ZOEE

                                                              "It Ain't Love (If It Doesn't Hurt)" 

                                                              Indepdendent Release

Australia is a country with a rich tapestry woven into the modern era of country music. There’s obvious stateside hitmakers that call “The Land Down Under” their homeland such as Keith Urban and Jamie O’Neal, but there’s also a very solid Aussie scene still evolving and emerging on the back of veterans such as Catherine Britt, Jasmine Rae, and The McClymonts. 

The newest addition to the Nashville scene via Australia is female singer/songwriter Zoee.

The multiple award-winning artist notched another honor in 2021, winning ‘Song of the Year’ for “Take Me Away” by the Women of Country, and is now set to follow that up with her brand-new single “It Ain’t Love (If It Doesn’t Hurt).”

Co-written with Grammy and CMA nominated songwriter/producer James House, the softer mid-tempo pacing through the verses allows Zoee’s authentically honest voice to pull you in as she relives the moments just before the love that she once knew lost track, singing of the relationship experiencing one more it’s too late excuses, seeing the same mistakes happening over and over again, and being able to cut the tension with a knife.

The punch of the chorus pushes her vocals into a showcase of her incredible range as she then transparently faces the mirror and admits the struggle that she’s having with trying to move on as she offers a fresh take on a 90s blasted country sound, singing of wrongly thinking how they could just walk away unscathed and never look back, only to realize that the hurt is not that easy to overcome.

Masterfully, Zoee switches gears into the second half of the chorus (and the remainder of the song) to point her realizations as a warning to her ex as to what he’s about to experience with the missing her part and how it unexpectedly is going to hurt badly when there’ll eventually come that point when he’ll have to face his mirror and own up to his feelings.

By never saying exactly what caused their split, only hinting at possible cheating scenario in the opening verse, Zoee allows the listener who’s shared a similar heartbreak experience to place their own unique situation into it, thus adding a strong connection factor between artist and listener.

Most importantly, though, “It Ain’t Love (If It Doesn’t Hurt)” gives us an overall look at the signatures that Zoee brings to the table with very solid lyrics, a vocal ability that sees her utilizing the entire range of her voice to hit the emotional highs and lows, and a sound that throws it back to the powerhouse vocal era of 90’s country but perfectly stays steeped in the here and now.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

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