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Today, first-generation Indian-American singer-songwriter Zeshan B has released a new single “Mountaintop” from his upcoming record O Say, Can You See? (out July 26). The gospel-infused social justice tune was written by Zeshan on June 24, 2022 after he learned of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. "Some songs take longer to write. But this one? It came out fast," says Zeshan. "The impetus was too powerful." 

Throughout the track, Zeshan sings about how “they want to own our bodies, they want to own our minds,” but we have to keep fighting for freedom and equality. “If you wanna see the change, you gotta be the change,” Zeshan sings in the last verse. The song is seeped deeply in the spiritual messaging and imagery of liberation theology that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. amplified in his iconic speeches, with a powerful sonic arrangement to heighten the urgency of the message. The track features Aaron Kotler on piano and organ and the stunning vocal trio of Abena Malika, Arin Maya Lawrence and Jessi Olsen.

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“As angry as I felt about this shameful Supreme Court decision, I reminded myself that we cannot take our rights for granted. There will always be forces at play who work tirelessly hard to strip us of our dignity and our freedoms. As the song says, we gotta keep climbing.” 

Listen to “Mountaintop” here: https://youtu.be/QkGrQ5X-M4M?si=ad_Q_Wm_4vrwXOy6 

“Mountaintop” is featured on Zeshan’s forthcoming record O Say, Can You See?, due out July 26. The collection is executive produced by former U.S. Attorney for New York’s Southern District, Preet Bharara, who shares a passion for social justice and unity through art. In Zeshan's own words, "All Preet's life, he has fought for justice in the courtroom. All my life, I’ve fought for justice with a microphone." Read more about the album, which marks Bharara’s first foray in music, via Variety here: https://variety.com/2024/music/news/zeshan-preet-bharara-album-1236029217/

The thirteen-song collection blends Chicago soul and RandB with gospel music, classical orchestrations and jazz improvisation, plus the Urdu music Zeshan grew up with. The songs on the forthcoming record were written in the midst of life-altering "low points" in recent American history, including the murder of George Floyd, the 2020 election, and the January 6th riot. Despite challenging topics, each song is infused with courage and hope for the future. The collection was recorded live in Brooklyn, NY. 

O Say, Can You See? follows Zeshan’s Chicago-bred breakthrough Vetted, which hit #1 on the iTunes’ World Music chart, and his latest studio album Melismatic, which NPR praised as “music that champions Brown Power.” He has previously appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, MSNBC Morning Joe, PBS Newshour, and garnered praise from Rolling Stone, NPR Music, NPR Weekend Edition, NBC, Salon, Democracy Now and more. He has performed for two US presidents (Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama) and played festivals and iconic venues including Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, The White House and more. For more information, please visit https://www.zeshanb.com.