ZT’s “AFTER PARTY / AFTER HOURS” is a masterclass in modern R&B, effortlessly blending cinematic production with intimate vocal delivery. Produced by Grammy-nominated Riley Urick and mixed by Grammy-winning Bob Horn, the track balances smooth, soulful textures with a polished pop sensibility. ZT’s commanding baritone drives the song, making every lyric feel personal yet universally relatable. The single captures the thrill and complexity of nightlife while showcasing an artist confident in his craft. With comparisons to The Weeknd and Giveon, ZT proves he’s not just following trends—he’s carving out a distinctive space in contemporary R&B. We caught up with ZT to discuss all things music below.
What was it like performing in London versus Los Angeles? How does the energy differ?
For me both places are brilliant and unique in their own way. London is where I grew up, so whether I am performing or writing there, it’s home, and I can channel all the experiences that I’ve had here into my music. The City as well really helps me in writing as I have countless stories from people I’ve met and experiences that I’ve had, which again gets channelled into my writing. Los Angeles is of course amazing as well, but very different to London in certain ways. Good weather, and lovely beaches for a start! But I’ve also found that there are so many likeminded people within the music industry that I’ve been able to meet and talk to. For me, it’s been easy to be inspired in a music sense out there because there are so many great musicians around that I can learn from and take inspiration into my writing. And, let’s face it, the parties out there are like no other! You could write countless songs and albums about the party and club scene, which is what inspired my most recent single.
How do you prepare for live performances to convey emotion and connect with the audience?
I’m super fortunate that this comes naturally for me, as it’s something that I have done from a very young age. Performing is my way of showing my emotions and creatively expressing myself and how I feel. That’s why the songs I sing are based on lived experienced that have happened in my life, a lot of which are to do with love and relationships, which I think a lot of people can relate to. When I get on stage, I allow myself to be open with the crowd and sing my heart out; I think that helps to create a live connection, which enables them to also open up and relate to both me and my music on a deeper and more meaningful level.
Talk us through your new single ‘After Party / After Hours’?
This single was a super fun one to make. I was sat in the studio in LA with a couple of people and I was talking about my experiences with the nightlife and the after parties in the city, and it got us thinking that this could make a really cool song. Before you know it, my producer made a beat, and we got writing. The creation of this song was just great where everything flowed, and where the lyrics, the melody and the beat just all came so naturally to us.
And how do you approach collaborating with producers like Riley Urick and engineers like Bob Horn?
Working with those two is just a fantastic, creative experience. They are such professionals and have been working in the industry for a long time with the best of the best. There’s a reality, where I know that what they are going to do with my song is as good as anybody else could do. That provides the confidence and inspiration for me to do what I do to the best of my ability. Ultimately, we all love music, and we want to give my audience the best quality songs and when you share a goal like that, you all work as hard as you can until you get there. Of course, it helps that they are both great guys as well and they’ve been hugely encouraging and supportive, which I’ve really appreciated! And I can’t wait to get back out to LA to work with them again.
How do you decide which songs make it onto an album or single release?
For me, it comes down to a couple things. Naturally, I’m influenced by, and I’ll listen to the people who I trust. But critically, it’s important that I also listen to my gut. When we finish a song, we will all gather around the speakers in the studio and listen from start to finish. For the couple of songs I made out in LA including ‘AFTER PARTY / AFTER HOURS’ we were all there recording and singing along and having a good time. People in the studio were telling me how good it sounds, why it would make a great single and that people are going to love it. There was a really positive vibe in the room and with the song, and I just knew that deep down, in my gut, that it could be a hit. And everyone else felt the same as well, which is always good!
How do you balance pop sensibilities with the deeper emotional storytelling in your music?
It’s all in the writing really; understanding the concept of your song and where it’s going and then building up the lyrics and the melody on the back of it. If you are writing a sad song or a pop song, and you have great lyrics to match, there will always be an appeal to listeners because it connects with them. The key is to keep your lyrics honest and based on lived experiences and truths, which create the authenticity that resonates with the audience. While ‘AFTER PARTY / AFTER HOURS’ is a more upbeat and party song, it’s still real-life story telling from my perspective, which creates an important emotional depth that people can relate to.
Which modern R&B artists do you feel are pushing the genre forward right now?
The two which stand out for me are ‘The Weeknd’ and ‘Giveon’. They’ve fundamentally taken the grounding concept of R&B and made it their own. ‘The Weeknd’, for example, started off with this idea of Dark R&B where he would make these beautiful masterpieces about the most heart wrenching things and people absolutely loved it. And now we’ve seen him recently venture into the POP R&B world and he’s made that his own as well. With Giveon, he is fusing R&B and Soul into this beautiful mixture that make you want to listen to his songs again and again. Both I think are doing wonders for this type of music and I admire them a lot.
What role does social media play in connecting with your fans and promoting your music?
Social media is crucial for connecting with the audience and my fans. I’m super fortunate to say that I have listeners of my music all around the world and to be able to connect with them at the push of a button is great. For promotion now it’s key as well. Nowadays platforms like TikTok are so helpful for artists like myself to get heard and shared around globally. I’ve been fortunate enough that when I have posted online, it has been received really well, which I’m hugely grateful for. So, promoting on these platforms will always be a crucial part of sharing my music.
Can you describe a turning point in your career that made you feel like you were “on your way”?
I think it would have to be my first trip out to LA. My career is very new and before the trip, I had only released one single. To have come from that point to being able to go out and work in LA with the calibre of people that I have been, I knew that my career was progressing in the right direction. However, I don’t want to stop there. I love what I do and want to work as hard as I can at this to continue to better my career and go to the next level.
How do you want to evolve as an artist over the next five years?
I want to evolve into a household name and tour my music around the world; it’s good to be ambitious! It’s the dream really for any artist in my position and I’m super fortunate that I can even be talking about getting there. Ultimately, I know myself, and I know that I have the dedication and commitment and complete love or music to get there, so I’m really excited to see what the future.
