Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter NJOMZA has returned with the tender new single and video “Lucky,” out now on SinceThe80s/Motown. The track, built around gospel guitar chords and NJOMZA’s ascendant vocals, is a warm, soul-inflected reminder to hold your loved ones close. She sounds lost and lonely at first, but as the song unfolds, it builds to a kindhearted climax, repeating insistently, “If you love someone let them know.”
“Lucky” arrives accompanied by a black-and-white video directed by Griffin Olis and NJOMZA. The visual intertwines dreamlike snippets of home-video footage with shots of her laying in the sand. It’s a stirring document of memory and loss, underscoring the song’s message to not take anything or anyone for granted. Watch it now below.
For NJOMZA, “Lucky” is only the latest in a long run of captivating pop songs. In April, she released the gauzy, sensual single “Bite,” which has garnered over 2.5 million total streams. Over the last few years, she’s drawn both critical acclaim and commercial success for her work with Mac Miller—who signed her to his REMember Music label when she was a teen—and Ariana Grande, with whom she’s co-written hits like “7 Rings” and “Thank U, Next.”
All the while, she’s been twisting up R&B and pop signifiers on her own songs, on singles like 2019’s “No One Is Spared” and EPs like 2017’s Sad For You and 2018’s Vacation. People are listening too. Over the years, her tracks have racked up over 50 million global streams. As she gears up to release more new music in 2021, “Lucky” is a winning reminder of what drew people to her in the first place: the emotion and care she’s able to pack into her memorable melodies.