Zuko Sian ‘Spill A Little Tea’ - A Cinematic Confession in Soul and Jazz

Zuko Sian is an artist who seems to exist between frames, as if her life were constantly unfolding on a cinematic timeline. Born in Amsterdam and carrying both Dutch precision and South African soul, she left business school with nothing but a microphone and a laptop running GarageBand. That bold pivot set the tone for a career rooted in fearless honesty — a career that now includes collaborations with Grammy-winning producers like Sam Barsh, Jordan Ware, and Tim Kellet. But it’s not just the music; Zuko crafts worlds, both sonically and visually, that feel cinematic and intimate at once.

Her latest single, “Spill A Little Tea”, emerged from a private, almost ritualistic process in a small home studio in Bethnal Green. Sessions began with steaming camomile tea and long conversations, allowing emotions to breathe before the microphone even turned on. Written in fifteen minutes after a friendship fallout and a recent breakup, the track distills honesty, vulnerability, and confrontation into jazzy chords and warm hip-hop beats, anchored by Zuko’s signature “Burgundy red” vocal tone — expressive, commanding, and unflinching.

The accompanying video elevates the song to a visual masterpiece. Directed by Jade Laurelle, the project reimagines Paul Delaroche’s The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, one of history’s most haunting paintings. With cinematographer Bea da Gama, the team painstakingly recreated the scene — handcrafted sets, authentic period costumes, and lighting that mirrors the original artwork. Zuko even crafted elements herself, from the broche on the executioner’s shoulder to the foam chopping block, blending intimacy with meticulous craft.

Wearing Helena Bonham Carter’s gown from the 1986 Lady Jane film, Zuko inhabits the historical narrative while reclaiming it for modern sensibilities. “It felt like a resurrection of history and a tribute to every woman who’s been silenced,” she explains. The result is a meditation on betrayal, resilience, and the ongoing struggle for female autonomy. The juxtaposition of vulnerability in the lyrics and the stark, theatrical imagery creates a tension that keeps the viewer captivated.

Spill A Little Tea is both a musical and visual declaration. Zuko Sian is building a space where honesty is power, and art is the medium for that reclamation. Every note, frame, and gesture in this project reflects an artist unafraid to interrogate relationships, society, and herself — a storyteller who asks the listener not just to hear, but to feel, to reflect, and to witness.

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Shoutout to Decent Music PR for sending this artist our way!