My music doesn't exist in a vacuum; there's a script and there's an actor and it's about to come together..

If you've ever seen album covers for Arab female pop stars, it looks like the designer was paid five dollars to make them, and the extreme femaleness….

I feel like there is an emphasis against teaching geography in American schools. Americans don't say, "I'm going to Germany." They say, "I'm going to….

I had a story-telling mother; she's written novels and short stories. So I feel like maybe I'm staying alive by telling tales..

I'm fascinated by evil queens. They're very alluring and repellent at the same time, and I'm into that dichotomy..

There is a congratulatory culture in the Gulf. From birth onwards, there is a culture of giving people trophies as markers of achievement for making ….

I was one of five out of 100 people who passed the test, which just proved to me how little Americans are taught geography..

I still think you people need to be curious [in order to absorb the culture]. You need to search Uzbekistani pop music..

I'm sure that a lot of my friends - even though they're curious about the music of nations that are not on their radar - still don't know what Kuwait….

For instance, members of the elite will never allow their children to become musicians normally, because it's - not embarrassing - but it's not done.….

I'm not a philosopher so why should I provide anyone with the answers? I'm just a musician, I don't have any solutions. All I'm doing is questioning ….

This has always been my problem with genres is that they've turned into marketing tools. I've never been a person that allows themselves to be in any….

The first question [American college kids] asked me was, 'What state is Kuwait in?' They thought Kuwait was in America..

There's a big difference between the Arabic and Western scales. One uses quarter tone system and one doesn't. So in order for me to compose real Arab….

I only have a Bachelor's Degree but I've had professors who have instilled this kind of academic rigor in me where I don't make any generalizations o….

I've been exploring gender performativity in the Gulf since I was a teenager. I'm not a gender anthropologist, but I feel like there's an extreme bin….

When I work on music, I never think about vocalists. They're the last person I'm making music for..

I feel like I got my first real taste of Caribbean and Cuban culture while I was there. I have quite a sizeable Cuban vinyl collection from Miami thr….

The vast majority of women musicians function under singular names like 'Cher' 'Madonna'. They have to get married almost immediately to preserve the….

There are very few pop people I'm interested in working with..

I've never been to China. I only know what the West is telling me about China..