|
ABIR (pic provided by Abir's Team) |
Moroccan-American vocal powerhouse, ABIR makes a bold statement with her new single “Inferno”, along with a stunning visual that was filmed on location in a desert in Marrakesh.
“Inferno” celebrates ABIR’s Moroccan roots, while director, Sharif Abdel Mawla, perfectly captures the essence of the “modern Arab woman”, ABIR self-proclaims to be.
“Inferno” marks the first single from ABIR’s forthcoming EP, HEAT, slated for a late summer release.
With its kinetic beat and lush string arrangement, the track serves as a potent introduction to the EP’s message of finding strength through self-celebration. “I’m a lot of things a Muslim Arab woman isn’t expected to be,” notes ABIR.
“What she looks like, what she does, how she acts, how she feels, what she wants . . . The current narrative is uninformed and it’s honestly fucking boring.”
HEAT sees ABIR infusing modern pop/R&B with the extraordinary sounds of her native Morocco, bridging her two worlds for reasons that extend far beyond simply music. Created in partnership with 2x GRAMMY® Award-nominee Mick Schultz (Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson), the EP is rich with lavish string work, complex rhythms, and commanding melodies, often sculpted with traditional North African instruments. Songs like “Inferno” are gorgeously textured and uniquely powerful, expertly spotlighting the NYC-based artist’s hypnotic vocal presence and intensely personal songcraft.
ABIR has spent much of the past two years expanding her already-significant knowledge of Moroccan music, notably studying the Arabic scale to better integrate it into her own idiosyncratic take on pop and R&B.
HEAT represents the culmination of years of growth and self-discovery for ABIR, a remarkable journey that extends to a blossoming new connection with the meaning of her name, an Arabic word (عبير) that translates as “fragrance of a flower.”
“So many things I’ve always talked about doing, I finally got to do with this project,” ABIR says. “I’m so comfortable in my skin, and I just want to share what I represent and what my culture is. I know that we have so much to offer the world, and I’m not afraid to get loud about it.”
Show Love, Show Support
Watch Abir's Video below