Danish-Algerian artist Zoumer announces new EP "Life Delay" + first single “Round and round” via Big Oil
Danish-Algerian artist Zoumer unveils “Round and Round”, the first single from her forthcoming six-track EP Life Delay, due March 2027 via Big Oil. The release follows her acclaimed March 2026 album e.a.l. (euro arab lovergirl), which earned support from The Line of Best Fit, Pitchfork, GAFFA and Dazed.
Danish-Algerian artist, producer and singer-songwriter Zoumer has announced her forthcoming EP Life Delay, sharing its first single, “Round and Round”, out now via Big Oil.
Set for release in March 2027, the six-track EP marks the next chapter for the Copenhagen-based artist, whose distinctive approach to experimental pop blends intimate storytelling, atmospheric production and a fluid sense of musical identity.
The new single offers a first glimpse into the world of Life Delay, combining dreamlike textures, understated instrumentation and delicate vocal layers to create a song that feels both warmly familiar and intriguingly elusive.
Moving in Circles Through Memory
“Round and Round” explores the nonlinear nature of memory, reflecting on how moments from the past can remain emotionally present long after they have passed. Inspired in part by the imagery of Lebanese singer Fairuz’s “El Ouda Mensiye” (The Forgotten Room), which Zoumer hears as both nostalgic and liberating, the track moves between recollection and rediscovery.
Rather than following a straightforward narrative, the song captures the sensation of drifting through memories, where seemingly distant experiences can suddenly feel close again. Its atmosphere is reflective and intimate, finding meaning in small details rather than grand gestures.
Musically, “Round and Round” expands on Zoumer’s established alt-pop sensibilities, moving between dream pop, soft rock and electropop, with experimental and ambient elements woven into the arrangement. It represents her most committed use of live instrumentation to date, incorporating woodwind textures and plucked guitar alongside layered, breathy vocals and delicate backing harmonies.
Recorded with Daniel Zakaria Shooshtari on drums and co-produced by SATNAV (Sebastian Zieler), who also contributes guitar and bass, the track balances organic instrumentation with carefully treated production. The result retains a polished pop sensibility without losing its closeness and emotional subtlety.
The single also features mishmish, whom Zoumer discovered online through her song “Bayez”. A connection built on shared interests and creative alignment eventually led to their collaboration on the track.
Speaking about her growing interest in collaboration, Zoumer says: “I wanted to explore new ways of sharing my songs, especially after I started co-producing and discovered how much I enjoyed it. I thought it would be fun to collaborate with artists I could imagine co-inhabiting the same musical universe as a particular song with.”
Between Experimental Pop and Fictional Worlds
Zoumer is the musical project of Yasmina Derradj, a Copenhagen-based producer, singer-songwriter and artist whose work moves fluidly between experimental music, pop and fictional storytelling.
Her artistic identity is rooted in the creation of characters and imagined worlds, with songs often developing like scenes in a screenplay. This approach extends to the name Zoumer itself, which references Lalla Fatma N’Soumer, the 19th-century Algerian freedom fighter who led resistance against French colonial rule.
Through her music, Derradj explores identity, cultural connections and the space between lived experience and imagined narratives. Her characters include the title figure of her second album, e.a.l. (euro arab lovergirl), alongside honestygirl and euro trash girl, the latter of which she reworked with Chicks on Speed.
Her ability to combine intimate emotional detail with expansive, unconventional pop has attracted growing critical attention. Dazed Middle East previously described her sound as “somewhere between an intimate diary and a widescreen pop fantasy.”
Released in March 2026, e.a.l. (euro arab lovergirl) further established Zoumer as an artist unafraid to blur the boundaries between genres, identities and storytelling. With Life Delay, she continues to explore these themes while allowing greater space for live instrumentation, collaboration and more organic musical textures.
Life Delay Tracklist
- Under Trees
- Round and Round (feat. mishmish)
- Dare to Talk
- Lying in the Park
- Pearls on a String
- Spring Tune (Fiha Khir)
With “Round and Round”, Zoumer introduces a new body of work shaped by nostalgia, shifting perspectives and the quiet significance of everyday moments. Blending experimental detail with an increasingly expansive pop approach, the single sets the tone for Life Delay, arriving in March 2027 via Big Oil.
Listen to “Round and Round” now and stay tuned to Apnin Music for more new music discoveries, artist features and independent music news.
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Credit Image Samuel George Wilson