Zendaya at a promotional event for “Challengers” at Claridges Hotel on April 11 in London. In a new interview, the Oakland actress opened up about her music industry struggles and stage fright but said she would contemplate performing again.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesZendaya is currently riding a wave of blockbuster success, starring in films like “Dune: Part Two” and “Challengers,” which is expected to dominate the weekend box office. But the Oakland actress hasn’t left her music roots behind.
“I love music, and it’s something that’s been special to me,” Zendaya said during an appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” on Friday, April 26.
The Emmy-winning star of HBO’s “Euphoria” released her self-titled debut album in 2013 and performed alongside English rapper and producer Labrinth at last year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, but revealed that the challenges of navigating the music industry soured the experience.
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“It didn’t kill the joy of music,” Zendaya said, “but it’s when you put music and business together, sometimes it cannot feel so good.”
Although she hasn’t ruled out returning to the studio for a much-anticipated follow-up to her debut, Zendaya remains cautious about her musical future.
“I think if the right timing and it came … again, I like creating it for myself,” she told Hudson. “But if there was a moment, maybe I would put out a little something.”
Zendaya, star of “Challengers,” poses at the premiere of the film at the Regency Village Theatre on April 16 in Los Angeles.
Chris Pizzello/Associated PressHowever, she quickly cautioned fans not to set expectations too high.
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“Don’t be crazy,” she said, with a laugh. “We’ll see. But maybe one day.”
Zendaya, who also collaborated with Chris Brown on the 2016 single “Something New” and upcoming BottleRock Napa Valley performer Dominic Fike on 2022’s “Elliot’s Song,” said appearing at Coachella in 2023 was a way to push herself to overcome her lifelong stage fright. When she was first approached about performing with Labrinth, she admitted that she turned it down at first.
“I have bad memories of performing live when I was a kid,” Zendaya told Hudson.
Zendaya attends BAFTA’s Los Angeles special screening of “Challengers” at Crescent Theater on April 18 in Los Angeles.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for BAFTADespite her childhood shyness, which her mother Claire Stoermer recalled in a 2020 interview with the Chronicle, Zendaya eventually recognized the moment as an opportunity to conquer her fears and ultimately embraced the chance to perform alongside Labrinth.
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“I went to myself, ‘Dude, you can’t run from this. You can’t hide from this forever,’ ” Zendaya recalled. “ ‘You’re gonna want to be on a stage and perform live once in your life at least.’ And what better place to do it than with someone that I admire and I respect.”
Zendaya, a cast member in “Challengers,” laughs during an interview at the premiere of the film at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles.
Chris Pizzello/Associated PressBut finding time to create new music amid her thriving acting career might be difficult.
Zendaya’s latest film, “Challengers,” a sensual tennis drama directed by Luca Guadagnino, made $1.9 million at the box office in previews on Thursday, April 26. The Amazon MGM film, which also stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is projected to earn up to $15 million in its opening weekend, potentially dethroning A24’s “Civil War” from the No. 1 spot.
Reach Aidin Vaziri: avaziri@sfchronicle.com