Amidst a COVID-19 lockdown-induced creative spree, topped with nihilistic courage and heartbreak, Zaid Khaled picked up a mic and bared it all. Determined to change the alternative Arab pop sound by just being himself, the Jordanian artist has since then navigated a variety of styles, and collaborated with countless emerging artists.
It was only after his hit debut album ‘Tayarat O Sayarat’ - a collaboration with Egyptian music producer El Waili - did Khaled embrace the label of ‘musician’. He’s the successor of Mostafa Amar’s 80s and 90s pop and Jordan’s alternative underground energy, a seamless blend of grieving romantic nostalgia and daring electronic tunes, somehow putting the likes of Jadal and Ehab Tawfik in the same sentence. While his earlier hits are named ‘Rakeek’ and ‘Lame’, he is the exact opposite of those traits.
SceneNoise caught up with the eclectic artist in Cairo, where they had an unfiltered conversation about his bond with Egypt, his daring fashion sense, and all things music.
