Breaking Boundaries: Mishaal Tamer on Saudi’s Creative Revolution, New Album ‘HOME IS CHANGING’, and Finding Healing Through Music

Trailblazing Saudi artist Mishaal Tamer has been quick to put his homeland on the map thanks to his inventive and distinctive musical compositions such as BABA FEIN, KEEP IT UP, and ITTY BITTY. The charismatic star gathers these singles which have been viral sensations for his new album HOME IS CHANGING, which features an expansive thirty-three tracks split over five discs.

Even down to the uniquely original and unexpected album art for HOME IS CHANGING, Mishaal showcases a newfound creativity and artistry bursting from his homeland, something which the charismatic star is doing an impressive job at championing.

We had the pleasure of finding out more about HOME IS CHANGING and speaking to Mishaal about his trailblazing creative journey. You can read the interview here and stream HOME IS CHANGING at the link below.

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‘BABA FEIN’ touches on changing attitudes toward creative careers in the Arab world. How did your own family respond when you first started pursuing music, and how have their views evolved over time

At first they were adverse to it because there was no opportunity for it like there is today. Everything is changing now in my country, and that includes the people. Even some of the older generations are changing too. They’re seeing that this is actually a possible avenue, and that it’s a great one. Especially as AI enters our world, it’s more and more important to get in touch with our creative side.

You’ve described ‘BABA FEIN’ as an ode to the creative progression in Saudi Arabia. In what ways have you seen this transformation impact young Saudi artists, and how has it shaped your own music

So you have to understand that Saudi Arabia is young. The population is very young, with 70% under the age of 30. We’re the generation that grew up with the internet and I think that’s why you can’t put us in a box because we grew up exposed to so much. Saudi’s a hot country so I spent a lot of time inside with my computer connected to the world, making friends with people from all over, learning and being inspired. You can’t exactly box my music into one specific genre because it’s a mix of things. If I want to scream to express an emotion, I’ll do exactly that. If I want to whisper or do a falsetto to show another emotion, I’ll do that. Why tie myself to one emotion? I’m seeing it with other Saudi artists as well, not just in the music but in visual artists and fashion designers.

Your musical journey began when you learned guitar as a form of physiotherapy. How did that experience shape the way you connect with music and the healing power it can have?

I think that’s why I see music as healing. Even making HOME IS CHANGING, I didn’t intend to release it I was just expressing how I felt and trying to get out these feelings. It was only after looking back that I realised there was a story that’s very intricate and very well connected. I didn’t come up with that, it just happened really. It’s almost like a journal, and journals can be healing.

You went viral after posting ‘Can’t Love Myself’ on Instagram. How did that sudden rise in popularity affect you, both personally and professionally?

When I posted ‘Can’t Love Myself’, I think my account name was Papa Mishaal, and I was hiding my face because I didn’t want anyone to know it was me. I didn’t tell my family or my friends, nobody knew about that account. I would just post whatever, then people started sampling it and it felt like the secret was gone. I started seeing people’s reactions, because people would make one hour loops of it and Russian rappers would sample it and I’d get messages from people and see comments on YouTube and I thought ‘Wow’. It’s so simple, it’s just two lines. What you write can be related to and help people, and even bring people together that could help each other and become friends which I think is the most beautiful thing. That’s something that I’ve seen which brings me joy more than anything else, seeing the community of the fandom. These guys come together and make friends because of the music, some of the greatest friendships ever, and it’s so beautiful.

Being half Saudi and half Ecuadorian, how do you navigate and integrate both cultures into your music and identity as an artist?

This is my identity, I can’t escape it, it’s just who I am. I’ve always been honest about how I strive to continue to be myself with my music.

Music was only recently fully legalized in Saudi Arabia. How has this new freedom influenced the music scene, and what role do you see yourself playing in this new era of Saudi creatives?

I’m proud to be part of this movement that’s happening, I think it’s an incredible thing. It’s people coming together and making a change. The youth are in charge and art is being put in the forefront, it’s just really beautiful to see. I can’t think of another country that’s creatively growing in the way that Saudi is right now.

You’ve supported major acts like OneRepublic and completed your first headline show. What was the most memorable experience from those tours, and how did it help you grow as an artist?

I’d say that most memorable experience was just the whole tour! Being able to learn from the band members, especially Ryan. These guys are masters in their field. Seeing and watching do things and being able to experience it first hand and ask questions, basically the learning was the best part of the experience for me.

HOME IS CHANGING includes diverse tracks like ‘KEEP IT UP’ and ‘ITTY BITTY.’ What themes and emotions can listeners expect from the album as a whole?

The themes and emotions as a whole include things like yearning for childhood, but also other themes and feelings like accomplishment, defeat, hope, hopelessness, it’s a lot of back and forth. Life is never a full uphill or full downhill, it’s full of zigzags. Depending on where you put your energy and effort, you can choose if it’s going up or down. The album is full of that, but it’s a journey up starting in THE DEEP and ending at THE RETURN. There’s also changes in the zigzags, that’s why it’s called HOME IS CHANGING.

There’s also the theme of heartbreak with THE HEART, and THE DEEP is all about falling into temptation and really letting go of oneself to the point where it becomes bad for you.

I want the listener to interpret the chapters in any way they please. This album is no longer for me, it’s for them. As an artist, I believe this album should be viewed as something to interpret and something to theorise on. That’s what fans have been doing already as the songs are all connected, so they’ve started to notice that already.

As someone who produces and writes your own music, how do you balance the creative process of songwriting with the technical side of production? Is there a particular element that you prefer?

It depends on the song but a lot of the time my favourite thing to do is to get real experimental and hide myself away to see what kind of sounds and songs I can create.

How do you feel being part of the emerging wave of new artists coming from Saudi Arabia?

I feel very grateful to be part of this movement, it’s truly a renaissance for our country.

Which artists have inspired you, and how have they influenced your sound or vision as a musician?

Honestly, I’ve been inspired by loads of artists. Growing up I’d listen to music from my father and the older generations. I listened to all different stuff and lots of different genres. I’d listen to maybe one or two songs per artist and a few artists per genre, the iconic artists.

Thanks for chatting Mishaal!