Zarooni’s new single, “Once,” is a faded photograph an image tinged with sadness but illuminated by clarity. Swaddled in a foggy wash of synth rock and haunted nostalgia, the song delves into the aching shift that accompanies the end of a significant connection. What starts off as fragile rumination slowly grows back out into the sound of taking a stand all through a delicious, immersive sonic-looking glass.
The production sings with feeling. Ethereal synth sounds and moody, reverb-drenched guitars blend to build a wafting atmosphere that is simultaneously intimate and cinematic. Zarooni’s voice floats like a ghost, fragile yet resolute, as the song cycles between heartbreak and resurgence.
There’s a quiet strength in the manner that Zarooni lets the pain breathe without hurrying to resolve it. Every line is as if it’s hanging in the air, the haze of remembering someone who used to be at home. But under the wistfulness, there’s a quiet resolve, a determination to push ahead while paying homage to the past that paved the way.
Zarooni is further establishing a space where vulnerability is now art, and heartbreak creates a beautiful sort of clarity. And it’s a gorgeous chapter in a story that couldn’t feel any more human.