Kat Harlton
Photos: provided via artist/PR Team
Gina Zo, a powerhouse vocalist hailing from the suburbs of Philadelphia and now making waves in LA, recently released her new single, “Fuck Me Then Leave Me“.
With her bisexuality boldly declared in her 2023 anthem “Faking It,” Gina has transformed her personal journey into a powerful narrative for the LGBTQIA+ community, proving that true identity is a form of rebellion against conformity and that the tribe you ride with is where you truly belong. Her journey was further shaped by her time on The Voice as a member of Team Blake, where Gwen Stefani’s mentorship led her to discover a unique authenticity within herself—so profound that it brought her to tears after their first meeting, as Stefani challenged her to be more genuine.
At just 18, Gina signed with an indie label in Philadelphia, where she soon faced the harsh realities of the music industry. Disillusioned by its darker side, she stepped away, only to feel an undeniable pull back to her true calling after a breakup that left her reaching for her lost identity. Reuniting with her original band, she forged Velvet Rouge, a rock band that embodies defiance and the pursuit of artistic freedom.
Honored as Best Rock Band in Philly in late 2022 and celebrated in Philly Style Magazine as “Philly’s Hottest Rock Band,” Velvet Rouge’s impact is undeniable. Their powerful performances at festivals such as XPoNential Fest, MusikFest, and Beardfest; along with features on NPR’s National Public Radio Day and WXPN’s Free At Noon, showcase their role as trailblazers in the rock genre.
In 2025, Gina released her first solo single, “Dirty Habits”, a rock-pop ballad all about how our dreams are better than reality. Produced by Grammy-winning talents Justin Miller (Jazmine Sullivan, Zach Bryan) and Tim Sonnefeld (Usher), the track received rave reviews and amassed over 30,000 streams within its first week of release—solidifying her voice as one that resonates far beyond genre.
Living in LA, she finds solace in cooking from scratch, strolling around Silver Lake Reservoir, and immersing herself in murder novels (she promises she is not plotting to kill an ex). For Gina Zo, music is more than a career—it’s a platform to inspire young women to embrace their true selves and to reject any mold that seeks to confine them in their identity, sexuality, and career. Through her fearless artistry and unbreakable spirit, Gina Zo is rewriting the rules and leading a revolution in the world of pop-rock music.
I had the opportunity to chat with Gina about her new single, her musical journey so far, and what’s next.
Kat: “Fuck Me Then Leave Me” walks that thrilling, messy line between addiction and self-awareness, how did writing it help you process the chaos of those kinds of relationships?
Gina: I recognized in writing this, that everyone feels this way at some point in their relationships. I go into a lot of songwriting sessions thinking I am the only one that feels this way, but then come out with Tim and Justin realizing that this is exactly how everyone feels at some point in their life. It helps me get rid of that feeling of loneliness in losing someone, or knowing you need to lose someone.
Kat: The chorus is loud, raw, and totally addictive, was that intentional from the start, or did the track evolve into an anthem as you worked on it?
Gina: The track completely evolved! This song actually started as something completely different. It had a different name, different chorus melody, and different chorus lyrics. I brought it into the studio and Tim Sonnefeld said there was a lot that fit, but also a lot that made this not work. It went from a C grade song to an A grade song in two sessions. I did however have a complete fit at the end of session one because I was just so frustrated with not being able to get a melody out. However – turned out I just needed to go to bed and wake up rested haha!
Kat: Your music often lives in the space between power and vulnerability, how has owning your bisexuality in songs like “Faking It” and “I Need to Cry” changed how you approach songwriting?
Gina: It has made me recognize that there is just about no ounce of honesty that is inappropriate in a song. It is art for a reason. I now at the very least start every song writing session with giving it as much truth as possible – and then adjust to what makes sense for the audience to hear in order for them to feel what I am feeling, or at least understand what I am feeling.
Kat: There’s this beautiful defiance in your lyrics almost like every song is an act of rebellion. Do you write from a place of catharsis, or are you trying to spark something in the listener, too?
Gina: I definitely am attempting to get rid of my demons when I write. There is that feeling of, “well if I get it out now, maybe it will rid me of some of this sadness or anger”. At least for songs that feel that side of my world, it is meant for me to just get it out. Then I tailor it to my audience – really dive into who they are and if they will feel as deeply as I do when they hear it.
Kat: You blend gritty rock energy with pop sensibility and synth-driven textures, what were you listening to while writing this album, and how did those influences bleed into the sound of “Fuck Me Then Leave Me”?
Gina: I have a playlist that is dedicated to this album!! It has such a variety of songs on it – from Rihanna throwbacks to current Sabrina Carpenter pop. There is a wide variety of music because this was finally the album where I said I am making music for me in the exact way I have always envisioned it. My influences helped me learn more of the pop landscape – coming from a background in Rock where really anything goes, I had to learn what really made a GREAT pop song.
Kat: As someone who’s drawn inspiration from artists like Stevie Nicks and Norah Jones, how do you channel that duality of softness and fire into your vocal delivery and production choices?
Gina: There needs to be a feeling of truth in everything I do, and I think that in order to make a damn good pop song you have to do that. There has to be an HONEST feeling in it, and I think that that is exactly what Stevie Nicks and Norah Jones do. They have taught me that honesty matters and who I am deserves to be heard. They said, we are doing this our way whether you like it or not. While I’ve never met them – they taught me that with everything that they do.
Kat: There’s a real theme of returning to the forbidden, even when we know better, why do you think we’re so drawn to the kind of people or habits that break us down?
Gina: The things that are bad for us are quick fixes. They last for a moment and really won’t ever go away until we learn to have a deeper understanding of why they do not serve us. A quick fix is the easiest way to fight short term loneliness, but the worst way to gain long term happiness.
Kat: You’ve said your songs are rooted in personal turbulence. When you’re in the middle of emotional chaos, do you find it easier to write from the storm or after the fact, once you’ve survived it?
Gina: Write from the storm in the moment – that is when I am the most raw and the most vulnerable. My exes have often wondered if I cause chaos just to write music, which is completely not true, but it does crack me up to realize that my music must just be that honest.
Kat: “Fuck Me Then Leave Me” is the final single before your upcoming album, how does this song fit into the full story you’re telling with that record? Is it a climax, a confession, or maybe a warning?
Gina: This single tells the audience that this entire album is about going back to something you shouldn’t and fighting through your inner demons to stay away for as long as possible. This album at its core is the store of breaking through everything in my life in order to get to where I ultimately want to be. I am not there yet, but I am on the journey to. This song is not the climax, you’ll hear that when the record is released ;) Maybe more of a confession in order to tell people to proceed with caution when going back because it ultimately never works out.
Kat: You’ve been vocal about tearing down industry barriers and creating space for women and queer voices in rock. What do you want young artists especially those feeling unseen to take away from your journey?
Gina: It is almost never your first try that is going to get you to where you want to be. Most people don’t stay in the same career they started, date the same person they did in high school, or win a Grammy for the first song they write. You have to keep pushing, you have to get the word no to excite you in a meeting room, and you have to recognize that who you are is exactly what people are waiting to find out about.
Connect With Gina:
https://www.instagram.com/_ginazo_
https://www.tiktok.com/@_ginazo_