To imagine a heartbreak ballad is to summon hazy scenes of bedroom ceilings, flickering light fixtures, and the ceaseless cacophony of self-doubt. It's a realm where echoes of emotion surge in quicker than the mind can process and last-minute scrambles through catalogues of sorrow-soaked songs inform bedroom blues.
As a modest mountain of crumpled tissues amasses on the floor, a series of introspective questions infiltrate the backdrop of melancholic melodies. Amidst the ache, an unexpected serenity begins to seep in. Vocals, laden with the weight of loss and grief, intertwine with chords born of desperation. The very lyrics that were once bitter pills to swallow now dissolve into a poignant montage of memories.
Delving deep into the realm of emotions is emerging Egyptian artist and producer, Omar El Sadek, better known as Qow. In his newly-released album, 'El Mosameh Sherine', Sadek masterfully blurs the boundaries between the metaphysical and the corporeal with a timeless homage to beloved Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab. Sadek samples and rearranges Sherine Abdel-Wahab’s most poignant ballads, transforming them into abstract explorations of love and loss.
"El Mosameh Sherine is built on unanswered immersive loops that repeat until they collapse and vanish in silence,” Sadek says on Instagram. “Sherine's ability to musically and lyrically translate heartbreak was utilised on this album to emotionally investigate a specific state of strength that one gains from (un)forgiving a loved one. This album is dedicated to my mum and I perceive it as a second-hand heartbreak experience."
Amidst Sadek's production, layers of intricate emotional contemplation unfurl. Between its warm and inviting loops lies a deliberate interplay - a deft fusion of manipulated recordings and fragmented vocals. Converging with purpose, these elements serve as an artful reflection of the profound sorrow that weaves through the very fabric of the album.
‘El Mosameh Sherine’ is akin to a steep rise towards nothingness, a conflict with no closure, a narrative’s climax that witnesses no denouement and mercilessness that never learns forgiveness. That same notion of an irremediable battle wound is directly reflected in the album’s deliberate dance with textures and ambiance. As Abdelwahab's timeless melodies unravel within Sadek's seasoned hands, an emotional ebb and flow emerges. It's a clever form of mimicry; one that acts as a symphony of poignant pain and palpable heartbreak.
