Turkish pop is going through an exciting and experimental phase. Where the nation’s most prized musical export was once rare 70s Turkish funk and psychedelic rock unearthed by crate-digging DJs such as Haai and Antal, recent releases from groups such as Şatellites and Altin Gün have fused these psych, synth-pop and Anatolian folk influences with earworming pop melodies to create a new hybrid genre.
The latest artist to embrace this lively fusion is singer-songwriter Emir Taha. The 25-year-old came to prominence with his 2020, two-part debut EP Hoppa, before featuring on Turkish trap star BEGE’s hit single BSG the following year. Tapping into sultry, multilingual R&B by the likes of Omar Apollo and Rosalía, Taha’s output plays like a late-night confessional, pairing languid instrumentals with his whispered falsetto and a trace of stringed saz and oud melodies. The result blends traditional Turkish instrumentation with contemporary songwriting in a subtle, unforced way, reflecting Taha’s time clubbing and living in London and LA, as well as his childhood in Turkey.
“I found a magic moment in the collision of both worlds,” he told NME. On forthcoming single Lades, based on the Turkish saying of doing something while knowing its outcome is futile, he explores the nuances of heartbreak over an infectiously minimal guitar melody. Hopefully, Taha will be mining the intersections of these musical worlds for many releases to come.
