Anonymous Artist ZAD Drops Melancholic Pop Lullaby ‘Khesert Nafsy’

The anonymous enigma that is ZAD has returned with new single, ‘Khesert Nafsy’, a year after her viral hit ‘Ana Meen’ (Who am I?)seemingly came out of nowhere to garner 33 million streams across Spotify, YouTube and Anghami.

While ‘Ana Meen’ was a slow, drawling R&B and soul-inspired number, the Egyptian artist takes a slightly different tact with ‘Khesert Nafsy’ (I Lost Myself), released on RAAD Records. The melodic ebb and flow of her vocals are familiar, but they drive a decidedly more stripped down sound, best described as a kind of ambiently sparse, lo-fi leaning pop patter. It’s just as mourningly reflective as its predecessor, though, as ZAD sings of the emotional toll of ambition and love through an introspective questioning of self.

Themes of identity, existence and inner truth run through both tracks, topics that are made all the more interesting when you consider ZAD’s anonymity and her understated social media presence, a deliberate position that ensures her music can speak for itself.