Welcome to The Grapevine – a monthly series from Pink Jinn where we pass the mic to artists, thought leaders, influencers and pioneers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the global diaspora. They’ll be sharing their top arts, culture and lifestyle picks with all of us – from the books and podcasts shaping the way they think, to the music, food, places and brands that bring magic to their everyday.
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On The Grapevine this month, singer-songwriter Nxdia joins us to share what makes them tick!Born in Cairo and raised in both Egypt and the UK, their Egyptian-Sudanese heritage is woven through their music. From the 2021 single Ouch! which went viral on TikTok, to their latest EP, In The Flesh, which was released this month, Nxdia’s brand of alt-pop merges clever, reflective lyrics with a bright, feel-good vibe. Across their catalogue, Arabic verses and phrases meld seamlessly with English lyrics, infusing the unique sound Nxdia is becoming known for with layers of their multifaceted identity.
Nxdia’s star is most definitely in the ascendant – in 2023 alone they’ve played countless gigs and festivals including the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival and London Pride, been featured on BBC Radio One and partnered with BBC Music Introducing to play to huge sports stadiums.
Keep reading for Nxdia’s recommendations, from their top read to the music that’s shaped and inspired them.
AN ARTIST, DESIGNER OR CREATOR WHO INSPIRES YOU
Someone’s art that has really resonated with me lately is David Lynch, especially the My Head Is Disconnected exhibition, I love those art pieces so much! I’m also really into Heliot Emil at the moment because of how cool and androgynous their pieces feel.
Bob Finds Himself In A World For Which He Has No Understanding, David Lynch (2000)
ALL-TIME FAVOURITE ALBUM
There are so many, this is really hard to whittle down, but I remember listening to P!nk really heavily growing up. Songs like Please Don’t Leave Me and her album The Truth About Love made me so happy and inspired listening to them – I really rinsed that album.
Image: @pink
A BOOK YOU CAN’T PUT DOWN
The Long Way To A Small Angry Planetby Becky Chambers is the most recent book I loved – if you like sci-fi and immersive storytelling, this book is incredible. It’s part of a series but I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a while!
GO-TO PODCAST
I was listening to Kefaya Ba2a for a while because I found it super funny, but other than that, is it bad if I say I switch between Coffee Break French and other random podcasts about Studio Ghibli films or the origins of songs I love? I’d like to listen to more podcasts, and I tend to just listen to what my friends recommend or what looks interesting to me on my feed.
FAVOURITE DISH OR RESTAURANT
Mahshi kromb is my all-time favourite – I could eat a million of these, they make me miss my aunt’s cooking every time.
Mahshi cromb – Egyptian stuffed cabbage leaves Image: Mama Meme
A SMALL BUSINESS MAKING WAVES
Suez Studio! The designer is super cool and he makes garments inspired by the Keffiyeh scarf – I’m really into his pieces!
Image: @suezstudio
FAVOURITE PLACE ON EARTH
If you’re in Manchester, Feel Good Club is a super cute queer/queer-friendly cafe that has so many cool events and such a lush environment, I really love it there, and the lovely couple who own it and the wonderful staff!
Image: @visitfeelgoodclub
WILD CARD
Kenji bullet journals! Kenji sells the best bullet journals hands down. As someone who journals I can be so picky about journals and the line spacing/ how they feel/ the quality of the paper- but Kenji’s BuJos never miss! So good if you’re a writer!
Image: @kenjistoreuk
Nxdia’s new EP In The Flesh is available to stream now wherever you get your music, including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube, and you can also follow Nxdia on Instagram and TikTok!
