Umzulu Phaqa has recently opened up about burnout and tough industry realities as she steps away from music.
Image: Instagram
Umzulu Phaqa has recently revealed that she is quitting music, opening up about the toll her journey in the industry has taken on her.
Born Sphiwe Moya and raised in KwaZulu-Natal, the emerging artist built a sound rooted in Afro-fusion and isiZulu storytelling.
Over the years, she has released several singles and worked on the album, "And The Grammy Goes To" alongside fellow artist Msfit.
The album received praise from industry peers such as Nasty C and Zolani Mahola. American rapper Rapsody and singer Mereba also reacted positively to one of the singles from the album.
She has also collaborated with well-known names like Sjava and Sun-El Musician, but despite these moments, she said that things haven’t worked out the way she had hoped.
Taking to social media, she shared a short but emotional message announcing her decision to step away.
“The End. And just like that, senganele (I’m enough). This music thing isn’t for me and it isn’t working out. For now, I’m parking it. Thank you for the continued support. When I gather the strength again, I’ll be back. One day,” she wrote.
Her announcement came shortly after a series of posts where she laid bare the realities of trying to build a career as an independent artist.
In those posts, the 25-year-old artist revealed the realities she’s been facing behind the scenes. She spoke openly about the financial strain that has followed her throughout her career, despite years of putting in the work.
“Still broke. No savings. No assets. I’m constantly undervaluing my work, most times performing for exposure, free gigs, or low pay.”
She went on to explain how exhausting it has been carrying every role on her own, without a team to support her.
“7 years in and I’m still carrying everything alone, being the artist, the manager, the strategist, the fixer… it looks strong from the outside. But inside, it’s heavy. And sometimes you don’t even realize how tired you are until the passion starts fading.”
Despite collaborating with bigger names in the industry, she says those opportunities haven’t translated into real growth.
“All that strategy of working with ‘big names’ did nothing for my career. I’m exactly where I was when I started. Just cooler with bragging rights, I guess.”
She also touched on the personal toll her career has taken, especially within her family.
“My parents hate my career choice, I’m an outcast and a failure in most of my family members’ eyes. Some even go as far as painting me as demonic,” she concluded.
Despite her current struggles, the artist has had moments of recognition along the way. She was previously selected for “Apple Music’s Up Next” programme, a platform that highlights emerging artists seen as ones to watch.