British singer/songwriter Jo Hill blends cheeky charm with candid catharsis on “ZOOM OUT,” a feel-good anthem of self-love and perspective. A love letter to her younger and present self, the track channels the emotional whiplash of girlhood, the wisdom of tough love, and the liberating power of shouting, “You got this, babe!”
follow our Today’s Song(s) playlist
Stream: “ZOOM OUT” – Jo Hill
“You got this, babe.”
With her latest single, British singer/songwriter Jo Hill shouts from the mountaintops, delivering a spirited message of love, reassurance, and unwavering trust. Released March 7th, “ZOOM OUT” is a triumphant, charismatic, comforting, and deeply affirming anthem of self-empowerment and perspective. Written during a period of personal hardship – including heartbreak and the fallout of being dropped by a label – the song is Hill’s love letter to herself “and every other bad bitch out there that doesn’t know their potential and lets the smaller annoyances of life get in the way of the bigger picture.”
Through a dynamic rollercoaster of speed-ups and slow-downs, raw reflections and accentuated gang choruses that become instantly irresistible singalongs, Hill reminds herself and anyone listening to “speak to yourself like you would speak to your best friend.” Infused with hometown memories and a shifting energy that mirrors life’s highs and lows, “ZOOM OUT” encourages all of us to break free from self-doubt, embrace optimism, and – above all – “zoom the f* out” when life feels overwhelming.
When you’re face down
still feeling sorry
with my hand wrapped ‘round
an empty bacardi
screaming what now?
but I am what I am
but i don’t wanna be this way
Be this way
And when you’re strung out
ugly crying over
hella dumb idiot guys
Baby zoom out,
it’s a crime to be crying
over thing that you
just can’t change.
You got this babe.
Sonically, the track blends playful, tempo-shifting momentum with a country-inspired flair that Hill attributes to a recent trip to Nashville. “My inner pow girl was able to come out in this song,” she smiles, emphasizing the organic, free-spirited nature of the recording process. The track’s heartbeat lies in its refrain: “You got this, babe,” a phrase that encapsulates the theme of resilience and camaraderie central to Hill’s recently released debut album, girlhood. As Hill puts it, “I hope listeners feel empowered and like anything is possible. I hope it flips people’s perspectives when they’re feeling low, makes them want to go out and have a pint with their friends.”
“Sometimes it’s about zooming out, looking at the bigger picture, taking a deep breath and shouting, ‘U GOT THIS BABE.’”
Candid, uncompromising, and emotionally charged, “ZOOM OUT” is rooted in Hill’s upbringing and the tough-love wisdom passed down from her mother.
“Growing up, whatever happened – if a boy cheated on me or even older, when I’ve faced tricky periods like getting Lyme disease – she’s like, zoom out, wake up, bigger picture,” Hill recalls.
This philosophy became the backbone of the track, a vibrant call to shift perspective and find joy even in difficult moments. With lyrics that traverse both childhood struggles and adult anxieties, “ZOOM OUT” serves as a mirror to Hill’s past and present selves, offering a universal reminder to let go of the little things and embrace life’s bigger picture.
Johnny’s got a car
he’s a real boy racer
hurrying to third base
and you’re saying you’re fine about it
but you lied about it
Walking ‘round school
with your reputation,
he’s got his hands
on another girl’s waist,
you’re crying about it
wasting your time about it
You’re never gonna need no man
and no one’s gonna hold you’re hand
‘Cause honey you’re a real bad bitch
and you got bigger plans
You gotta give it all you got
but never give it too much thought
‘Cause damn you’re in a real deep ditch
but I’m gonna pull you out
The production, like the song’s message, is refreshingly unfiltered and raw. Recorded in the moment with collaborators Martin and Havelock, the track was built on a foundation of fun and spontaneity. “All the vocals in this are from one vocal take – we were just having so much fun on the day we just put it in, no drums or anything, just over a guitar,” Hill explains. That effortless energy translates into an electrifying listening experience, where the song’s shifting tempos and genre-blending elements create an intoxicating sense of movement.
“I’d always wanted to write a song that slows down and speeds up,” Hill says. “I think I was just Lime biking and singing into my phone on a journey home, got the melody and just wanted to make a song that was going to be really fun to play live – and turns out, the best way of doing that is changing tempo!”
When you’re face down
still feeling sorry
with my hand wrapped ‘round
an empty Bacardi
screaming what now
but I am what I am
but I don’t wanna be this way
Be this way
And when you’re strung out
heavily crying over
hella dumb idiot guys
Baby zoom out,
it’s a crime to be crying
over things that
you just can’t change.
You got this babe.
“ZOOM OUT” arrives alongside news of a special edition of Hill’s critically acclaimed debut album, which Atwood Magazine previously hailed as “a seductive, spirited indie pop record of raw passion, inner beauty, and human connection [that] simultaneously aches and inspires, capturing Jo Hill’s coming-of-age through a collection of bold, beautiful melodies and unapologetically honest, witty, and warm lyrics.” Fittingly titled girlhood. (u got this babe), the new record features eight additional tracks that keep with the theme, while highlighting Hill’s more playful side.
To that end, her latest single is a perfect reintroduction – a lively and frisky, yet poignant all the same, “ZOOM OUT” is a reminder to loosen our grip on life, soak in the present, and never forget to enjoy the ride. In truth, Jo Hill has crafted more than just an infectious, genre-blurring anthem, but a rallying cry for resilience, self-compassion, and finding joy in the chaos. It’s a song that captures the emotional whiplash of life, blending nostalgia with forward motion, struggle with celebration.
Hill’s signature mix of raw honesty and playful defiance makes “ZOOM OUT” feel like a conversation with a close friend – one who reminds you to take a breath, shift your perspective, and remember that you’ve got this. In a world that often feels overwhelming, Hill’s message is clear: Life isn’t meant to be spent sweating the small stuff, so zoom out and enjoy the ride
— —
:: stream/purchase ZOOM OUT here ::
:: stream/purchase girlhood. here ::
:: connect with Jo Hill here ::
— —
Stream: “ZOOM OUT” – Jo Hill
A CONVERSATION WITH JO HILL
Atwood Magazine: Welcome “back,” Jo! It's great to hear new music, and so soon after your album's release! Can you share a little about the story behind “ZOOM OUT,” and what this song means to you?
Jo Hill: Hey guys, I’m just back from America and super jet lagged. Sleep is not being my friend right now but I’m very excited about having this song in the world. I think it’s so special. It’s my most fun and playful song to date. I wrote it when I was being quite hard on myself which i struggle with a lot and last year was tricky, I got dropped by a label and went through this heartbreak and I wrote this when I was coming out of this.
This is a love letter to myself; they say to speak to yourself like you would speak to your best friend, and this is what this song is. It’s for anyone who feels like life isn’t treating them well and they feel a victim and this is a pick me up, get to the pub, go and smell the flowers rather than crying about what you don’t have. This is what the song is in the overall chorus and the verse is kind of like hometown stories incorporating people i knew growing up into the verses. I’m talking to young Jo in the verses who is facing issues in her childhood like ‘Mollie’s got a mouth and she knows how to use it’ about gossip and boys playing you and all those kinds of things. Then in the chorus I’m talking to an older Jo who is facing adult issues.
I love the speeding up and slowing down you employ throughout the track; it creates this shifting energy that I find utterly intoxicating! What inspired that approach?
Jo Hill: Honestly, before I wrote this song I’d always wanted to write a song that slows up and speeds down. I think I was just lime biking and singing into my phone on a journey home and got the melody and just wanted to make a song that was going to be really fun to play live and turns out the best way of doing that is changing tempo.
I also feel like your inner cowgirl comes out in this song - sure it's half-lament, half-party, but it's also a kind of country jamboree! What was your vision for this song especially, and how did you go about bringing it to life?
Jo Hill: This song didn’t start with me trying to change direction, it just kind of came out. I’ve always been really inspired by country music and I’d just come back from Nashville and my inner pow girl was able to come out in this song and we brought it to life in the studio. Me, Martin and Havelock just got in our groove, all the vocals in this are all from one vocal take we were just having so much fun on the day we just put it in no drums or anything, just over a guitar. Then Havelock added the drums and the piano and we were like wow we’ve made something really cool.
You've called this song “my letter to myself and every other bad bitch out there that doesn’t know their potential.” I'd love to dive into that some more; what inspired “ZOOM OUT” for you?
Jo Hill: “ZOOM OUT,” like a lot of music does, comes from how my mum sees the world if I analyze it and growing up whatever happened if a boy cheated on me or even older when I’ve faced tricky periods like getting limes disease – she’s like zoom out, wake up, bigger picture – a kind of tough love approach and I’ve internalised that and turned it into this song. Also, when you’re feeling really down and hyper obsessed with something which i have the tendency to do you end up missing the fun in life and that’s what i wanted to make with this song. Life is fun and it’s playful, it’s there to be enjoyed and go find the fun in it. Zoom the f* out because at the end of the day we’re all just living on a floating rock.
The main thesis of this song comes in the refrain, “You got this, babe” – which is also the name of girlhood.’s upcoming deluxe edition, which will feature eight additional songs?! This is obviously a special phrase packed with meaning, and it feels so fitting in with girlhood's theme of sisterhood and camaraderie. That said, what comes to mind for you when you sing it aloud?
Jo Hill: I LOVE the word babe and for me it’s not gendered. I know ‘girlhood’ is a gendered word, but for me there’s this softness and lovingness that comes from the word babe. A guy can be a babe, a girl can be a babe, anyone can be a babe! It’s got this open encouragement that I hope anyone feels when they listen to girlhood, that I just try and bring into my music.
I think the overall message is you have to stay optimistic because what’s the point in not? It’s a bit more playful, and I’m excited to do this with the deluxe edition as you’ll see there’s a more playful side to it that’s important to be explored in the theme of girlhood as well.
Lastly, what do you hope listeners take away from “ZOOM OUT,” and what have you taken away from making and releasing this song?
Jo Hill: I hope listeners feel empowered and like anything is possible. I hope it flips people’s perspectives when they’re feeling low, make them want to go out and have a pint with their friends.
— —
:: stream/purchase ZOOM OUT here ::
:: stream/purchase girlhood. here ::
:: connect with Jo Hill here ::
— —
Stream: “ZOOM OUT” – Jo Hill
— — — —
Connect to Jo Hill on
Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
© Phoebe Fox
© Phoebe Fox
:: Today’s Song(s) ::
follow our daily playlist on Spotify
:: Stream Jo Hill ::
