Congratulations on the discharge of ‘One Suitcase!’ The album consists of a mixture of private storytelling and broader themes like love, empowerment, and resilience. How do you stability vulnerability along with your radiant ‘world-pop’ sound?
The quick reply is: with nice issue!
To be critical, I actually didn’t actually assume a lot about such sorts of stability in regard to the compilation of songs that had been included on ONE SUITCASE. We have now a few dozen songs which can be close to completion however didn’t make it on to this album for a wide range of causes…and certainly, just a few of these songs had been excluded merely and insofar as we didn’t need the album to be significantly centered on one or two genres.
‘ALCHEMY’ speaks to your reinvention after fleeing fundamentalism. What had been some defining moments in your journey that formed the lady and artist you’re immediately?
My journey to America and my gradual westernization over twenty years might be the defining facet of each my life and my profession. Most of the views that had been ingrained in me throughout my early life in Iran the place issues that I fairly consciously and intentionally needed to unlearn as a way to comfortably exist in America.
Changing into a mom with two great kids was additionally one other key second because it made me understand that I wished to set an instance for my kids that may be a key studying expertise for them. It was within the aftermath of the start of my first baby that I made up my mind to attempt to pursue music on a full-time foundation: so I suppose we’ve bought him responsible.
Lastly however not least, assembly my man and having a dedicated relationship with the person who’s my greatest buddy, Quantity One supporter and around-the-clock confidante has given me the muse to pursue my musical desires.
‘ONE SUITCASE’ blends a number of genres, from fashionable disco to Latin and Center Japanese sounds. How do these various influences mirror your identification and inventive imaginative and prescient?
I actually don’t assume it’s any greater than a mirrored image of my musical style and the varied genres of music to which I’ve been uncovered over time. Whereas rising up in Iran, we listened to all sorts of Western and Center Japanese music: however once I got here to Germany, Once I got here to America, I used to be uncovered to HipHop and myself favored a whole lot of hours of dance music as I used to be commuting in higher Washington DC. And eventually, once I got here to Texas a decade in the past I used to be launched with heavy publicity to Latino music by my Latino gal buddies right here in Dallas.
Once you come into my home, you by no means know what’s going to be taking part in on the sound system — it could possibly be Frank Sinatra or Chet Baker or Morgan Web page or Unhealthy Bunny or Tiesto. I nonetheless Love the genius of Paul Oakenfold, the O’Jays, Sade and Miley Cyrus.
So it ought to be no shock to anybody that my musical output is a kaleidoscope of genres.
Some songs, like ‘AFTERGLOW’ and ‘EXOTICA,’ discover sensuality and romance, whereas others, like ‘NOSTALGIC,’ have a extra vengeful edge. How do you navigate these completely different emotional tones inside one album?
ONE SUITCASE represents a chronicle of my coming to America in addition to a number of the troublesome psychological transitions that had been obligatory to ensure that me to have a totally Westernized life.
An enormous a part of that transition was relearning what it was to be a lady and changing into comfy with my femininity: and the way all of that megatopic rolls in to the ideas of romance and romantic relationships.
In that regard, songs equivalent to AFTERGLOW, EXOTICA, A LITTLE LOVE and ALIVE signify one facet of the coin on romance: whereas ALL I WANTED WAS YOU and NOSTALGIC exhibit my very own expertise that not each romantic relationship is wine and roses.
The humanitarian facet of your profession is as sturdy as your musical one, with you lately becoming a member of Select Love as an envoy. Do you see your self increasing additional into activism sooner or later?
I don’t contemplate myself an activist within the sense that most individuals affiliate with get together politics within the West You aren’t going to see me protesting DOGE actions in America or arguing about whether or not try to be utilizing sure loos.
Nonetheless, being a refugee from a regime that suppresses fundamental feminine human rights, I’ll all the time stand for feminine empowerment and equality. It strikes me as insane and unhealthy that we’re nonetheless arguing about these points within the twenty first century. However so long as my sisters throughout the globe are subjugated and threatened with punishments for nothing apart from the expression of their femininity, I’ll converse out. And there may be nothing that in a political sense enrages me greater than a gaggle of grownup outdated gangsters desperately clinging to energy and utilizing God and his supposed will as their excuse.
Out of your debut album ‘INFINITE LOVE’ to now, how do you’re feeling you’ve advanced as each an artist and a storyteller?
Oh, I feel that the distinction is profound.
On my INFINITE LOVE album, I nonetheless really feel that quite a lot of the songs are terrific — however the musical breadth is especially constrained to the EDM style. And a number of the songs are autobiographical: however nonetheless reserved in emotional influence.
On ONE SUITCASE, the album is replete with an array of non-public and deeply reflective songs which can be drawn from my very own expertise. And for instance, I’m unsure that I’ll ever have the ability to write a tune having a extra deeply and uncooked emotional texture than ALL I WANTED WAS YOU. Or should you assume that ALIVE is only a catchy little dance tune, hear exhausting.
Select Love has an unimaginable roster of high-profile supporters, together with Oprah and Benedict Cumberbatch. How do you see your self utilizing your platform to drive change?
I’m unsure that my function as a spokesperson for Select Love can have any significant influence, however I’d prefer to assume that consciousness of my very own expertise as a refugee may open individuals’s eyes to the fact of this case.
Cross-border migration is such a sizzling matter worldwide, particularly from the standpoint of unlawful immigration throughout borders. It took my household eight years Iran after which one other six years to legally immigrate all of my brothers and sisters into the USA. And we’re nonetheless working for over a decade get different family out of Iran and to America. So I are inclined to chuckle out loud when somebody tries to lecture me on the subject.
However appears to get misplaced within the public discourse on immigration is the plight of refugees, you’re usually cod within the No Man’s Land that exists within the trek their native international locations and their meant locations. As a result of I’m so Americanized and don’t have any discernible accent, individuals who have heard my music however have no idea my background are constantly stunned to be taught that I got here to America as an adolescent with nearly nothing and with a household that suffered horrendous persecutions on account of our political affiliations. And when individuals be taught of my very own refugee story, it all the time appears to spark a sure diploma of admiration and empathy. So if I can do something on this regard for Select Love, I hope that I can humanize within the minds of individuals the standing of numerous hundreds of thousands of equally located people worldwide who’ve actual wants.
Are there any upcoming stay exhibits or excursions that followers ought to be trying ahead to in 2025?
We have now turned down just a few alternatives to this point for 2025 just because we didn’t really feel that both the setting or different features of the efficiency proposals had been applicable. However we’re working exhausting proper now to finalize some tour dates for the approaching 12 months as I’m desperate to carry out a number of the songs that you simply’ll discover on ONE SUITCASE.
With ‘ONE SUITCASE’ marking such a significant chapter in your profession, the place do you see your self headed subsequent musically?
Actually, I’m already at the very least three songs into my third album, which I hope to launch throughout 2026. Whereas I’ve not but chosen a theme for the album, a lot much less a working title, I can inform you that these new songs are pretty emotionally uncooked and extra stripped down presently than the tracks that you simply’ll discover on ONE SUITCASE.
However When you’ve completed studying this interview, go take heed to ONE SUITCASE. I can nearly assure that you simply’ll be completely happy that you simply did!
