Nour: Egypt’s indie pop princess

At just 22 years old, singer-songwriter Nour has hopped on the scene with her garage-indie-pop like she’s always been there. Debuting with her single ‘Purple Heart’ in 2021, Egyptian Indie pop princess Nour quickly gained recognition for her unique fusion of soul, R&B, jazz, and UK garage, oscillating between Arabic and English to create something entirely new. She’s all dark cherry-red hair, deep, diaphanous vocals, and beats on par with Pink Pantheress. 

Nour’s 2023 EP ‘Daydreamer’ propelled her into the spotlight. Her refreshingly stripped-down production and music video for her single ‘Wana’ proved that with true talent, one doesn’t need grand production to get people to listen.  Recently, she released her latest single ‘Nagoum,’ a bedroom pop track with whimsical lo-fi sounds. 

For this Cairo-based artist, music has always been a guiding force. “I’ve always known I’d be doing this when I’m older,” Nour tells Dazed MENA. “Music has guided me through a lot of hard times in my life. As a young kid, I was always so mesmerised by artists performing live, especially when it’s a thought-out visual show. I knew then that I wanted to do the same thing.”

This vision became a reality when she opened for Saint Levant at AMH in Beirut in 2023, her first full set outside Egypt. A surreal experience for the young artist, it was the first time she had felt the true scope of an audience. Despite such highs, it’s the low moments that fuel Nour’s creative process. “Without low moments along my journey, I wouldn’t have believed in myself, and I wouldn’t have created better work than before,” Nour explains. “Every moment I chose to be resilient with my passion and work through frustrating times, I realised I’m meant for this more and more.”

With ambitions as solid as her stage presence, Nour embodies the multidimensionality she hopes to inspire in others. “I want to represent people who look like me and are like me, to let them know they can achieve what they put their mind to,” Nour hopes aloud. When it comes to her visions for the future, Nour doesn’t mince words: “I want to see more girls! More genres, more experimenting, and less fear of failure,” she asserts. “I would like my art to show the girls that they don’t have to be one thing and/or the ‘status quo’ of what an Arab female artist is—that they don’t have to fit in and they can represent what they stand for without fear.”

Nour’s music represents a new wave in Egypt’s indie scene, sparring for dominance with mainstream pop with meldings of Jungle DnB beats with jazzy flows. Even with her multivalent sounds, Nour draws most from her roots. “Arab instruments feed so much into experimental music. I think my work engages with people who always wanted to witness a different representation in the MENA region’s music scene, brand, look, and sound-wise.” Her music also seeks to dismantle preconceived notions about Arabic as a language. “It can be very fun and playful; it’s a badass language,” she adds. 

Along with finishing up her last year as a fashion design major, Nour is ready to ramp up her output, aiming to set the wheels in motion for a new album in the next few months: “Lately I’ve been working on getting as many demos out as I can, no matter how different they feel or sound like, as I’m trying to honour all the sounds that are going on in my head.”