Wilder Music

By Celina di Meola.

Today marks the release of ‘Misplaced’, the bold new single from Liverpool-based alt-pop riser Zara Smile. A glittering blend of punk punch, soaring saxophone, and raw vulnerability, the track is an anthem for anyone who’s ever felt out of place, especially within themselves.

Written at 19 during what Zara describes as “a bit of a gender crisis – but in a fun way!”, ‘Misplaced’ pulses with the energy of self-discovery. From the fierce lyric “she is dead, and they are free” to the playful honesty of “I’m struggling to find myself in a dress”, Zara transforms intimate uncertainty into defiant celebration. “I’ve come from a long list of grey areas,” they say, “growing up queer and mixed race – so I defined this part of my identity as another grey area.” And that grey area? It’s glowing technicolour in this song.

Here’s what Zara said when we spoke to them about the new single.

In three words, how would you describe your new single, ‘Misplaced’?

“Anthemic, energetic, fun!”

 What is a standout lyric from ‘Misplaced’ for you personally?

“I especially love two of the lines in the song. First of all ‘I’m struggling to find myself in a dress’, specifically because I have recently started wearing dresses and I love swishing around in a dress while I sing that line to show that gender expression changes so much! My ultimate favourite line is ’she is dead, and they are free’. I hadn’t thought much about that line until a friend messaged me about the song and said that line really struck home for them, it’s become one of my favourites now too! she is dead! and they are free!”

There’s a fragile honesty in the lyrics. Was this track difficult to write emotionally?

“I actually wrote this song as more of a celebration than an intimate and honest song, but at the time was having a bit of a gender crisis! I usually write songs to understand my emotions better, so I think it was just a bit of a monologue of how I was feeling at the time.”

There’s so much energy in the production – the sax, the guitars, the vocals. Was it important to make a song about feeling out of place sound bold and celebratory?

“From my upbringings in punk and alternative music, I have always been inspired by heavier music, and I loved experimenting with the different instruments in this song compared to some of my others!”

 You’ve described ‘Misplaced’ as coming out of a gender identity moment, ‘but in a fun way.’ What did that look like creatively or emotionally?

“Misplaced came at the very end of my first ever gender journey, at a time where I was coming to accept that I was non-binary/genderqueer and that was an exciting thing full of opportunities! I have come from a long list of ‘grey areas’ in my life, growing up queer and mixed race, so I defined this part of my identity as another grey area!”

Do you ever feel pressure to “represent” queerness in a particular way in your music, or is your goal more about just being yourself and letting that be enough?

“I grew up wanting a community of people who were like me, my main aim with my music is creating community and creating music that people can see themselves in, so being myself is the most important thing!”

If “Misplaced” was a scene in a movie, what would it look like?

“Ooo thats a really good question! I’d love for it to be in a party scene, a party with queer and trans people finding their identities together I think that would work super well!”

What would you tell your younger self, the version of you who first started writing this song?

“You’re gonna be so okay, pronouns and gender expression are important but not everything! And don’t fret too much about deciding everything right now, you’ve got so much time.”

Following the acclaim of their neurodivergent-centred track ‘Typical’, Zara Smile continues to carve out space in the UK alt scene; not just sonically, but emotionally. ‘Misplaced’ is loud, layered, and unapologetically queer, a track Zara imagines soundtracking a euphoric party where trans and queer folks are dancing, connecting, and claiming space together.

With a sold-out Liverpool headline show already behind them, and a sound that fuses folk storytelling with gritty guitars and sax hooks, Zara’s not just finding themselves – they’re helping others do the same. If ‘Misplaced’ is anything to go by, Zara Smile’s journey is only just beginning.