Zaritza is a Russian-born artist who is carving out a unique space in the music landscape. She immigrated to the US to find creative freedom and is a classically trained pianist turned experimental pop provocateur, unafraid of disobeying the industry norm.
Her most recent single, ‘Shadows’, is something of a spiritual journey; a harmonic celebration of fortitude that defies classification or containment. As much as it was written in her native Russian, the song becomes a confession, a language through which she peels away layers of emotional complexity with alarming hedge-fund-like skill. ‘Shadows’ is a brilliant hybrid, with a classic undertow that gives some substance to the tones, while electronic beats pulse as tension-filled heartbeats. Syncopated rhythms stab and move, adding to an impression of perpetual movement, while her voice slices through this track imbued with years of inner flutter.
But it’s the video that makes “Shadows” special and even revolutionary. Beginning in dramatic black and white, the visual plot follows the emotional journey of the song. Blood appears first on her forehead, then spreads across her hands, and across the floor, a metaphor for internal wounds finally becoming visible. We see Zaritza in other sets as well: a claustrophobic bathroom, and night-drenched streets, always followed by something chasing her.
All the same, the cinematography here is breathless; it recreates this visual depiction of how anxiety always nips at one’s heels. A sword fight is metaphorically being waged here against internal demons.
Here, Zaritza is not a victim; she’s a warrior, taking personal pain and forging it into an artistic weapon. Her red dress becomes a battle flag; her movements, are a press release of survival.
The music video is a manifesto for mental health; it’s a visual poem about the reclaiming of a narrative from trauma. Shadowy figures stalk her, representing years of struggle, but Zaritza refuses to be overwhelmed.
Each frame is a point of view: vulnerability is not a weakness but a deep strength. The deeper context of the track makes it even more powerful. Zaritza has discussed publicly her battles with anxiety and self-doubt, with a sense of being “not good enough.”
In making “Shadows,” she takes those feelings and turns them into art—a beacon calling out to anybody who might be going through such internal slogs on their own. Her journey is remarkable: after a decade of classical training, she immigrated to the United States in search of creative freedom. Since then, she’s been not just a musician but an activist, in some ways, fighting the norms and making spaces safer for artistic expression. Honestly, the song is what will be lived with, breathed with, and understood deep down.
I’ll be hitting repeat on this one thanks not only to how extraordinary the music is, but because what Zaritza has created is more than a song. This is pure art, so make sure to stream it on Spotify today.
