spun from silk sheets and sleepless nights.
“‘Dirty Habits’ is all about the tension between your dreams and reality,” Zo tells Atwood Magazine. “Capturing the thrill of chasing after something that may never quite measure up – but doing it with a sexy smile and a beat you can’t resist. The music video combines the stereotypical pillow party male dream and my favorite night out activity: Dancing with the girls.”
For Zo, the track’s concept came naturally – and personally. “This was one of the first songs that I wrote when I had decided to pursue a solo career,” she shares. “The song is all about how our dreams are often a lot better than our reality – and more specifically, our dream man or woman is like a magical person that can be hard to find in our reality. Truly, this is a conversation I have with my friends all the time – a lot of us are single in LA, which has almost too many people for its own good.”
Please don’t call
Don’t wake me up from this dream
It’s a true tear
A nightmare
Keep me fast asleep
Don’t you dare open up my eyes
Let me feed my mind
I don’t want to see the light
That blend of empowerment and vulnerability is Gina Zo’s calling card.
A former The Voice contestant and rock band Velvet Rouge’s frontwoman, Zo steps into the spotlight on her own terms here – boldly bisexual, unapologetically feminine, and fiercely in control. Her lyrics walk the line between sultry and sweet, with a wink that says she knows exactly what she’s doing. “I’ve made up my mind / A true love’s golden stitch / Pucker up your lips / ‘Cause I’m worth the risk.”
That shift toward such unapologetic authenticity was hard-earned. “Rock music is what I grew up on – specifically Stevie Nicks and Florence Welch – and I loved the energy of going on stage and bringing the heat every night,” she reflects of her Velvet Rouge years. “But I started to realize that I had to have a tough exterior, and people noticed when they met me off stage that that wasn’t really who I was. Now I feel like me. I just want to be a sweet, lovey songwriter. Taking a step back from the band was the hardest, but also the most important choice I’ve made in my career thus far.”
It’s the tension between desire and delusion that makes “Dirty Habits” so captivating – a fantasy you don’t want to wake up from, even when you know it’s not real. Zo leans into the contradiction, blurring the lines between dreaming and denial, between control and craving. The chorus becomes her release valve – a place where all that emotion spills over in a swirl of breathless, compulsive confession:
The phone rings, I let ’em have it
I can’t breathe, it’s a dirty habit
My hands shake ’cause I wish I had it
The one now, the one now
The phone rings, I let ’em have it
The bed creaks, it’s a dirty habit
My brain bleeds ’cause I wish I had it
The one now, the one now
If “Dirty Habits” is the dream girl’s summer anthem, it’s also just the beginning of a bigger story – as the first taste of Zo’s debut solo album, due out in September 2025.
“There are 11 tracks – one I made with my brother, Tyler, and the rest alongside Tim Sonnefeld and Justin Miller,” she smiles. “It’s the truest I have ever felt when I’m singing and writing because these are all stories about my life over the last year. There’s a solid mix of heartbreak, loving yourself, and chaotic energy. The singles are just the start; my favorite songs aren’t even out yet!”
I’ve made up my mind
A true loves golden stitch
Pucker up your lips
Cause I’m worth the risk
A treasure for all time
I’m gonna get whats mine
Run away if you dare
I swear I hold something rare
Recent releases “Only Bad Men Make Me Feel This Way” and “I Need to Cry” expand her world even further. “One of my favorite lines on the entire album is in ‘Bad Men’: ‘My girls say it’s just a phase. I know it’s not a phase,’” she laughs. “I tend to like men I shouldn’t, and I also tend to get very emotional about life, both for good and bad things. This whole album dives into the chaos of being a woman in your 20s – messy, beautiful, and perfectly imperfect.”
That messy, beautiful imperfection also shapes her songwriting process. “I write all my music mostly myself, sometimes with the help of my producers when a song needs fixing,” Zo explains. “I don’t force it anymore; when I’m in the right state to write, I write. Sometimes it starts as a poem, sometimes with a melody. I look for catchiness, [but also for lyrics that] make me feel so deeply I can’t let the song go.”
Ultimately, Zo hopes her music resonates on every level – from the heart to the dance floor. “It makes me jump,” she says with a grin. “I want songs I can scream-sing in my bedroom with my besties, because that’s exactly how I want my audience to respond. Slumber party energy!”
“Dirty Habits” may be the song that introduces Gina Zo’s next chapter, but it’s her honesty, her resilience, and her irresistible blend of sweetness and bite that will keep listeners coming back.
“There is no stopping life, so there should be no stopping chasing your dreams,” she affirms. “I’ve learned that I’m resilient – I don’t stop when it gets tough. Maybe I take a pause, but I get back up when I’m down. Putting this album out is just the first step at a career that’s going to be everlasting.”
Please don’t call
Don’t wake me up from this dream
It’s a true tear
A nightmare
Keep me fast asleep
Don’t you dare open up my eyes
Let me feed my mind
I don’t want to see the light
Read our candid interview below, and stay tuned for more to come as this spellbinding artist-to-watch ramps up to her debut album’s release this September! Consider this your official invitation into Gina Zo’s world: Seductive, sincere, and impossible to leave once you’ve stepped inside.
In other words, let her be your next dirty habit.
The phone rings, I let ’em have it
I can’t breathe, it’s a dirty habit
My hands shake ’cause I wish I had it
The one now, the one now
The phone rings, I let ’em have it
The bed creaks, it’s a dirty habit
My brain bleeds ’cause I wish I had it
The one now, the one now
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:: stream/purchase Gina Zo’s music here ::
:: connect with Gina Zo here ::
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Stream: “Dirty Habits” – Gina Zo
A CONVERSATION WITH GINA ZO
Atwood Magazine: Gina, for those who are just discovering you today through this write-up, what do you want them to know about you and your music?
Gina Zo: I think the thing I always want people to know about me is that I’m just like them – I cry about the good and bad things in life, I go back to the same lovers over and over, I love going for hot girl walks, and my most cherished possessions are the people around me and my guitar. The difference is I write about it and put it into my songs. But for the record, I do also go on full rants on my couch with my girls about life. When people listen to my music, I want them to feel like we are on my couch in Silverlake talking about last night at the bar, probably drinking a glass of pinot noir, and wearing an oversized sweatsuit. It’s something you can dance to, cry to, and laugh to.
Can you share a little bit about Velvet Rouge, and how you divide being frontwoman of a rock band with pursuing an alt-pop solo career?
Gina Zo: Velvet Rouge was such a special time in my life because I started to really learn what it was that I wanted from a music career. Rock music is what I grew up on – specifically Stevie Nicks and Florence Welch. I discovered that there was an energy to that type of music that got me so excited to go on stage and bring the heat to the crowd every night! However, I started to realize that I had to have a tough exterior and people started to notice when they met me off stage that that wasn’t really who I was. I have my guard down now where I just want to be a sweet lovey songwriter. That is the biggest divide for me – the authenticity. Now I feel like me. Taking a step back from the band was the hardest, but also the most important choice I’ve made in my career thus far.
You've been releasing music as far back as 2020, in one form or another, if I'm not mistaken! How does the Gina Zo of “today” compare to the version of you who was just starting off some 5+ years ago?
Gina Zo: You’re right!! After I had stopped singing for a few years, I realized I needed to get back at it. This was my destiny. That girl was full of pent-up aggression haha!! I was so angry at the label I had been signed to, I just left my long-term boyfriend, and I was in a stage of life when I felt like I was constantly being objectified for being a young woman. I’m so beyond the label, beyond the relationships that have failed, and am beyond confident in who I am. My mentality has changed so much, and that has a lot to do with trusting my gut. I was making so many choices with others in mind rather than focusing on myself. But when I moved to LA last year, I decided this was the opportunity to regroup on what I wanted. Gina Zo, today, is so much more true to who I am because I am locked into who I am.
“Dirty Habits” was marketed as the dream girl’s song of the summer - what's the story behind this track?
Gina Zo: This was one of the first songs that I wrote when I had decided to pursue a solo career. The song is all about how our dreams are often a lot better than our reality – and more specifically, our dream man or woman is like a magical person that can be hard to find in our reality. Truly, this is a conversation I have with my friends all the time – a lot of us are single in LA, which has almost too many people for its own good.
The initial version of the song is much slower and more ‘80s synth – I am really into experimenting with new sounds because I feel like I am in uncharted territory with no limits! When I brought it to Justin Miller, we started to realize as the chorus came together this was a hit – it was a summer anthem for all our dream girls who are struggling to find their dream person.
This is the first single off your upcoming debut solo album – can you tell us a bit more about your first full-length record, and what to expect from it?
Gina Zo: The record is going to be coming out at the end of September 2025 (which has yet to be announced but will be in about 2 weeks!!) There are 11 tracks – one I made with my brother, Tyler, and the rest that I made alongside producers, Tim Sonnefeld and Justin Miller. This record is such a blend of summer pop and my rock influence. It’s the truest I have ever felt when I’m singing and writing because these are all stories about my life over the last year. There is a solid mix of heartbreak, loving yourself, and chaotic energy. The singles are just the start of this album’s journey – I find my favorite songs on the record won’t be out until the album is actually out. Even my roommates, my besties who get to hear everything first, agree that their favorite songs aren’t even out yet. Specifically, Virginia’s is Shock Me and Payton’s is I Like Men Who Like Men. The best part of all of this is that finally, I love my music so much I can’t stop listening to it. I’ve never felt that way before, and I cannot wait for all the fans to get just as excited to turn on their favorite track.
You've since released the songs “Only Bad Men Make Me Feel This Way” and “I Need to Cry” – can you share a bit about these two singles, and how they fit into your world?
Gina Zo: One of my favorite lines on the entire album is in “Bad Men”: “My girls say it’s just a phase. I know it’s not a phase.” “Bad Men” and “I Need to Cry” are perfect representations of the album because they are so true to where I am in my life right now. First off, I have a tendency to like men I shouldn’t, so that’s a great start! I also tend to get very emotional about life, both for good and bad things that happen. This whole album dives into the chaos of being a woman in your 20s – it is messy, beautiful, and all around perfectly imperfect. These singles feel like how I am as a songwriter – spilling my guts to everyone about the lengths I’ll go to have the life I want to have. Because at the end of the day, people don’t necessarily change, we grow – but just ask my girls this whole thing is definitely NOT a phase. You’ll see in the album.
If there's one thing I know indisputably about Gina Zo, it's that you can ROCK a good melody – and a great chorus! Can we talk a bit about your songwriting process? What do you look for in a song?
Gina Zo: THANK YOU! Wow that is the highest compliment? Chorus’ are so hard to right – the next single I have coming out, Fuck Me then Leave Me – I wrote probably 20 choruses to it before me and my producers settled on the one that felt the most perfect for the song. I write all my music majority, myself, and sometimes with the help of my producers when I bring them a song that needs fixing. I talked a little about this recently – people are constantly trying to push songs out of them. They write on days that they have nothing in them and then they get so frustrated. I have stopped doing that completely. When I am in the right state to write, I write. For me I have kind of timed it out with my cycle – that sounds kind of odd but the best stuff comes out of me all at once. It’s often when I’m in the car, on a walk, or am about to go to bed. I’ll write out a poem of sorts, maybe I’ll get a melody in my head, and then I’ll come back to it the next day. I have a lot of songs written that don’t have actual tunes yet because a poem often comes first. I look for catchiness in the songs I write that make me continue to record them. The only difference with less “catchy” songs on the record is the words just make me feel so deeply that I can’t let the song go.
What is your favorite thing about your own music?
Gina Zo: It makes me jump. HAHA! No, seriously – I love to run around and jump on stage! So the fact my music can make me and my audience do that, is everything to me. I want a song I can scream-sing in my bedroom with my besties, because that’s exactly how I want my audience to respond to it too. Slumber party energy!
Lastly, what do you hope listeners take away from the songs you put out this year, and what have you taken away from creating it and now putting it out?
Gina Zo: I hope the listeners take away that there is no stopping life so there should be no stopping chasing your dreams. If I can make hard decisions in my life and sacrifices for my career so can you!! And I think there should be comfort in knowing we are all just trying to get by, do our best and get to where we want to be. Everyone is chasing a dream. I have learned that I am resilient – I don’t stop when it gets tough. Maybe I take a pause and reflect, but I get back up when I am down. Putting this album out is just the first step at a career that is going to be everlasting. I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks.
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:: stream/purchase Gina Zo’s music here ::
:: connect with Gina Zo here ::
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Stream: “Dirty Habits” – Gina Zo
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