Rising pop star Layla Kardan returns with new bold visuals for her single ‘Loyalty‘
With the help of producer and co-writer Juan Ariza, Layla Kardan creates a dark musical world full of strange, scary, ear-crackling sounds over which she lays her vulnerable vocals and emotionally gutting lyrics offering vivid snapshots and dissections of her complex love relationships.
Layla shares about ‘Loyalty’is a song about; ‘taking a stance before entering a new relationship by laying your cards out instead of re-enacting the same toxic patterns, because Loyalty doesn’t come easy, she enthuses. Her deep self-reflection and personal growth through the song result in a newfound unapologetic poise, her innocence replaced with a truth-telling filled story, bolstered by her ability to influence emotion’.
The new video has directed by Michel Takla, the conceptual and brooding visuals accompanying the track tackle social issues Layla has been advocating for, the inclusion and representation of black Arabs in the UAE, and the tradition of arranged marriages. Layla explains ‘we shot the video before the BLM protests in the USA started, while editing the footage with the director we felt it was important to leave the scene between the Sudanese and the white actors. Anti-blackness has long been a problem in our region but it is rarely discussed.‘
Loyalty is the follow up to recent singles including ‘No Place‘, in which Layla deep dived into a loveless relationship and ‘You’, which served as an initiation to the empowering journey of loss-love and self-discovery offered by her upcoming EP Abscission.
Both singles have been highly revered by the likes of GQ, Vogue, Girls Are Awesome, and more, with Spotify featuring her in SAWTIK, the platform’s new initiative and playlist celebrating female artists playing a pivotal role in shaping the music scene in the Middle East.
