Amapiano singer-songwriter Russell Zuma has been around for a minute now. Since breaking into the scene with “Healer Nhliziyo Yami”, the dimpled crooner’s incantatory charm has been an embroidery of soulful vocals, honeyed melodies, and songwriting which is as much a balm to a broken heart as it is an ointment which brings pain before things get better. In between Sir Trill’s cool verve and Young Stunna’s dynamic performances, Russell has, through the years, carved himself a niche which has made him standout as the resident love therapist among his contemporaries in the amapiano neighbourhood. And his long overdue debut body of work, Love Season, released on the 22nd of October 2024, is a defining mark of growth for Zuma as an artist and consistency needed to sustain the production of an album.
Love Season is a twelve-track amapiano collection whose sound inclines on the softer side of private school amapiano tempered with percussion-laden production, crestfallen guitar riffs and influences of jazz and soul. With an extensive guestlist which includes the likes of Mthunzi, Sino Msolo, Jay Sax, George Lesley, Gaba Cannal, Omit ST, Zain SA, Coco SA, and Deep Sen, among others, Russell maintains a firm foothold on the album, being neither overpowered by the sound nor outshined by his carefully curated features.
Russell Zuma | SUPPLIED
Throughout the album, Zuma often employs his signature drawn-out yet soothing vocal register, modulating it every now and again to fit a particular mood appropriate for the song at hand, such as switching to a plaintive tone on “Amanxeba” just after delivering a joyful performance on “Siyathandana”. The understated sound selection accents his capabilities on the mic, allowing him the luxury of neither oversinging nor straining his voice just to compete with pretentious yet poor production that aims to impress with frills at the expense of the lead singer.
Staying faithful to its name, Zuma covers several subjects within the realm of love and its expression, touching on romance (“Sthandaneni”, “Siyathandana”, “Ofana Nawe”, and “Ngijabulile”), heartbreak (“Amanxeba”, “Ukuphi” and “Izinyembezi”), joie de vivre and the good life (“Ukujabula” and “Angeke”). A noteworthy – and perhaps even commendable – quality of Love Season is the way it remains in step with its identity despite exploring the different spheres of love, following the path of its name without straying.
Watch “Siyathandana”:
“Angeke”, the album’s doorkeeper, is a heartfelt epistolary dedicated to his father, a medium tempo offering built atop a foundation of hi-hats as soft as the log drum of the song. Zuma recounts the inconsolable pain of losing his mother at a young age, the struggle of being raised in a single-parent home, and the sacrifices his father made for him to become the man he is today. Juxtaposed with saxophone-seasoned “Siyathandana”, a song of foolhardy professions of love and divine alignment, the existence of two poles is well established throughout the project. Truly, there is no obscuring haze surrounding what love means, as it is not only clearly defined but elaborated on to give the album a little bit of hue and depth compared to the average LP of well-meaning yet directionless ballads.
Love Season does not contain anything beyond the scope of what Zuma has already done. A touch of heart here and a zing of vulnerability there keeps the album fresh, showing other sides of the songbird without it getting old too quick.
Listen to Love Season:
