CAIRO - 19 September 2021: The streaming charts have a new Middle East star in the making as Son Savage is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Amr Diab and Al Jasmi with nearly half a million streams a week for his new single ‘The River’.
Beirut artist Son Savage is currently the highest-charting Arabic artist on the International Charts on Anghami and ninth overall on the full charts.
But this success so nearly didn’t happen.
The world watched on in shock as the Beirut port blast devastated the Lebanese capital just over a year ago, putting the fragile city back decades.
And that moment acted as a catalyst for Son Savage. Realising that life was too short - and fragile - he turned to music wholeheartedly.
It was far from a gamble though, says the artist.
‘COVID & the Beirut Blast combined allowed me to simply shift my priorities and give more time to what I am truly passionate about - and that is always going to be music.’
And the music is living up to its promise and then some with his current success.
The River is a four-minute slice of pop perfection. Written about ‘going in and out of relationships in endless toxic loops that lead nowhere,’ it instantly resonated with listeners.
Part of that is thanks to the highly creative video which ‘builds on the idea of loops of toxic patterns’ to create a seriously polished product.
Part of it is thanks to Son Savage’s musical heritage, which somehow combines Soul, Funk, Blues, Motown, Gospel, Rockabilly and Rock & Roll with ‘being Arab.’
But a lot of it is due to Son Savage’s songwriting ability.
Son Savage has written with songwriting royalty including Gosta Hulden, Jeffery David and Thomas Stengaard. And while the names might not mean much to the normal person, their songs will as they’ve been streamed millions and millions of times.
And that song-writing Midas touch is present and correct on ‘The River’ which sounds so effortlessly poppy and current. And amongst that pop perfection, there is plenty of Middle East charm.
‘I grew up exposed to a multitude of singing styles and melodies from North Africa and the Middle East which also add to my global musical influence to create the unique sound being presented to the world today as Son Savage.’
Which all explains why he’s currently rubbing shoulders with genuine legends like Mohamad Hamaki, Hussein al Jassmi and Amr Diab on the streaming charts.
‘This has been beyond anything I could have expected and I am so excited to keep pushing the envelope in terms of what we can do as Arabs on an international scale,’ says Son Savage.
With events slowly but surely returning following the pandemic, Son Savage is ready to get back out to the live arena. Having put his live music dreams on hold for several years, he’s not performed since 2015. But with this fresh success, he’s looking to come back bigger and better.
‘I am currently putting together the finest backing band in the region and will be releasing a live performance of The River with them from SoundStruck Studios in Dubai very soon. Collectively, we will be known as Son Savage & the Saints.’
The River is out now and will be followed by a full-length debut album this October.
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