ZÓRA – a huge talent with room to grow
I recently discovered ZÓRA on Spotify. I knew she was there, being a fan of her rendition of the classic Bill Withers song Ain’t No Sunshine, which is on one of my romantic playlists. However, I had not explored her repertoire, noting that her most recent song, Elementel was released in 2023, and I usually scan for songs released this year or at least in the latter half of 2024.
However, she turned up in a search for romantic songs, along with Irene Diaz and Elsten Torres, and others, so I decided to look into it further. What I found inspired this week’s Music Sin Fronteras. She is very music sin fronteras, although not my usual Latin/US/Canadian. Her sin fronteras is Hungary.
Zóra Urbányi, professionally known as ZÓRA, is a 27 year-old Hungarian-American singer-songwriter with a soulful voice that grabs your gut and your heart. Born in 1997 in California, she splits her time between LA and Budapest, captivating audiences on both continents with her unique blend of avant-pop, alternative, and cinematic soundscapes. She sings in both English and Hungarian in a deep vocal tone that gives a stunning emotional depth to her poetic lyrics. She tops this off with heartfelt piano performances that, at least in Ain’t No Sunshine, almost make you cry.
She kicked off her career on YouTube in 2020, racking up millions of views, which in turn guaranteed that her live performances at top venues in Hungary, such as MÜPA and the Kodály Centre were usually sold out. This led to awards and recognitions in Europe, including the Hungarian Fonogram Award for Best New Artist of 2022, nominations for the Petőfi Award Best Female Artist, and inclusion in Forbes 30 under 30.
From there, it was back home to California with solo performances at Los Angeles’ Hotel Café, famed for introducing success-destined new talent like Katy Perry and Adele, and international festivals like South by Southwest.
Currently, ZÓRA’s catalogue of releases is small – only 4 songs on digital platforms, plus YouTube videos, mostly covers, that look like short indie films. But each song (and video) is an exquisite jewel and takes you in a different direction, both musically and lyrically. She has a lot of room to grow, and she is doing it.
If you go to Spotify or Soundcloud, or radiOzora in Europe, you will be treated to music that is both raw and immersive, with lyrics that show a keen emotional intelligence. ZÓRA’s repertoire spans genres but remains rooted in intimate storytelling and innovation, and even if you can’t understand the words she sings in the Hungarian songs (one of the world’s most difficult languages), you will feel the emotion of the lyric’s stories. If she is new to you and you are American, you might start with Ain’t No Sunshine and put it on repeat. You will hear the tormented cry that Withers wrote into the words, but few have mastered. And you will experience ZÓRA’s rare ability to bridge cultures through song – what Music Sin Fronteras is all about.
Patrick O’Heffernan
