Introducing: Zueva

Oslo songwriter and producer Zueva is back with “Later,” a jungle-inspired rush of temptation, chaos and restraint. Following her delicate single forget, the track marks a bold shift—melding airy synths and Zueva’s featherlight vocals with breakbeats that hit like a heartbeat on overdrive. Co-produced with Snorre Sønderland and Maud, it’s a song about meeting the right person at the wrong time, but refusing to let go of hope for the future. With her upcoming EP Miss u on the horizon, and a growing reputation as one of Norway’s most intriguing voices, we caught up with Zueva to talk about confidence, chaos, and the thrill of finding her sound.

“Later” explores the idea of meeting the right person at the wrong time—what personal experiences or emotions fed into writing this song, and how did you capture that tension between temptation and restraint?

Well, it’s fair to say a situationship was the main inspiration for Later. Meeting someone right out of a relationship is rarely perfect timing. I just had this gut feeling of what was about to happen and carefully put it into a song. It may sound odd to say ‘can’t you see that I should fall for you later’, but it summed up exactly how I felt, so it became the punchline. Production-wise I was happy with the jungle beat representing the intensity and chaos, while the vocals and synths stayed airy and almost meditative—for manifesting purposes, haha.

The track blends ambient synths with jungle-inspired breakbeats, creating a unique contrast. What drew you to that jungle sound, and how did working with Snorre Sønderland and Maud shape the final production?

I’ve been drawn to breakbeats since my EP 5:1, where the lead single Heather had a UK garage beat. I really like syncopated rhythms – they give the production an edge, make it feel wild. When I first wrote Later the drums actually had a reggaeton pattern, but it never sat right. I asked around, but it was Maud and Snorre who really understood the assignment. In the end the only things we kept from my original production were the FX and the vocal production, so in a way the song taught me to let go in more than one sense.

You mentioned that “Later” represents a rare moment of confidence for you as a songwriter. How did that mindset influence your approach compared to your earlier releases like 5:1 or “forget”?

Yeah, I don’t often say things like ‘now I’m gonna get all that I want’—that was very ‘7 rings’ of me, haha. I think the lyrics on my 5:1 singles were more descriptive of situations, while several of the songs on my upcoming EP are more about trying to take charge, in a way.

Your work often balances intimacy and cinematic scope, as tunefountain highlighted. How do you think that balance will develop on your upcoming EP Miss u?

Miss u definitely has both intimate and cinematic moments, so I think that balance is still intact. At the same time I’ve been leaning even more into electronic sounds, especially club influences, so it’ll be a good mix of the two. I’ve also become more hands-on with the productions and more open to experimenting than before, really trying to get to the core of my sound—and I feel like we’re getting closer with this project.

You’ve earned recognition from GAFFA Magazine and festivals like Vill Vill Vest—how have those live performances and accolades influenced your growth as an artist and your vision for the next stage of your career?

Recognition and live bookings gave me confidence to trust that my music resonates beyond my own circle. The next stage for me is to expand that, to find more spaces and stages where the songs can grow with an audience. What I’ve also realized is that playing live isn’t just a showcase for others—it’s a way for me to test if the songs feel right, even the ones I haven’t released yet. It’s the first time I’ve really paid attention to whether the format feels true to how I want to communicate with people, and that’s something I learned from earlier releases.