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We asked Yal about her music, her creative process, and the words that carry the most weight in her scene.
If someone heard just one track from you, which should it be, and why?
La7ali. It really unveils my inner world, from which all the other songs sprout.
Weirdest place you’ve ever written a bar/lyric?
Maybe not a place, but there was a time when inspiration hit and I didn’t have my notebook, so I ended up writing a whole song on a zine, all over the words and graphics!
What’s your toxic creative habit?
Getting a little too obsessive!
What’s something you had to unlearn to grow musically?
Overcoming the unfamiliarity of writing in my mother tongue. When I first started, writing in Arabic never crossed my mind, but once I started finding my voice in Arabic, it changed everything. It feels like my songs come from a much more authentic place, and they touch deeper.
What word from your dialect hits hardest in your scene/crowd, and why?
As a Lebanese spending the past months in Tunisia, “yo2borni” hands down! It is THE word people will exclaim back at you as soon as they know you’re Lebanese!
Who’s an artist from your city that deserves more love?
There are so many amazing artists from my city making music against all odds and that deserve all the love! But if I had to choose one, I would say Anamel Project, a duo by some of the most talented and hardworking people I know.
Dream collab: who’s on your wishlist & why?
Zeid Hamdan. Need I even say why?
If your music were a place, where would it be?
Somewhere in the sky, on a cloud!
How do you get re-inspired when you hit a creative block?
I try to take space from the work, step away to come back with fresh ears and eyes. The muse brings the answers when we aren’t reaching for them.
