London-based Ethiopian-Egyptian artist, producer, and visual creative Alewya has officially released her long-awaited debut album ZERO via LDN Records, marking a major milestone for one of the UK’s most distinctive emerging artists. Alongside the 15-track album, Alewya has also unveiled the visualizer for the title track “ZERO,” expanding the immersive world behind the record.
Co-produced by Alewya with longtime collaborators Craigie Dodds and Dean James Barratt, with additional production from Busy Twist and executive production by Shy FX, ZERO blends Ethiopian and Egyptian musical traditions with London’s vibrant electronic, alternative, and club music influences. Rather than settling into a single genre, the album moves fluidly between Afro-electronic rhythms, experimental pop, dance music, soulful textures, and global sounds.
Inspired in part by Charles Seife’s Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea, the album explores zero as both emptiness and infinite possibility, using themes of renewal, identity, destiny, and transformation to shape its narrative.
ZERO follows a string of acclaimed singles, including “City of Symbols,” “Night Drive,” “Eshi,” “Selah,” and “Maktoub,” the latter premiering on BBC 6 Music through Jamz Supernova. The striking video for “Maktoub,” filmed in Ethiopia’s Afar region where three tectonic plates meet, further established the album’s exploration of heritage, origins, and belonging.
Describing herself as “a painter who makes music,” Alewya approaches songwriting through texture, emotion, and instinct before lyrics fully emerge. That philosophy runs throughout ZERO, creating an album that balances intensity with restraint while showcasing her unique artistic vision.
The release arrives following performances at We Love Green Festival in Paris and ahead of a sold-out headline show at The Lower Third in London on July 13. Alewya has also extended the album into the visual arts, hiding original paintings inspired by ZERO throughout London and sharing their locations with fans as part of an interactive art project.
With ZERO, Alewya delivers one of 2026’s most ambitious alternative releases, establishing herself as an artist equally comfortable in music, visual art, and performance while pushing beyond conventional genre boundaries.
Featured image credit: Lee Trigg
