SAADI – Queen City Sounds and Art

SAADI’s single “Gotcha!” is a playful send-up of the concept of putting too much stake into articles of religious faith and the superstitious mindset that convinces some people they have more control over their world than they do. Utilizing minimal synth layers, even more minimal guitar riffs and
electronic percussion the songwriter brings a sense of the pristine and otherworldly which is at times reminiscent of a Talking Heads song in the use of polyrhythms and non-Western tonal palettes. It sets the perfect mood for discussing the absurdities of holding the purely mythical and odd stories as part of some eternal and universal truth. Fans of The Knife and Tune-Yards will appreciate SAADI’s masterful arrangement of layered moods and cultural reference points. Listen to “Gotcha!” on Spotify and follow SAADI at the links below. The artist’s new album Birds of Paradise released September 4, 2025 on limited edition vinyl, digital download and streaming.

SAADI on Facebook

SAADI on Instagram

SAADI on Bandcamp

SAADI’s new album Birds of Paradise drops September 3, 2025 but the advance singles reveal an art pop sound unique in its fusion of non-Western rhythms, creative almost lo-fi electronic production and imaginatively pointed lyrics. The single “Cowboy in a Ghost Town” is most obviously a reference to the Palestinian genocide but of course in recent events of June 2025 applies to the war being waged on Iran. The layers of percussion provide a rich foundation on which SAADI’s vocals stand out in calmly but not dispassionately describes the horrifying legacy of colonialism playing out yet again. Fans of The Knife will appreciate the way SAADI masterfully utilizes seemingly disparate sound sources to craft a song with sensitivity and urgency in equal measure and worthy of the weighty subject matter. Some may remember Boshra AlSaadi ala SAADI from her time in the great post-punk band TEEN or experimental dance pop group Looker or even her tenure playing with the late, great Bubu musician Ahmed Janka Nabay, music of the latter directly informs this song with its jaunty rhythms and sharply observed social and political commentary. “Cowboy in a Ghost Town” has a refreshingly different sound that stretches the sonic boundaries of pop music even more than AlSaadi’s previous bands did. Listen to “Cowboy in a Ghost Town” on Spotify and follow SAADI at the links provided.