Josef Blends Atmospheric Pop, Shoegaze & Arabic Musical Traditions on ‘BADALNI WA7EED’ – Backseat Mafia

Emerging solo artist Josef releases the atmospheric new single ‘BADALNI WA7EED’.

Blending elements of bedroom pop, showgaze, indie-folk and undertones of trip-hop, the track marks the beginning of a bold creative journey for the alternative singer-songwriter, one that sets out to fuse Western and Arabic musical traditions in a way rarely seen in contemporary pop.

‘BADALNI WA7EED’ establishes Josef as an artist with a cinematic, genre-defying sound, packing spacious reverbs, up front vocals, electronic beats and layered guitar work the track carries both a brooding atmosphere and a commercial accessibility. Intimate and lo-fi, yet expansive as the track expands, the emotional weight underscores Josef’s emerging voice as one that is deeply authentic and quietly commanding.

Reflecting on the writing process, Josef shares:
“Making this song felt like being a kid again. I was playing Grace by Jeff Buckley on my guitar in my flat and was amazed by the chords that his tuning could make. I kept tweaking and noodling until I found something I liked.”

There are times when I have to really think about what I’m saying in my lyrics and making sure that I’m talking about something meaningful, but not this time. The words felt like they were straight from my soul; something about being in a town like Bath in the dead of night was so inspiring. I have the moment I wrote the song on video, there’s an energy to it.”

Drawing inspiration from contemporary innovators like Steve Lacy and Frank Ocean, Josef is carving out what he describes as a “Modern Arabic sound”, one that leans on eastern nostalgia while embracing a fresh, contemporary weight.

Listen below:

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