ZEYNE, AMPED UP

WB: Tell me about your music. Pop music in the region 10-20 years ago was very different from what’s emerging now. With globalization, streaming platforms, and access to so many different sounds – reggaeton, Afro beats – how would you describe your sound and your influences?

ZEYNE: When I started making music, I was heavily influenced by R&B. I have been listening to R&B my whole life.

WB: Are we talking ’90s, 2000s?

ZEYNE: Yeah, going all the way back to Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo, Alicia Keys, all of these people; I used to listen to them non-stop. A lot of these songs were ones that I could play on the piano, so I would learn how to play them and sing along. I love the R&B era and how everything was formed. So, I think when I started making music it was inspired by R&B, but at the same time, it was also inspired by the Lebanese icon Fairuz and her brothers, the Rahbani brothers, who composed for her. They’re really talented. And Mahmoud Darwish, the Palestinian poet. I’ve always been inspired by his poetry, and even more so now, I find myself pulling a lot of things from his poetry, writing about it, and being inspired by it. It’s so beautiful.

As I evolved, I started experimenting, blending Afro-R&B with Arabic sounds. When I released Bali last June, I hadn’t dropped music in a while, simply because I couldn’t make music with everything that was going on in Palestine, and it’s still going on in Palestine.

I was very affected by it. Bali felt like Arabic R&B. But over the last couple of years, I’ve been more inspired by artists who weave their culture into their music in a cool way that feels global yet authentic. For example, Rosalía took flamenco music and modernized it while keeping it true to its roots; she didn’t whitewash it, she globalized it. I admire how she made it accessible to people outside of Spain without compromising its authenticity.

That’s what I’m trying to do with my debut album, which is coming out very soon, which I am really excited about.

WB: Tell me about that. When did you decide it was the right time to release it? What do you want it to sound like? Give me the tea.

ZEYNE: I’ve always wanted to make an album, but as an independent artist, it was financially challenging.

WB: You mean in terms of studio time?

ZEYNE: Yes, and good producers aren’t cheap, and I didn’t want to compromise on quality. Thankfully, last year, I got signed to  a label, and part of my deal is delivering this album. It still feels surreal. It became my life and when I talk about it, I am like ‘Oh my God, the album’. The album is something I’ve been wanting to work on for a while. It’s, again, centered around storytelling. It definitely weaves my culture and my identity into it, but it has a few twists and turns. It’s very new, very modern, in terms of sound selection and even the topics we’re talking about.

The way we’re approaching it, in my opinion, is something that hasn’t really been explored in our region. So I’m really excited to see how it’s received. For example, hearing bossa nova in Arabic, hearing Egyptian-sounding rhythms and beats, but in a way that’s never been heard before. Palestinian folklore is definitely present, which is very obvious. I have a couple of interesting features that I can’t disclose, but they really excite me. My next single will be released after Ramadan, so I’m really excited about that. It’s one of my favorite songs on the album. I can’t say much more.

WB: I get it. It’s very exciting. You grew up listening to R&B, which can be hyper- sexualized or anti-establishment, but in the Middle East, there are more conservative expectations. How do you navigate that?

ZEYNE: That’s a very interesting question, and I feel like we live in a day and age where everything is online, and I’ve been hearing so much music ever since I was young. You’re right, some of it is overly sexualized, anti- establishment, and all of that. And a lot of it doesn’t necessarily suit what we’re used to here in the Middle East, in terms of modesty and everything.

First of all, I believe in ‘to each their own.’ I believe that whatever suits you as a person, you should do. I don’t believe that we should all be tied to one thing or be part of some very systematic way of doing things. But, I’m talking about myself personally. I’ve always been the type of person who has very strong values and morals, and I have certain things I stand for.

I cannot stress enough how much today’s generation, especially Gen Z, really cares about people with morals and values, especially when it comes to artists. When  they see that someone stands for something, it doesn’t have to be about being pro-modesty or pro anything, but if the artist is also an activist or stands for something, it makes them different. This generation really honors that.  It’s not like the older-school artists, like Nancy Ajram, where it felt like it was just about the music. Nowadays, artists are not just artists, they’re also activists, actors, and they stand for something. And I think that’s how cultural icons are developed. It’s not just about the music.