In 2015 sensational North-London singer/songwriter Zak Abel caught the attention of tastemakers everywhere by releasing two EPs, Joker Presents… and One Hand On The Future. Including collaborations with Kaytranada, Tom Misch, Joker and Karma Kid and featuring stand out tracks such as Say Sumthin and These Are The Days, the EPs garnered over 3 Million streams on Soundcloud alone and received widespread support from, amongst others, respected tastemakers Julie Adenuga and Zane Lowe (Beats1), Radio 1’s Mistajam and Annie Mac, i-D and Noisey.
His new track You Come First is yet another showcase of Zak’s electric vocal and knack for delivering an undeniable hook. Featuring on the track is Bay-area rapper Saweetie, who is known for bringing her swag and “boss-ass-bitch” attitude to tracks and her verse on You Come First is no exception.
Zak had this to say about the track and the collaboration with the ICY GRL rapper, “This song is about priorities. It’s about putting your lover first – a matter very close to my heart. I’m so happy that Saweetie is on the track. She completely understood where I was coming from and the feel of the track, and subsequently killed her verse.”
The release of You Come First is sure to delight fans, who have been looking forward to an official release of the song ever since the track became a staple in Zak’s live set. The track was co-written by Zak himself, along with Iman Coulter (Zara Larson), production comes from Will Simms and mixing from Wez Clarke (Clean Bandit, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran).
You Come First follows on from Love Song released earlier this year and marks a new musical path from that seen on debut album Only When We’re Naked. These new tracks see Zak perusing an ambitiously uplifting sound. Love Song, which was produced by legendary pop producer Steve Mac (Charli XCX/Ed Sheeran), proved to be a hit with fans, being streamed over 15 million times on Spotify to date and reaching the C-list on Radio 2.
Only When We’re Naked, released last year, is a stunning, striking record that examines the frailties of the human condition with exceptional results. The first single was the brilliant Unstable which has, to date, been streamed over 36 million times on Spotify alone. The track received massive support on UK Radio, being playlisted on both Radio 1 and Radio 1 Xtra. The album also featured such stand-out tracks as Rock Bottom, a collab with UK grime royalty Wretch 32, Deserve To Be Loved, a raw ballad that sees Zak at his most vulnerable, and also the smooth, classic sounds of The River. Collaborations on the album include songwriters Eg White (Adele, Florence and the Machine) and Cass Lowe (Ivor Novello Award winner for Snakehips ‘All My Friends’), as well as some incredible new talent, including Danny Shah, Lawrie Martin and producer Sky Adams.
