Dae Zhen Rejects Music Industry Toxicity in "Leave Me Be" [PREMIERE]
Let us introduce you to Fontana, the humble city that sits just 50 miles east of Los Angeles, California. This just so happens to be the hometown of Dae Zhen, the latest rising singer, rapper, and producer who definitely deserves to be on your radar. After being featured on the cover of NPR Music and snagging slots at the House of Blues LA, Zhen deemed it best for himself to put a pause on his musical journey in 2015. Today, he is proud to present an honest new track that reveals why he returned to the music industry, "Leave Me Be."
Most musicians fall under the pressure of releasing exactly what producers say will earn them money and fame, but Zhen knows better. "Leave Me Be" offers Zhen's perspective on the toxicity that comes with LA culture - more particularly, the music industry. Just as he started doing years ago, Zhen ultimately continues to make music for himself, not for anyone else.
Zhen spoke on "Leave Me Be," exclusively sharing with us,
"'Leave Me Be' is pretty self-explanatory. My 16-year-old self would've never believed that I'd be living in the city, independently making music I love. That being said, making music in LA lends itself to a lifestyle/industry full of fake smiles. This song is a reminder to myself of who I do this for: myself."
Ones To Watch has your first listen of "Leave Me Be" below:
![Fall in Love With Ama Again on Her Self-Titled Re-Introduction [Q&A]](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/onestowatch-v2/screenshot2026-07-02_at12.50.13_p_m-1783021982.png)
![“Don’t be a fig girl, be the tree": Julip on Being a Multi-Hyphenate, Serendipity and Her Literally Hands-on Approach to Making Music [Q&A]](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/onestowatch-v2/julip-6-1783007021.jpg)
