In a region where seeking inspiration beyond its borders is common practice, Lebanese singer Laï chose to go against the status quo and explore what the Arab World had to offer instead. Hailing from the country of Fairuz and based in Umm Kulthum’s for the past two-years, the young songstress found a flourishing ecosystem in Egypt.
“I remember noticing how well the scene was doing in Egypt back during the pandemic,” Laï told MILLE. “At that time, I had just released my first single Virgo, and thought why not work with those making a name for themselves there? But I did not want to go through the e-mail route, so I packed my bags and just moved,” she continued, emphasizing how Cairo is one of the most stimulating places to be as an artist in the region.
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“Upon my arrival, I remember being so inspired by how seriously people take music and making a career out of it; everyone has their own style. I felt very welcomed by many who have now become close friends or frequent collaborators,” the genre-blending artist revealed segueing into how Egypt differs from her native Lebanon when it comes to sound. “I feel like here, I could reach a certain sound that I maybe wouldn’t be able to as the scene (in Beirut) doesn’t necessarily cater to the music I make,” she added, recalling how she made her first few steps as a singer a few years ago.
“I was always interested in singing but lacked the confidence. I don’t know what it was, as I was comfortable in front of cameras and acting in short films, but I had an issue with performing,” she recalled. “In lockdown, I found a beat on YouTube and made a bedroom pop song for the fun of it. My friends really liked it and pushed me to post it online. I kept the song with me for six months before deciding to release it because I just felt it was the right time.”
Laï, which is the first syllable of Layal, her actual name, describes herself as a persona artist “driven by the different characters (her) songs have.” With a background in acting and more broadly speaking cinema as well, the artist serves listeners with a cocktail of influences and genres, ranging from electro and rage to cloud and alt-pop. When it comes to the pocket of music she feels most comfortable being associated with, the up-and-coming creative prefers to be labeled as “genre-less” though it wasn’t intentional at first.
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“I used to say that my genre was ‘anti-pop’ but now I’d say that I’m genre-less. Each mood in me makes a song in itself. I have cruised through so many, and people seemed to have picked up on it,” she shared. ”I realized that my audience resonated with different songs, that reflected some of my different moods, felt at different times,” she continued.
With a slew of singles out and a debut EP, dubbed Digital, released last year, each track serves as a portal into one of her worlds to experience “the ‘vulnerability” of her lyrics and the “passive-aggressiveness” of her sonic identity.
In constant exploration of the many meanings of femininity, Laï’s dark aesthetic has won her praises from a subset of listeners drowned under the mainstream currents of rap and hip-hop. Drawing inspiration from different artists over the musical spectrum, including Lana Del Rey, Yeat, and EarthEaters, her introspective nature speaks to those yearning for depth and authenticity in an era dominated by TikTok music.
“My dark aesthetic is a reflection of myself. I’ve become more inclined to that side of myself recently,” she said. “I always wanted to be a mysterious girl, a digital girl, an e-girl, and I always say I’m not real and that if you see me on the street, it’s not me, it’s just a simulation,” she added.
Simulation or not, Laï revealed she’s actually constantly in touch with her fans and followers with whom she shares close, and first-name basis, relationships. “My audience is amazing. I have crazy cult fans,” she enthusiastically shared. “They mainly come from TikTok live, Discord, or elsewhere and I’d say that they’re the ones that pay the most attention to the symbolism in my music. They’re my besties,” she concluded.
