Bayou is shaking up the music industry as we know it. He is redefining genre boundaries, and fusing together different sounds, creating something that is uniquely his own. An artist from Egypt and having lived in the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, Bayou represents a new generation of Arab artists who blend different cultural influences to create a sound in music that resonates in today’s globalized world.
Bayou’s journey into music began with an unexpected twist. A torn ACL cut short his football career, redirecting his energy into music. “I used to sing a lot when I was younger, just for fun,” Bayou recalls. “Maybe it is because I watched a lot of Disney. So, that’s why I knew at a young age if I want to express an emotion, I would sing it.”
Bayou always had a very special connection with music. He explained, “I just adore music. I just love listening to it. I love the feeling it gives me.” It was always a way for him to express himself and channel his emotions. He joked about his school days, “I wrote a love song for a girl in school and she would tear it up and throw it in the trash.”
Bayou remembered the first time he felt like got to executed a vision he had, was in junior year of high school titled, “Last Semester”. He reminisced, “It is still on Spotify but no one has checked it out. It is just chilling. It was the first time that I had an idea and I fully expressed it from A to Z.” This early passion evolved into a musical career that saw Bayou channel his intense emotions into his work, from writing love songs to releasing chart-topping hits.
His music reflects his personal experiences, influences, and emotional depth. Bayou’s upbringing given him a unique perspective. “Growing up between different cultures, gives me a global perspective when I make music,” he explains. “I made my latest song in Arabic, but the people that followed and liked it were foreigners. I feel like my music has an international vice.” Bayou’s distinctive sound reflects his ability to merge traditional and contemporary elements. “I think it is rich,” he says of his music style. “Whatever style I decide to make, I will make sure that the elements I decide to use, whether it is the lyrics or the singing or the melody, that I really take care of it. So, it translates the feeling. It is emotional.”
Reflecting on his genre-bending style, Bayou notes, “I guess there is a part that is nostalgic. Because I listen to old songs.” This nostalgia, coupled with his modern sensibilities, creates a sound that is both fresh and familiar. “It is rich in that sense,” he emphasizes, “It’s emotional.”
His latest single, “Neshar Belel,” is a track that really showcases Bayou’s unique ability to blend sounds flawlessly. Bayou takes a bold step by diving fully into Arabic lyrics. “Neshar Belel is a special song because it is my first all-Arabic song,” he says. “A year ago, I couldn’t even speak Arabic. So, thank god, I am really happy that I got to do that.” The song’s creation involved collaboration with Grammy-winning producer Motif Alumni and Grammy-nominated Hady Moamer. Bayou started working on the track while still in the US and continued its development upon moving to Egypt. “I started listening to early 2000’s Elissa and Amr Diab. I told Hady, I wanted to make a song like Aayshalak.” He spent months perfecting the pronunciation and embracing Egyptian music’s essence.
Bayou’s work resonates with a diverse audience, bridging gaps between Eastern and Western musical traditions. His commitment to exploring his cultural roots while pushing musical boundaries is evident in every track he releases. “I want them to take away the feeling that I tend them to feel,” he says of his music. “With a song like ‘Neshar Belel,’ I want you to enjoy it, have fun, and have a good time.”
As for his future, Bayou has ambitious goals. “I want to be a transformative artist, not only in Egypt but in the entire Middle East. I want to be the first Egyptian to be able to be big in the Middle East and the West.” His upcoming EP, “Never at Home,” is set to continue this journey of blending cultures and musical influences.