ZZ Ward

She released her mixtape Eleven Roses in January 2012. Since then she has appeared on all of the late-night talk shows, was featured on ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars” and promo’d on ABC’s “Nashville.”  Her song “365 Days” recently became the new opening theme song for “The View.”

Her summer included a spot on the Life Is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas, where she even cooked with celebrity chef Scott Conant.

“ZZ’s style of music is unique in that it attracts fans of blues, hip-hop, rock and soul,” her agent, Jaime Kelsall, told Pollstar. “It is always intriguing to see the array of music fans at her shows, all watching her through the same eyes as music lovers. Her live show is amazing – her energy, her band – it’s an experience that brings her fans back again and again.”

More than once her voice has been compared with Adele’s – likely because of its sultry, smoky element rather than Adele’s sheer power.  Ward’s music evokes a bluesy element, but she stresses it’s an amalgam of blues, pop and even hip-hop. Kendrick Lamar is featured in one of her songs on the album Til The Casket Drops, which came out October 2012.

“Her energy evokes Tina Turner’s, her chops Aretha Franklin’s and her soul Etta James’,” the New York Times wrote.

Ward is wrapping the year with radio shows such as “Star 94.1 Acoustic Christmas” in San Diego Dec. 4 and “94.9 The Point’s Santapalooza” in Virginia Beach, Va., Dec. 17.