Zacari & Ty Dolla $ign Team Up On 'Ave Maria'

Gearing up for the release of his debut album, TDE signee and singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Zacari – who previously made waves with previous singles like "LOVE." with Kendrick Lamar and the Black Panther soundtrack feature “Redemption” – joins forces with Ty Dolla $ign for his latest single “Ave Maria” available to stream now on all digital platforms via Top Dawg Entertainment/The Orchard.

Written and co-produced by Zacari alongside DayVaughn, "Ave Maria" is the latest taste from his forthcoming full-length album, where his extraordinary songwriting talents and vocal mastery take center stage. In the heart of the composition, the harp takes on a celestial persona, its strings echoing like the very voice of God, while the 808s stand as a sentinel on one's spiritual odyssey.

Above the serpentine yet rhythmic beat, there resides Zacari's ethereal falsetto and Ty Dolla $ign's throaty and granular tones, entwining seamlessly with the production tapestry. The track follows on from Zacari's recent release, “Reverse”, with multiple GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, and record producer James Fauntleroy.

Speaking on the inspiration behind the collaboration, Zacari shares, “‘Ave Maria' came to me at a time when I was questioning my faith and understanding who/what God is to me. As a child, I would sing ‘Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep' as my nightly prayer before bed. In high school, I would listen to ‘Ave Maria' and other opera songs and it provided spiritual experiences and sounded like God to me.

I want people to find their own spiritual experiences. My dad told me a story about him as a younger kid in the Catholic Church being expelled for asking questions in a confessional booth. This song is supposed to invite you to raise questions and find God where you feel him/her/them. Despite not possessing a complete understanding of who or what God is to me, I feel him in the harps and 808s in this track.”

About Zacari

Singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Zacari was raised by a musically oriented family in Bakersfield, CA. By age eight he was enrolled in a school for performing arts and began learning guitar, drums, saxophone, and keyboards. After finishing high school, he worked seasonally for three years as a fishing guide in an Alaskan national park, exploring his passion for nature and earning money to enroll in music school in Los Angeles.

Upon his arrival to LA, Zacari began posting songs online which caught the attention of established acts such as Isaiah Rashad, SiR, Larry June, and others. After various collaborations, his breakthrough came when he pitched "Lovely," an original song of his own, to rap superpower Kendrick Lamar.

The song would be reworked as "LOVE." on Lamar's Pulitzer Prize-winning 2017 album, DAMN., which has accumulated over 1 Billion streams to date. Zacari's soulful vocals and emotive delivery captivated listeners, earning him widespread recognition from Pitchfork, XXL, Complex, and more.

After the success of DAMN., Zacari continued to work with record label Top Dawg Entertainment, including appearances on the soundtrack to the 2018 feature Marvel film Black Panther, and eventually signed to the label. In 2021 he released his debut EP SOL, followed by a string of singles in 2022 with features from Ab-Soul on “Do Better'', Isaiah Rashad on “Bliss”, and Blxst on “Sometimes”. He's also penned songs for the likes of VIC MENSA, M.I.A., Denzel Curry, Kembe X, and more.

PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN JAY

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