NAYAH has become synonymous with songs about unhappy and unattainable love, and ‘Misery’ is certainly no exception. But while the themes will be familiar to her listeners, the soundscape on her new release has moved south-east.
Since switching from Danish to English lyrics in 2021, NAYAH has been dabbling in an electronic pop universe, but on ‘Misery’ she brings her Middle Eastern heritage into play for the first time. This is reflected in the song’s catchy melody, and the chorus in particular features a darbuka drum, which adds to its grand Eastern mysticism.
Although Nayah, whose surname is Dahari, has lived in Denmark all her life, she often makes lengthy visits to Israel, where she has family. On one of these visits, her regular producer team Sebastian Owens and Marcus Elkjer came to visit with an improvised studio setup.
“To me, writing about heartbreak is not just therapeutic but also a way to connect with listeners on a deeper level. I want my songs to feel like a personal diary with life’s ups and downs. Every person out there have their own unique experiences, but we can all connect universally when it comes to emotions like love, good or bad.
I’m especially very excited about this release, Misery, because it draws inspiration from my Israeli and Yemenite background musically. I always loved oriental music and grew up with it, so being able to integrate it in a more modern way in the melodies and production was a lot of fun. You can feel that this song is different from my previous releases, like it’s adding another layer.”
