If you were to walk into the Esquire Middle East office right now, there’s a good chance you would catch “Midnight Run” the new track by Lebanese artist N1YAH coming out the speakers. The title track of a three-song debut EP only dropped today, but it already feels like something to cement her place as a local artist to watch.
There’s been something cooking in the Middle Eastern contemporary music scene for some time now. Artists that borrow heavily from a rich local and international history, but also bring a focus on where things are going, and the top level production methods needed to make a mark. N1YAH is one of a number of artists with a rapidly growing following (she has 10k monthly listeners on Spotify and counting) that are rising to prominence with a slick operation from the get-go.
Speaking of local talent, you can also find the Emirati artist EZOW on the title track, bringing the sort of tight flow you would expect from a guy that has been making waves in the industry for some time.
As you would imagine for a first EP, the three songs carry a personal story from N1YAH, sharing struggles, triumphs and various reflections from an artist that was born and raised between Dubai and Lebanon. She started making music when she was 11 with her sister and you feel she has a strong sense of where her career is going. “Midnight Run” is simply the first act.
Head here to listen to the Midnight Run EP