A love for music blossomed in a young Lebanese girl. Early on, Talia Lahoud knew she wanted to be a singer and was determined to achiever her dream. After years of hard work, she is now a singer and songwriter with songs such as Samra and Leysh.
Love at First Watch
When she was 4 years old, Talia Lahoud spent her time watching Disney Channel shows. One day, as she watched Troy and Gabriella sing their hearts out in High School Musical she felt the spark. “Since I was really young I always knew, it’s going to be music for the rest of my life,” she explained.
To hone her skills, she started participating in her school musicals. At the age of 13, she started taking singing and guitar lessons.
YouTube Channel
Wanting to share her music with others, she began posting covers on YouTube at 11 years old. “My first cover was of Titanium. Back then, I loved Sia so much. She was one of my biggest inspirations growing up,” she recounted. Talia grew up listening to a lot of English, French and Italian opera. She spent the next five or six years only posting covers of English and French songs.
At 17, she wanted to connect with her roots. So, she indulged in Arabic music and added writing Arab songs to her rack of skills. “I was thinking, “Yeah, Talia, if you’re going to do this very seriously, you got to remember who you are as a person, and you are an Arab girl from Lebanon. You should be embracing your culture more and showcasing it to the world,”” she said.
Fayrouz as an Inspiration
Feeling a connection to her through their shared nationality, Talia knew that her first Arabic cover had to be Li Beirut by Fayrouz. “I had to cover it even though I wasn’t really confident with my Arabic singing. It’s such a big switch and the singing and vocal techniques are so different from the western music,” she explained.
4 months after she posted it, the 4th of August explosion took place in Beirut, which led to the cover gaining traction by Lebanese people. “I took it as a sign from God honestly, and I really felt that her tone resembles mine in a way. I really look up to her as a legendary singer, and I aim to be like someone who’s maybe half as good as her one day in Arabic,” she admitted.
She went on to cover her song Kan Endena Tahoun, which is one of her most viewed videos on YouTube with over 8 million views.
Music and Style
When it comes to her music style, Talia draws and blends between all the different genres she grew up on from western orchestral, electronic to traditional Arabic to create what she calls “a modern version of the traditional Arabic”.
Her latest single “Wein Hal Ghaybe”, came to her on a regular July summer night a year ago while sitting with her family watching TV. “I think it mostly came from a feeling of gratitude that I’ve had of just being around with my family in our home,” she pointed out. The song is a love song about reuniting with your loved one after a long time of separation, but to her there is a deeper message. “It is appreciating your loved ones and your family while they’re still here with you,” she said.
Future Plans
Talia Lahoud still has a lot to offer. She is currently working on a couple of songs and plans to pitch some of them to other big artists in the industry. Most important to her as she continues on this journey is staying true to herself. “I will always keep writing about my experience in life and about what I’d like to experience. I’m just trying to stay as authentic and real in my music as I can be,” she admitted.