When Zaituni Wambui entered the scene in 2022, she had all the markings of a trendsetter who would be at the forefront of the next step in the evolution of the Kenyan songstress. She was a sonic architect, who carried the same love-struck, world-weary tone of Njerae but spiced with coastal flair and flavour reminiscent of Turunesh. After an appearance as a contestant on the talent show Tusker Next Stars, the Sauti Academy alum has been on a mission of stardom, collaborating with different artists and producers while also working on her EP, Labor Of Love, which she has just released.

The thing that instantly hooks you in is the vocal arrangements on Labor Of Love. While the soundscapes might seem familiar, there is an allure to Zaituni’s vocals that is just irresistible. On previous songs like “Nipende” or “Ananipenda” Zaituni offers up glimpses of the strength of her vocal range, often teasing the listener with splashes of a higher register, but here Zaituni’s vocal ability has become an undeniable force. On the Anariko-produced “Tamu,” Zaituni’s sultry and come-hither voice cascades over the beat, similar to water slowly beading off your body like a warm embrace. This sensual yet playful approach to the track has made “Tamu” the breakout single off the EP and a viral hit all over social media.  “Naenda”, a sort of break-up letter to a former lover, moves through peaks and valleys of harmonies like clockwork. “Mimi naenda, / sirudi nyuma, nimechoka” she croons. The song tells the story of a woman coming to terms with the end of a relationship but you know she’s going to be fine just by the composure and timbre of her voice.

Zaituni’s vocal technique on Labor Of Love is the work of a perfectionist. Her sound has blossomed to warrant a top position on the podium where the best of East African R&B and Afropop female icons of the last few decades, spanning multiple generations and styles, stand. The most obvious adjacent here is Njerae but Zaituni’s vocal composition honors many others on this tape, pulling from Sanaipei Tande’s vocal riffs and visionary harmonies, Turunesh’s eccentric artistry, and Bi Kidude’s lullabying melodies. “Inakuuma”, a seething Afropop and soul fusion track, captures the idiosyncrasies of the project perfectly. A track celebrating the struggles of a former lover, a broken heart once scorned, finally having a moment to rejoice and run a victory lap, “Inakuuma roho…fuata njia, sikutaki tena “ Zaituni sings, before descending into harmonies that bring to mind Njerae’s OTD. On “Tick Tock,” Zaituni’s brings back the good vibes and girl power for a funky number that trades the slow RnB vibes she is known for, adopting a much more up-tempo sound that is backed by a wonderful drum pattern and a Spanish guitar, reminiscent of the early 00’s girl groups. The influences on the tape never feel out of place, instead they are sparkling, light, and carefully served.

At its core, the most powerful aspect of this tape is how it serves as a conduit for catharsis. Outside of hit songs such as “Tamu” and “Nipende” the rest of the project feels like a release point of pent-up emotions, the expressions on the album are deeply felt and experienced. Because of her raw vocal delivery and personal lyricism, she is able to construct a safe space for the release of so many unsaid things. “Pressure” is an explosion of unmet needs in a relationship and the emotional imbalance that comes with it. “Naenda” is the eulogy of a broken relationship, an outpouring of regret and the strength to move forward while “Inakuuma” is a victory lap of sorts, the schadenfreude that comes with seeing your former partner doing worse than you. The project, in part, functions like a shared emotional purge, a valve that is finally loosened, allowing both the artist and listener to give shape to and transform feelings of sorrow, longing, or joy into something that makes sense to each of them and, ultimately releasing it into the universe. These tracks feel like a friend helping you get a huge weight off your shoulders and it’s a beautiful reminder that we are not alone in our struggles and that in her act of mirroring our shared experiences,  Zaituni allows us a chance to release our own.

While the majority of Labor Of Love’s themes are relatable to the early twenty-something experience; heartbreak, growing apart, leaving relationships and finding your own path, Zaituni makes everything feel easily digestible and less existential.  For example, on “Huyo,” she waxes lyrical about the magnetic energy of a new attraction with grace and maturity beyond her fledgling years. Across the eight tracks on the album there is no song that comes off as minor, while the tape doesn’t build to a crescendo there is no drop in quality as you join Zaituni on her vocal journey. Zaituni’s airy, level headed approach is exhilarating, making each song shine according to its own strengths, this bold approach allowing each song to have a bittersweet highlight that stands out to the listener. This allows the writing to have a deeper layer of complexity, often having the listener questioning what the emotional motivations are behind the lyrics. Even on a track like “Inakuuma”, one of the most straightforward ones in regards to motivation, there are still moments where the listener is not sure if she is motivated by pity or disgust.

Even when heartbreak leaves her in disarray,  Zaituni is fully focused on finding personal healing and affirmation, with a few self-serving moments in between. The album’s grand opening is an expression of wanting love immediately on “Sasa Hivi” while its grand closing is the scornful and cackling energy on “Inakuuma”, the experience between the two tracks brings together Zaituni’s undeniable ability to express herself as a writer and her limitless execution as a vocalist. Even as she touches on emotions and familiar themes, it’s Zaituni’s delivery, confidence, and undeniable  presence that makes Labor Of Love stand out. As she lays bare her anxieties, hopes, and dreams on the project, she maintains reverence to the musical icons that have inspired in ways that show just how ready she is for her own moment in the spotlight.