Hey FJEIZI, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. Could you tell us a little known fact about yourself?

At some point, I gave up music and started playing football professionally. But later I got injured, which brought me back to music. I don’t regret anything. I love living many different lives — that’s my superpower.

Your new song ‘Cairo’ blends Eastern motifs with modern hip-hop beats and dark indie-pop. How did you approach balancing these contrasting elements?

Balance is always a battle of compromises. Even a pizza can have pineapples on it — you just have to accept that the Italians won’t eat it.

As someone who mixes and produces your own tracks, what were the most technically challenging aspects of creating this single?

When you’re handling the entire production on your own, it’s hard to stay objective — especially when you approach a project not just technically, but creatively. It constantly feels like something’s missing or there’s too much of something. Because of that, you end up reworking things over and over. Sometimes it feels like you’re getting lost in the mix — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a sign that you need to take a break. But on the other hand, working solo means you’ve got a full house in your hands: total control over the track and creative freedom. That’s something I’ve always aimed for, and I’m really happy I can now afford to work independently.

More generally, what kind of freedom or pressure comes with producing everything yourself?

I believe I’ve already answered your question.

How did your fascination with Egyptian mythology influence the lyrics and structure of the song?

I’ll be honest. When creating this track, I wanted to please the Egyptian Gods more than Spotify’s algorithms. 🙂 I tried not to pay attention to trends and instead wanted to tell the listener a bit about Egypt, immersing them in that alluring ancient world I’ve been fascinated with since childhood. In the chorus, I simply list the names of Egyptian Gods, and in the verses, I mentally travel to the most beautiful place in Cairo, where I celebrate Egyptian feminism.

Having lived in so many countries, including Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Japan, do you think that your multi-culturalism influences your sound?

Yes, absolutely. When people ask me where I’m from… I struggle to answer. Sometimes, I feel like I’m not even from this planet. And I know people who would say the same about my music. Many agents, managers, and publishers just don’t know how to promote it because my music is very unusual. I hope it’s as unusual as Lana Del Rey and Charli XCX music was when it first came out. : )

What’s next for FJELIZI?

Next up is shooting a music video for my upcoming single ‘Symphony of Love’. It’s my favorite track I’ve created recently. It pulses with retro vibes and dives deep into the nostalgia of first love. This song will carry the scent of blood, sea salt, and fresh lemons.

Follow FJELIZI on Instagram.