Boasting over 1.6 million monthly Spotify listeners and 590k followers on TikTok, Mishaal Tamer has become a unifying voice among the youth of Saudi Arabia. Now, this emerging talent is gearing up for the release of his debut album, “Home is Changing,” by dropping his latest single, “KEEP IT UP.” This infectious, indie-leaning track was co-written with Greg Recchia and Mike Guerriero, and co-produced with Andrew Wells.

Drenched in atmospheric production and fueled by enigmatic lyrics, “KEEP IT UP” is a tantalizing addition to Mishaal Tamer’s discography, showcasing palpable indie instrumentals. Speaking about the new release, Mishaal shares “In Saudi Arabia, music was not allowed. I never bent the rules, they just turned upside down. So to everyone back home who is picking up an instrument or a paintbrush or leaving their office jobs to chase their dreams this song is for you… KEEP IT UP!!!”

Listen to the track…

We linked up with Mishaal to talk creative inspirations, working on a track for Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, and bringing Khaleeji music to the pop world.

Read the interview below…

Can you share the inspiration behind your latest single ‘Keep It Up’ and what message would you like listeners to take away?

If I’m being honest, the musical inspiration was actually a mixture of a punk song that I heard a long time ago in the 2000’s and ‘Shake It Off’ by Taylor Swift. It’s a mix of those two musically. But I’ve been experimenting a lot. The song was written years ago, and it was written at a time when I was making all this music, 800+ songs in a studio not thinking anyone would hear it, so I just said anything. I said stuff I would not even tell my family, just letting all that stuff out, that is what created ‘Home Is Changing’ which is my debut album. If I say a message for people to take out of it, especially the people back home, you have so much art now. The country is changing. 180. Like 70% of us are under the age of 30, and that’s why this change is possible. All of us are making art. Hamdullah I have a place on the global stage so I can represent and bring that art to a larger stage than just the Middle East. I really think the stuff coming out of Saudi is bigger than just the Middle East, its bigger than the region, the stuff coming out of Saudi is global, really. That’s why the song is called ‘Keep It Up’ – I’m telling everyone back home, you’re doing amazing. Keep it up.

Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they affected your sound?

I grew up listening to a lot of different stuff. Western and Eastern and also Latin – I’d say it’s a mix of the three. I grew up half Saudi, half Latino but also exposed to a lot of Westerns acts like Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Tupac, and 50 Cent – a bunch of different stuff and you hear it in the album too. The album has influences from Jazz and Metal, Hip Hop and straight up folk. Imagine, before it was impossible to make music, so when you have a chance to make it, you’re like a kid in a candy store – you want to go for everything and that’s essentially what I did without realising it. I was just so happy that I could finally make music.

As one of the first modern musicians from Saudi Arabia to make an impact globally, how do you feel about representing Saudi Arabia?

I feel great about it because I’m not the only one. I said this at my show in London, I may be the first one from where I from here tonight, but I won’t be the last coming from where I come from. And I’m very proud to champion that.

How did the collaboration for Assassin’s Creed come about?

They were already working on the song, they had most of it done. It takes place in the Middle East so they could use a guy like me who sings Arabic! Its one of my favourite games ever. I grew up with Assassin’s Creed, it was one of the first games with an Arab protagonist. In our part of the world there’s a lot of discrimination, especially in video games. It was great to be a part of something that was like hey, we can be the good guys too. We’re human beings at the end of the day, all of us. I think that’s beautiful and I’m proud to be a part of that.

Can you give us any insight into your debut album and its five chapters?

It’s a big album – there’s 33 songs. The chapters are going to have voice notes in them. It’s hard for me to share, very personal, but I’ve realised over the years that the more I dig in deeper into myself, the more I can help someone out there in a real and honest way. That’s what I aim to do with this album more than anything. If it can help one person out there with whatever they’re going through, I’ll be doing my job correctly.

What new directions or experiments can fans look forward to in your future music?

Definitely bringing the Khaleeji music to the pop world. Which has not been done ever, but we will do it. A lot of people have heard music and they’ll say it’s Arabic, sure but you’re getting stuff from Egypt, from Lebanon you’re never getting stuff from Saudi, or Quat from The Gulf region. This is changing within the region and its only a matter of time until that bubble bursts and we start seeing it enter the global pop world. There are rhythms that you haven’t heard yet. In the same way we now have Reggaeton which was non-existent in Western pop music and now you have the Bad Bunny etc. There are things that are unheard of yet in the Western world from Khaleeji music which as a musician excites me. It’s so popular, there are songs that come out in Saudi that are Khaleeji music on YouTube, if you look at the first month, they outperform K-Pop. 200 million in a matter of months, it’s huge and super popular, just not outside the region. That’s my goal after ‘Home Is Changing’ – ‘Home Is Changing’ is my personal story, but what I want to do after is my job as a musician not just as Mishaal coming from Saudi Arabia, but Mishaal coming from Saudi Arabia as an artist. What can I bring that’s new to the table to the global pop world. What’s something fresh that they’ve not had? It’s this.

How does social media help you connect with your fans?

It’s like a window to the world now, my phone. I tell them good morning; I tell them goodnight – they’re very close to me and I’m very close to them. I’m so open, all the lyrics come from me, I’m literally opening up to these people. If they connect to the songs, naturally by extension they connect to me, and I respect that online.