Alternative-pop LGBTQ+ recording artist and songwriter EZI unveils her new single, “Play God,” a track from her forthcoming debut album, Into Your Power, Into The Light. Let it be known right away that “Play God” is uncannily evocative.
EZI shares, “‘Play God’ is part of the Power side of my album ‘Into Your Power, Into The Light.’ I wrote ‘Play God’ four years ago about someone I was seeing at the time who I could tell got a high from being a puppeteer. It made me think about the feeling of control and power and what those things really mean in regard to the human experience. How when you strive to have control it often comes from a fear of the unknown. Not having power and control is extremely vulnerable, it requires you to be raw and open in a way that can feel terrifying. I wrote ‘Play God’ about the people (including myself) who go to the ends of the earth to maintain a sense of power over yourself and your life. And later learned that on the other side of that is an ego death and a sense of authenticity that I wasn’t ready for at the time of writing the song.”
Originally from Long Island, Esther Zyskind, aka EZI, started as an actress, starring in Nickelodeon’s series The Other Kingdom. Later, after unexpectedly meeting Steve Madden at one of his Manhattan stores, she signed with 5Towns Records. To distinguish her acting career from her music career, she took the name EZI.
In 2018, EZI debuted her EP, AFRAID OF THE DARK, collecting more than 25 million streams. Her 2022 cover of “Take My Breath Away” went viral, amassing over 18 million streams, along with being the #1 used song on Instagram reels in the U.S.
Opening on thick, psychedelic, warped guitars infusing the harmonics with complex echoes, “Play God” immediately sets a dark, mysterious mood. EZI’s dreamy, sultry voice imbues the lyrics with a sense of realization, the realization that she’s standing in front of someone whose fear has twisted their relationships into sick shams.
Replete with colorings of foreboding shadows, “Play God” explores aspects of mental health, identity, and domination.