Mitchell Zia, an LA-based dark pop artist, is redefining the sound of modern pop with his latest single “nicotine” (released October 3). Known for his haunting low-octave delivery and cinematic songwriting, Zia creates music that thrives in the space between intimacy and danger.
His upcoming track is built around a line that came to him fully formed: “And when you wake up / Praying on your knees / I’ll be your savior / I’ll be your nicotine.” From that spark, Zia wrote the rest of the song, weaving metaphors of craving, control, and addiction into a hypnotic yet forceful soundscape. “It’s about obsession,” he explains. “The kind of love where it’s not enough just to be with someone. You want them hooked on you.”
The production reflects this tension. Zia co-produced with Lawrence Blackwood, who also handled mixing and mastering.
Zia’s artistry is rooted in both technical training and personal mission. A classically trained pianist, he studied for over a decade and cites Beethoven as a defining influence. “I love how Beethoven could turn on a dime from playful to dramatic,” he says. “That’s exactly what I want to capture in my songs.” His favorite piece to play remains Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, which is reminiscent of the intensity of his own music.
One of Zia’s goals in music is to bring deeper voices into the mainstream, and TikTok has become the stage for that mission. With nearly 200,000 followers, Zia has gained recognition for his viral covers, like Måneskin’s “I Wanna Be Your Slave”, and for his reinterpretations of mainstream hits like 5 Seconds of Summer’s “Teeth” but shifted down an octave. His previous single “accelerating” gained traction after being spotlighted in a Warner Bros Movie World campaign. Fans from Mexico, Germany, India, and Egypt continue to connect with his unique approach.
The visual for “nicotine” ties everything together: Zia staring directly into the camera, a lit match between his lips. With “nicotine,” Zia positions himself as more than an emerging voice. He is the kind of antihero his fans can’t look away from: complicated, seductive, and unforgettable.
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