I was probably like 16,

where I was like, okay, this is time to take it seriously.

And if start staying it, people will believe it.

I'm Lola Zouaï and this is On The Rise.

My first real show as Lolo Zouaï was not that long ago.

It was like four years ago.

And I just performed on stage with a laptop.

And I was just playing my tracks,

and singing with a mic.

And I was so nervous, and my voice was shaking,

and right when I got off stage,

I started crying.

I went into the bathroom and I was like, I suck!

And then, I think it just took some time

to build up the confidence,

but you need to have those kind of shitty shows at first,

where you feel bad, and just so you can learn to get better

so that you never have to feel that again.

'Cause I never wanna feel that again.

(upbeat chill music)

Releasing an album was probably

one of my biggest accomplishments ever in my life,

or if not, the biggest.

And it just felt good,

because I felt like I had no expectations,

like I didn't feel any type of pressure.

I know a lot of people are like,

"Oh, you have so long to make your first album."

But I kind of didn't feel that way.

I feel like the second album is

maybe slightly more pressure.

But I just felt excited that I was able to share

what I wanted to make.

(soft piano music)

I'm going on tour with Dua Lipa in Europe in April to June,

which is gonna be exciting.

I just met Dua like a week ago,

for the first time,

and we got along so well.

She's really supportive.

And it's really exciting,

'cause I'm gonna be playing arenas!

First time, just me.

Little ole me.

I actually don't feel pressure for some reason.

I feel like...

'cause it's not my tour.

It just feels like an exciting chance

to have new fans and share the music with more people.

But maybe once it approaches,

I will get some stress.

For now, I'm not tripping.

Dude, no celebrities are sliding in my DMs.

(laughs)

Well, some musicians.

There's never been a sexual advance in the DMs yet.

I'm looking forward to it though.

(chill music)

I really wanna work with The Weeknd.

All his music is great,

but his first albums just really,

hit me at my core,

and I feel like we kind of have,

I don't know, we'd sound good together, I think.

But I feel collaborations,

I just want them to be natural.

So I don't want it to ever be forced.

I mean, I just did a song with E-40,

which was like one of my biggest

dreams in high school and my whole life.

So I feel like anything is possible, though.

For real.

(bright music)

I always think about this,

but if I wasn't a singer,

I think I would be a detective.

Like seriously.

I am good!

Don't try me.

But I wanna be like Mariska Hargitay in SVU.

I'm just Detective Zouaï.

(air swishing)

I have to be a cop first though, that's the only downside.

- [Interviewer] You could be a private eye.

- Ouuh, private detective, yes.

This is embarrassing,

my first celebrity crash was Aaron Carter.

Did not go good from there.

I had a poster of Aaron Carter

that I would kiss in the morning.

My taste has has gone up I think but, come get it.

No, no, no, that's the song title,

don't come get it.

I have googled myself in my day

'cause I am a private detective.

And I don't always like the results.

I feel like the bad picture of me are always at the top.

And I'm like, how does this happen?

I read that I was half Japanese, which I don't mind.

I'll roll with it,

but I'm definitely not Japanese.

I'm half Algerian and half French.

I don't feel like I made it yet to where I wanna make it.

But I definitely feel like I've made it pretty far

because I can support myself financially

and I don't have to work at a restaurant anymore,

and I have an apartment,

the simple things that you kind of take for granted.

I'm very happy with.

I get recognized sometimes in New York, in Paris, in Korea,

South Korea in Seoul.

Which was probably one of the craziest things

'cause I was just shopping and somebody was like,

oh my God.

That was a big moment for me

and just being able to tour all over the world

and see that my music has similar impact everywhere,

is a good feeling.

In five years, I wanna be bi-coastal.

I wanna have a place in New York and a place in LA,

maybe even a place and in Paris.

I wanna have several more albums out, have abs.

And just be be happy and it would be cool

if my mom didn't have to work anymore.

That would be great.

Yeah, simple life.