Alan Walker is one of the most streamed artists on the internet. His 2015 hit, ‘Faded‘, has been played 1.7 billion times, and is (currently) the 76th most streamed song on Spotify. But when scouting for new talent to continue his musical excellence, Walker left the mountainy terrain of Norway and travelled East, specifically, for Arab star, Zena Emad.
Together, the duo have fused the best of their respective cultures – Emad’s enchanting Arabic vocals coupled with Walker’s indelible production – resulting in a bilingual, dancefloor hit: “Land of The Heroes“.
Esquire Middle East caught up Alan Walker to discuss this auspicious collaboration, and what the future holds in store for him and Zena Emad.
ESQ: What was it about Zena Emad, as an artist, that attracted you?
Alan Walker: My fascination with Middle Eastern culture began when I visited Saudi Arabia for the first time very recently. I got to meet Saudi artists, singers, producers, and really immerse myself in their culture. It was a big contrast from Norway, but I immediately fell in love. After meeting Zena, and hearing her vocals, I just knew that I had to work with her.
How has it been?
Just incredible. Since I don’t speak Arabic I couldn’t read the lyrics at first, and instead just felt her emotion when singing them, but when I translated them and read them, they were just so powerful it blew me away. And I think it perfectly captures both of our cultures into one dynamic song, which is what we both wanted to do. It’s also interesting to work with someone from a part of the world that I wasn’t previously familiar with, and to hear their influences, their culture, background, all of it expressed through song, which is how I too express myself.
Zena Emad was named Spotify’s Saudi ambassador for the month of September. As one of the most streamed artists on Spotify, how does that feel to see a fellow collaborator rising in the ranks?
It doesn’t surprise me – she’s so talented! The electronic music scene is so massive in Scandinavia and there are so many big names to live up to here, so watching her rise on the other side of the world is so inspiring, and I will definitely be collaborating with more Middle Eastern artists in the future.
Lastly, as one of the most streamed artists on Spotify, and having one of the most viewed music videos on YouTube of all time, how do you stay motivated when you’ve achieved so much?
Just because you have a smash hit, doesn’t mean your music is ever done. There are so many new categories to explore, new collaborations to be had – point proven with Zena – and I love making music, sitting in the studio, playing shows, traveling and meeting other artists. Music is the universal language, and getting to communicate with people all over the world is a dream come true.
