Zach Zoya Puts His Charisma On Full Display, Supporting Charlotte Cardin 

The 24-year-old rapper/singer whets the appetites of a sold-out audience.

By David MacIntyre

Photos by Brooke Rutner

April 29, 2022

Montreal, QC

MTELUS

I almost didn’t get to see Zach Zoya’s set in Montreal for the first of four consecutive shows at MTELUS. This was due to a combo of bad luck—my Uber driver got rear-ended, causing me to arrive at the venue a few minutes late—and navigating an ocean of music fans who were there to catch both Zoya and headliner Charlotte Cardin.

Turns out my moment of panic was worth it, as Zoya spent 40 minutes showcasing his charisma, talent, and versatility to the sold-out crowd. Performing with a four-piece band while rocking sunglasses and a dapper blue blazer, the Montreal-via-Rouyn-Noranda singer/rapper did well to satisfy the Cardin fans who he was quickly winning over as his own. With the crowd waving their arms in unison as though he was the headliner, Zoya showed he can sing reggae-tinged R&B tunes (e.g. “Start Over”, “Strangers in the House”) and spit triplet-flow rhymes over contemporary beats (e.g. “Slurpee”, “Who Dat”) with equal amounts of confidence. 

Zoya would also frequently code-switch between English and French during his stage banter. If that isn’t peak Montreal, I don’t know what is. The rising star proved he’s a more than capable frontman with the stage presence to match his band’s energy, and left the crowd transfixed and energized by the time he was done.

Charlotte Cardin performs at MTELUS in Montreal on April 29, 2022.

By Sebastian Buzzalino

The Vernon quartet’s new album Rat Bastard is a fiercely alive mix of post-punk, dub, techno and basement-show energy.

By Kenna Clifford

Driven by the centuries-old sound of the shamisen, the Berlin-based quintet is deconstructing Japanese folk music and rebuilding it for new audiences around the world.

By Izzy Petraglia

The decade-spanning pop star held an immersive, phone-free experience for devout listeners to celebrate her new album, Music, Fashion, Film.

By Neil Jefferies

Alone Together finds the New York trio navigating grief, fatherhood and the uneasy distance between trust and suspicion.

By Sebastian Buzzalino

The Vancouver punk band bottle their chaotic live energy into a blistering black-and-white session filmed at Phony! Records.

By Cam Delisle

Paring alt-R&B back to its foundations, new avatar gives equal weight to songwriting, distance, and one of the genre's defining voices.

By Sophia Pan

Fire From the Hip finds the actor and musician taking control of his art – even if he can’t control who follows him there.

By Myles Tiessen

On Tell The Kids We Tried, the singer-songwriter wrestles with isolation and the quiet hope of feeling something at all.

By Madeline Lines

The “broken R&B” artist talks creative side quests, lucid dreams and the collective power behind her long-awaited debut album, POWER HOUSE.

By Glenn Alderson

From SadBoi to Sook-Yin Lee, murals, installations and late-night discoveries, the Sudbury music festival is set to transform the city once again.

Our Favourite Posts

Follow Us!