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ZZ Ward
American singer-songwriter (born 1986)
Zsuzsanna Eva Ward is an American singer-songwriter from Roseburg, Oregon. She signed with Hollywood Records to release her debut extended play (EP), Criminal (2012), which preceded the release of her debut studio album, Til the Casket Drops, that same year.
Her second studio album, The Storm (2017), peaked atop the Billboard Blues Albums Chart. Her third studio album, Dirty Shine (2023), was released independently, and met with critical acclaim.
File card: ZZ Ward
real name: Zsuzsanna Eva Ward
labels: Hollywood Records
plays: guitar
Facts from Wikidata and Discogs, free to use.
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Early life
Born in Abington, Pennsylvania, Ward grew up in Roseburg, Oregon, where she joined her first band, with her father, at the age of 12. Ward recalled the first song she sang was "an Albert King track called 'As the Years Go Passing By'".
ZZ Ward (born Zsuzsanna Eva Ward, June 2, 1986) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. She is signed to Boardwalk Entertainment Group and Hollywood Records. ZZ Ward is also managed by E. Kidd Bogart's Boardwalk Music Group.
Also known as: Z Ward, Z. Ward, Z.Ward, ZZycho Ward, Zsuzsanna Ward
From Discogs (free to use). Their entryRadio Free Elsewhere Bulletin2017
Cannonball
2017 single by ZZ Ward featuring Fantastic Negrito
"Cannonball" is a song by American blues singer-songwriter ZZ Ward, featuring fellow American singer-songwriter Fantastic Negrito. It was released on May 26, 2017 via Hollywood Records as the second single from Ward's sophomore studio album The Storm.
An acoustic version was released as a single on November 3, 2017.
Composition and release
"Cannonball" was written by ZZ Ward and Fantastic Negrito and produced by Blended Babies. The song features vocals from both artists, with Ward also contributing harmonica and guitar. Musically, it blends blues rock with contemporary production, which Strange Storystellar described as "bluesy," adding that it tells the story of "a messy, toxic relationship."
Music video
An official music video directed by Kyle Cogan, premiered on July 2, 2017. Filmed in black and white, the video features Ward and Fantastic Negrito performing together in an industrial warehouse, intercut with close-up shots that emphasize the emotional intensity of their performances. To promote the acoustic version of the song, a second performance video was released on November 3, 2017. Set in a recording studio, the video features Ward, Fantastic Negrito, and Ward's backing band performing a stripped-down arrangement of "Cannonball."
Reception
Strange Storyteller dubbed the track as "Ward’s true comeback" since the release of her debut album. The publication praised the song's blues-inspired sound, highlighting Ward's vocal performance, which it said "soar[s] and whine[s] over the music," and Fantastic Negrito's "deep, rough growl of a voice." The review also commended the song's bridge, describing its instrumental section as "killer" and praising the interplay between the harmonica and electric guitar. Concluding on a positive note, stating that the track "deserves to be big."
