Newly rising artist Zatar is a refreshing change to the overflowing releases of hip hop and electronic music. His sonic signature boasts a twist on alternative pop/rock by fusing it with EDM to add that head-bopping element. His debut single, ‘Balaleen’, sees him coming to grips with anxiety and the ever growing feeling of daily-life stress.
Over the past seven years, the Palestinian/Jordanian talent has been honing his craft to give birth to his personalised sound, which focuses on social issues and personal experiences, in hope of creating relatable and passionate music for people. ‘Balaleen’ is a take on anxiety, using the balloon as a metaphor to express the build-up of stress and anxiety until you explode. “They tell you no need to sleep, everything’s good and alright, every step upward you take, you end up falling out of fear” Zatara utters in his debut, visualizing the blatant lies society tells the young generation. He also consoles his audience, telling them they’re not alone, that anxiety is a common feeling and issues felt across multiple generations.
Amr “No One” Shomali offers a minimally formed instrumental, keeping things simple with a mellow bassline with the kick-pattern which carries the groove of the single throughout the verse. The chorus however sounds like your favorite EDM layout, which introduces other percussive elements with the snare and hi-hats. Visually, the video takes a brilliant approach with its cut on action sequences, an abundance of flamboyant lighting, and quirky choreography to bring it all together.
Check Zatar’s debut single ‘Balaleen’ below.
