On April 13, rap queen Jessi dropped her new single, “ZOOM.” The track drips with the uniqueness and confidence that we have come to expect from the P NATION artist. The lyrics are simple in concept, talking about a hater looking at her picture and being unable to find flaws, but she delivers each word in a way that throws back to early Missy Elliott. The rap combines with the smoother, sung pre-chorus so that the song never gets monotonous or boring. Not only does it have a beat that is perfect for a club or car ride, but the “zoom in, zoom out” killing part makes even the harshest critic want to sing along. 

In a “take a picture, it’ll last longer” way, Jessi rules a concept that otherwise could have been cheesy and lame for anyone else. This shows even more in the music video. The video shows what lies behind the scenes by zooming out to show the camera crew and directors, and then zooms back in to focus on the subject that is being filmed; namely, Jessi. The unapologetically sexy rapper makes use of glamorous photoshoot settings and outfits to show off her opulence and contrasts it with clean, simple, but still stylish dance break scenes. Even in these simple moments, her pops of color, dance moves, and colorful expressions are just as eye-catching as her fancy dresses and clever edits. 

Jessi is a powerhouse and does not need anyone else to tell her so, and this song only further proves that she knows what she is doing and she looks good doing it. “ZOOM” definitely belongs on everyone’s “HBIC” playlist. 

Check out the music video below!

Edited by Aleena Faisal