Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer, Lolo Zouaï describes her songs as "bittersweet bangers", a blend of wistful emotions and hard-hitting beats. Shaped by her French-Algerian background and her Bay Area and immigrating to San Francisco from Paris after her parents won the Visa lottery, you can hear the range of these cultural influences in her music, lyrics that seamlessly switch between French and English with a little bit of Arabic. Her earliest influences ranging from E-40 to Edith Piaf, fans get a sense of Lolo's artistic ethos, multi-dimensional, multi-lingual, autobiographical, and instinctively experimental and sweetly sensual yet dark and moody.
Lolo began making music while messing around with GarageBand on her iPhone to bring her earliest songs to life, recreating beats from rap songs she loved and laying her own melodies over them. She's a self-taught songwriter and producer which co-wrote "Still Down" featured on H.E.R's Grammy-winning self-titled album. Her skill in songwriting and production which has only expanded since and her strong dedication gained her the award of the Abe Olman Scholarship for young songwriters from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2018, Lolo was the opening act for Alina Baraz, "Alina Baraz: The Tour". Later in 2022, Lolo was the opening act for the Future Nostalgia Tour for 27 shows in America and Canada.
Her debut album, High Highs to Low Lows has gained over 100 million streams and her sophomore album, PLAYGIRL was released on October 14, 2022.
On November 2022, Lolo was listed on the Forbes 30 under 30 2023 list for musicians. In a recent interview at the 2023 Billboard Women In Music, Lolo revealed that her contract with RCA Records has ended and she is currently an independent artist under her own record label, Keep it on the Lolo and Because Music.
Lose Myself
Lolo Zouaï Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lose myself
We used to drive down the west side
Honda 92, that's my first ride
Walk into Sevan′s with no ID
Barely 16, cop the 40 (Yeah)
Didn't look back, gave you up (I gave you up)
Now I see my name in the lights (In the lights)
But it's still dark inside
I don′t wanna lose myself
Lose myself
We used to sleep in a closet (Yeah)
E-40 on repeat (On repeat)
Sippin′ boba in the sunset
Now you won't look at me (Yeah)
Left my city in a rush (In a rush)
Didn′t look back, gave you up (I gave you up)
Now I see my name in the lights (In the lights)
But it's still dark inside
I don′t wanna lose myself
Lose myself
To this, to this, to this
I just wanna feel something
Took a long time to clear my head
I just wanna feel something
I lost my love
Lose myself, myself, myself
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Lose myself, myself, myself
Oh no no
If I lose it all
Will you look for me?
If I lose it all
Meet me back at Ocean Beach
The lyrics to Lolo Zouaï's song "Lose Myself" convey a sense of longing for self-preservation and a fear of losing one's identity in the pursuit of success. The song reminisces about the past, expressing a desire to preserve the innocence and simplicity of earlier days. The opening lines, "I don't wanna lose myself, lose myself," serve as a recurring affirmation of this sentiment.
The first verse reflects on youthful adventures, driving on the west side with a Honda 92 as their first ride and entering a place called Sevan’s without proper identification at just sixteen. The mention of "cop the 40" suggests a rebellious act, perhaps referring to purchasing alcohol despite being underage. The lyrics imply a rush to leave the city and break away from something, with the lyrics "Left my city in a rush, didn't look back, gave you up." There is a glimpse of success on the horizon, represented by her name in lights, but even then, there remains an internal darkness that lingers.
The second verse continues with nostalgic imagery of unconventional living arrangements and the simplicity of enjoying E-40's music on repeat. Sippin' boba in the sunset signifies a moment of youthful joy and carefreeness. However, the lyrics suggest a shift in a relationship where the other person won't even look at her now, further reinforcing the fear of losing oneself. The repetition of "I don't wanna lose myself, lose myself" emphasizes the internal struggle to maintain one's identity amidst the shifting circumstances and the pursuit of fame.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna lose myself
I don't want to lose my identity or sense of self
Lose myself
Lose who I truly am
We used to drive down the west side
We used to explore the western side of town together
Honda 92, that's my first ride
I used to drive a Honda 92, which was my first car
Walk into Sevan's with no ID
I used to enter Sevan's (a place) without showing my ID
Barely 16, cop the 40 (Yeah)
Even though I was only 16, I still managed to buy a 40-ounce drink
Left my city in a rush (In a rush)
I hurriedly left my hometown
Didn't look back, gave you up (I gave you up)
I didn't hesitate to leave you behind
Now I see my name in the lights (In the lights)
Now my name is recognized and known in the spotlight
But it's still dark inside
But deep down, I still feel empty or unhappy
We used to sleep in a closet (Yeah)
We used to sleep in a small space, like a closet
E-40 on repeat (On repeat)
We listened to E-40's music constantly
Sippin' boba in the sunset
We enjoyed drinking boba tea while watching the sunset
Now you won't look at me (Yeah)
Now you refuse to acknowledge my presence
I just wanna feel something
I simply want to experience a genuine emotion
Took a long time to clear my head
It took me a considerable amount of time to clear my thoughts and find clarity
I lost my love
I lost the person I loved
To this, to this, to this
To this situation or state of being
Lose myself, myself, myself
I don't want to lose my true self
Yeah, yeah, yeah
An expression of affirmation or agreement
Oh no no
An expression of disappointment or concern
If I lose it all
If I lose everything I have
Will you look for me?
Will you search for me or try to find me?
If I lose it all
If I lose everything I have
Meet me back at Ocean Beach
Let's meet again at Ocean Beach, our meeting spot
Writer(s): Stelios Phili, Laureen Rebeha Zouai
Contributed by Alex V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Don’t Care Tbh
produced, written, directed AND edited by the queen herself! i stan.
Jota
Never stop making videos like those. Your style is just amazing in them.
C T
Jota C absolutely agree!! Fuck a budget.. these raw videos are IT! Watch people are going to start to copy..
Jota
@C T I know, right?!
They feel so real and passionate, you feel like you're there enjoying the song with her.
Alpha Aminata
Facts for real these visuals give me life!!
Akari Ky
I love how your music makes me feel things. The world around me becomes a little different with ur music.
SpicySmile
Same ARMY!! It's so different I love it
Jenny Rosado
💕💕💕💕💕
Mike
That’s the power of music. It can reach and touch someone across the world. That’s what makes music beautiful. In my next life I wish to be reborn as an rnb singer with a smooth as hell voice
Renee Burnett
Thank You Lolo For Writing This Song 💜. It’s One Of My Favourite Songs.