< Previousc h u n ky m ar ma la d e TheCart/Golf, Dhs250 No biggie, just the chicest knitted and printed bucket hats for the summer. Pangaia, Dhs294 Coach, Dhs459 FashionLorena Antoniazzi, Dhs1,120Fendi, Dhs3,890Etro, Dhs866 Gucci, Dhs2,100 Isabel Marant, Dhs700 Ganni, Dhs355 MaxMara, Dhs1,250 Louis Vuitton, Dhs3,250 Jacquemus, Dhs387 51 FashionBrunello Cucinelli, Dhs6,618Gianvito Rossi, Dhs3,275Ports 1961, Dhs1,569 Proenza Schouler, Dhs1,910 Moschino, Dh1,514 Recto, Dhs1,098 H&M, Dhs99 Aquazzura, Dhs2,756 Recken, Dhs560 52 Fashionc it ru s parad is e Take your long walks on the beach in these strappy sandals. Gianvito Rossi, Dhs1,850 Roger Vivier, Dhs3,986 FashionAt just 20 years old, Palestinian Elyanna has made strides in an industry that stubbornly underpresents the Arab world. But now, according to her, it’s time for Middle Eastern music to go global. And she just might be the one to make it happen. PHOT OG R APHY BY MAR IA KO R D Z AD Z E WO R D S BY A M I N A K A A B I ST Y LI N G BY N O U R B O U E Z Z 54 On The CoverTop and trousers both by YooxNot everyone is privy, but there’s a formula to becoming a successful musician. It involves a good amount of talent, a dose of attractiveness, a hint of luck, and discipline too. The world of K-Pop seems to have gotten it down to a science. It’s common knowledge now the likes of BTS and Blackpink have been carefully curated— meticulously crafted, even. But we’re in the Middle East, and whilst the region’s most iconic pop artists—the Nancys and Haifas—certainly had a helping hand from loosely structured labels and management, their ascent doesn’t come close to the kind that involves the rigorous training of a K-Pop idol. In any case, these days it’s mostly the Arab world’s homegrown and independent artists who are dividing up the region’s attention. Then, there’s Elyanna. “I’m in LA and it’s sunny and beautiful, where are you?” she asks as she hopped on the Zoom call. Her smile grows wider as I tell her I’m in Tunis, where she’ll visit for the rst time for a performance with Tunisian rapper Balti later this month. Elyanna is wearing a vibrant pink shirt paired with blue earrings. She’s bright eyed and seemingly well-prepared for me to divulge into her life and career. The 20-year-old singer, born Elian Marjieh, seems to have come close to cracking the underhanded codes of the industry. Even more remarkable, Elyanna has made strides in a region that’s yet to fully build out its music industry’s infrastructure. Naturally, it’s her Arab heritage and Arabic lyrics that have assured her a connection with a Middle Eastern and North African audience. The fact that she’s based miles away in Los Angeles reveals an added layer of effort that have made that possible, though. Of course, it’s the richness of her voice and the dexterity of her range that earned Elyanna a level of success at such a pace. But as the K-Pop machine has taught us— there are other elements too. By most global beauty standards, Elyanna is stunning. Her hair is long and blonde, and she proudly styles it curly. She’s also objectively cool, having mastered the art of appearing effortless. This is evident through the grainy seles nestled between Instagram posts of magazine covers and photo-ops at industry events. Her sartorial choices that steadily oscillate between trendy and self-expressive likely help reel in a young and globally-connected fanbase, too. But again, the formula of success isn’t complete without talent—and well-curated public images aside, she isn’t short of it. Since Elyanna emerged onto the scene in 2020, her voice has been compared to Rihanna and Shakira—something she tells me she’s honoured by, although she hopes to soon be identied solely through her own sonic abilities. “I don’t mind it,” she says in reference to the comparisons. “These are two really amazing artists,” she adds before opting to describe her singing style as “a taste of the Middle East.” To anyone who has heard it, her voice is indeed distinctly Arab. And it can be heard in the two EPs she’s dropped so far. The bodies of work were released under the label Empire Records and with the guidance of SALXO, the management company spearheaded by Lebanese-Canadian music executive Wassim Slaiby, who is notably behind the success of The Weeknd, and other artists such as Cosmopolitan Middle East cover star Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, and French Montana. The eponymous debut EP, which was released in February 2020, “was very random,” according to Elyanna. “I had never been in a studio until then,” she admits. “Writing songs was new to me and so was singing in Arabic, but I went for it blindly and it worked.” The EP came a few years after Elyanna, who is of Palestinian-Chilean heritage, moved from her native city of Nazareth to the cosmopolitan Los Angeles with her family. “It’s a representation of who I am because it felt like I was explaining who I am and where I came from,” she says. “And indeed, every track was personal, with ‘Oululee Leh’ and ‘Majnony Ana’ having been written alongside her brother and her mother. “My mum is a writer and my grandfather also writes poems. We write music together. It’s such a fun experience to do that,” she says. She also frequently collaborates with her brother Feras Marijeh, who also directed the music video for ‘Oululee Leh.’ Her sister, named Tali, designs clothing, which she wears frequently. If these pieces of information were to establish an additional detail to Elyanna’s trajectory, it’s that her career was by no means an accident. As it turns out, her family uprooted their life in Palestine in support of her career. At the time, Elyanna was 15 years old—and they rst landed in San Diego. “I was really just looking forward to doing what I want to do, which is music. I had one goal and that was it,” she says. “I’m so grateful,” she adds. “It wasn’t easy, all of us moving. We’re six people. Everyone had their life and everyone has their struggles. But at the same time, we’re one family that supports each other all the time.” But it was in Palestine where her foray into the world of music began. She spoke fondly of the rst song she ever wrote, which she performed at a school talent show in Nazareth with her brother, adding that Jazz was her preferred genre. “At that time, I was singing jazz and I was singing Etta James. Some people loved it. They thought it was so cool and different, but not everybody,” she explains. It didn’t take long before that all changed. At the suggestion of her long-time producer Nazri, Elyanna began singing in Arabic. “At rst, I was like, what? I don’t sing in Arabic” she says. “But then he said, ‘I want you to sing in Arabic, but not necessarily on [a beat] that’s very Arab.” That marked the rst step in identifying her signature sound. “To be honest with you, it was also very confusing. But then it clicked,” she admits. “I called my brother and Nazri and I told them we have such a strong thing going. This is new! Why am I tripping about it?” Fast forward to March 2020, Elyanna’s sound was solid, and with it came a track sung alongside Lebanese-Canadian artist Massari, who is known for his noughties hits ‘Real Love’ and ‘Be Easy.’ Their song, entitled ‘Ana Lahale’ found immediate success, Coat, trousers, shoes, and earrings all by Fendi Dress by Yoox On The CoverTop by Nadine Merabi Trousers by Nadine Merabi Shoes By Yoox On The Cover“IT’S COOL TO LISTEN TO ARAB MUSIC. FOR NOW, I JUST WANT TO MAKE MUSIC FOR GIRLS WHO WANT TO BE FLIRTY, BUT ARE ALSO STRONG WOMEN.”Next >