A HOT EYE RECORDS RELEASE 
OFFICIAL ARTWORKTitle: “Distance”
Album: Zodiac Signs
Release Date: June 21, 2021
Length: 4:09 (Minutes:Seconds)
Formats: Digital Download, Streaming
Recorded/Production: March 2021; Freenerd Studios Orlando, FL
Genres: R&B
Label: Hot Eye Records
Writers: Zion
Producers: The Underdogs, Zion
"Distance" is the second single off Zion's upcoming studio album "Zodiac Signs"; which is set to be released August 20, 2021 through Hot Eye Records with Freenerd Management serving as an indepent imprint. The song is set to be premiere June 21, 2021 as a streaming single and will be made available for digital download on June 25, 2021. In similarity with the previous single, the song will also be impacting Adult Contemporary radio on July 2, 2021 and will get an Apple Music Exlusive feature on the same day. A music video was filmed at Freenerd Studios, Los Angeles California in early June and was Directed by Director X who worked on the previous visual for "Rocketship". The music video is set to premiere in July 9, 2021 and will air on BET networks on the top of every hour from 7:55am to 11:55pm tha day. The singer is expected to also perform both "Distance/Rocketship" at the BET Awards 2021 on Jun 27, 2021. This will mark the singer's first televised performance on national television.
After signing with Freenerd Management in October 2020, the singer immediately began work on his debut studio album titled "Zodiac Signs". Daniel The Freenerd is serving as executive producer and also enlisted other producers such as The Underdogs, Supa Dups, Di Genius, and Rogues to work on the project. The first single of the project titled "Rocketship" was released in late February serving as an official introduction to the singer. The song received critical acclaim from music critists giving the singer a promising start to his career. Despite no desire to seek commercial success the singer expressed that some songs on the album may be serviced by mainstream radio at some point after the album is released.
Each song on the album will represent a Zodiac Sign with "Distance" being the "Cancer" of the group of songs.
"I'll be honest with you this song was not inteded to be the follow up single to "Rocketship" but I'm learning as an artist is that sometimes I gravitate to songs that aren't really intended to have this big number feel that many lead singles usually have. We try to turn it into that but I like to keep the sincerity of the moment when it was written as much as possible and we successfully did that with Distance and that's why I pushed back the intended follow up single to Rocketship and chose Distance instead. I just gravitated to this one in ways I didn't think I could" - Zion
WRITING Early development of the songs began in an almost accidental kind of way. The song was initially written by Zion King early February 2021 before his breakout song "Rocketship" was released therefore overshadowing the development of the song. While the song wasn't intended to be on the album; The Underdogs producers picked up the demo in a studio session they had with the singer and expressed interest in wanting to produce the song full scale. Zion picked up pace on the development of the song in March 2021 and was completed the same month. "Distance" talks about a lover who is romanticizing about their heartbreak but deeper feelings are discovered. The song also shows Zion's more mature songwriting in comparison to the sexual innuendo driven "Rocketship".
"I don't ever want to romanticize heartbreak in any of my songs but it does have to be talked about in music. I think people always take heartbreak and try to turn it into something that's considered powerful and almost as if you've achieved something but that's not the reality of what most people feel. I think when people talk about heartbreak they never want to look at from the point of sadness because for some people that makes them feel weak. As a man when you go through a divorce it kinds of puts you in this position of "will he break?" Will he show that he's weak?; there's so much pressure to see you fall on your knees and shrivel up and feel like you lost but I feel that in a heartbreak no one really wins ." - Zion King
"I think this song digs deeper than just a heartbreak song, it talks about the way how society views heartbreak on a man. That's why the lyrics stood out to us when we heard the demo which sounds nothing like the intended produced version. We really wanted to leave all of the writing to Zion because that's really important to him; and I think he opened up his heart fully for this song in ways we didn't expected him to." - The Underdogs
PRODUCTIONThe song was produced at The Underdogs personal studio which is located in Miami, FL; with Zion King serving as co-producer. The song contains a more straightforward R&B production with a piano serving as the lead instrument of the song and with vocals being the highlight of the production. A direction that wasn't expected during the "Zodiac Signs" songwriting sessions that took place back in October of 2020.
"I think Zion and Daniel were being extremely experimental with Rocketship but with this song we wanted to take it back to the basics and just kind of focus on our strengths with what we are familiar with. This is one of those song that was just written and sung from the heart. Zion can sang and let me tell you this song doesn't really show that fully but still there are vocal moments there that I think will touch people's soul and that's what we want with our music. There's really no special effects needed in the instrumentation or vocal piece; Zion is the special effect." - The Underdogs
The song opens up with haunting vocals distorted in the background of a piano playing. Then Zion is heard singing the opening verse of the song which leads to the beat of the song kicking in. Zion is then heard singing in a more emotional ballad like manner as he carries the song with pure raw emotion. The haunting vocals are heard before he transitions to a new verse. His voice continues to grow stronger; taking some of the previous notes to newer heights. The repeat of other verses are now sung with more passion and belting like notes. The last verse features more stripped like instrumentation with the vocals being the focus point, the haunting voices are heard once more as beat fades out with Zion's vocals behind it.
"Getting to co-produce on this was kind of a highlight moment for me from a production stand point. Songwriting is one thing but helping bring the song to life in terms of sound is a different beast. There are so many ways it could go left. I think coming into the studio for this album my mind just started to wonder but with this one we had to bring it home and just produce from the heart and keep things authentic. Big and extravagant isn't always impactful and I'm learning that a bit more now." - Zion
DISTANCE LYRICS Disguised your gun with a heart
don't know how we skipped to this part (of the story)
thought it was a love story? one that would lead to glory
said you have nothing to worry
said you would love me to the fullest
but it's ended up holding all of your bullets
Feels like we're more distant than ever
thought we'd move along at this point
got me wondering what is the point
of fighting for you anymore
don't want to fight for you no more
I don't want to cry with you no more
begging for us to make this work
Break up wars seems to be the style in today's generation
so what happened to the hopeless romantic population
Don't tell your friends about our heartbreak like it's an achievement
but last night you was laughing next day you wanna take bereavement Oooooh Mmmmm mmmmm
had me thinking I was causing all of the pain
had me all fucked up in the brain
but it was just you
it was only you
only distance seems to be what feels right
I'm praying for distance from you
You're like a drug without the high
always have me ready to say goodbye
it's like I try so hard to fucking love you
but you keep pushing me away
so how the hell you expect me to stay
now what do you want me to say?
I don't think I love you anymore
hate is a strong word but im close
getting over those soulless eyes
tired of listening to beat less heart
that's who you are
had me thinking I was causing all of the pain
had me all fucked up in the brain
but it was just you
it was only you
Distance seems to be what feels right
I'm praying for -----
I don't want to say I wanna give up on this love
but your heart is hanging on a thread
holding it with a protective glove
hoping you would leave instead
try to keep my head above water
but you keep pushing me further and further
My heart is now deflated
look at the monster you created
now all I do is get faded
distance seems to be the only healing
I guess we'll never get to the part when I'm kneeling
Break up wars seems to be the style in today's generation
so what happened to the hopeless romantic population
Don't tell your friends about our heartbreak like it's an achievement
last night you was laughing next day you wanna take bereavement Oooooh Mmmmm mmmmm
had me thinking I was causing all of the pain
had me all fucked up in the brain
but it was just you
it was only you
only distance seems to be what feels right
Oooooh Mmmmm mmmmm
Oooooh Mmmmm mmmmm
oooooh Mmmmm mmmmm
I'm praying for distance from you
sounds like:
