Nxdia is an alternative-pop singer-songwriter from Manchester. Born in Egypt with an Egyptian-Sudanese heritage, they moved to the UK when they were eight. They write and sing both in English and Arabic. Nxdia has a new take on pop music, blending vulnerable and introspective lyrics with modern production and effortless delivery.
Their early memories growing up in Cairo are of living next to a cinema, providing their first surges of inspiration as a child, creating images and characters through drawing and poetry. This fascination for creativity and storytelling soon began seeping its way into the music that they have also begun writing, both through their lyrics and hypnotic vocal flourishes.
Their new EP, in the flesh, is a six track release about the songwriter being stuck in their own head. From the quiet admiration in “what’s it like?”, to the observation and the stress of wanting to change to fit someone’s standards in “dopamine”, the EP explores how Nxdia feels about interpersonal relationships and what’s left unsaid.
“decay” follows the anger of being one person in a system that’s against people thriving and having a good quality of life. The artist confides, “decay was written because I was angry and broke. I was angry at the cost of living and the conditions we have to live in. At the time I was exhausted, trying to figure out some funding issues and annoyed at the place I was in life, mentally, at the time.”
“idc” is about the importance of confronting your issues. “tricky conversations” and “both hands up” are about not taking accountability when you’re removed from your feelings and also being annoyed at others doing the same thing. Nxdia shares, “The whole EP just explores my inability to get out of my own head at times, all the things I want to do or say but I overthink myself out of, stuck in the flesh.”
Sonically, in the flesh showcases an eclectic pool of sounds they’ve been experimenting with. Bringing together a myriad of sounds, instruments and textures, the EP is a vibrant and colourful release, built upon gritty guitars, shimmering synths, throbbing beats and catchy lyrics. Each song delivers its own sonic aesthetic, resulting in an exciting and mesmerising experience.
With millions of streams for their music to date, Nxdia has received airplay from the likes of BBC Introducing Manchester and BBC Radio 1 and has been supported by every major DSPs including 10+ NMF, Fresh Finds, Peach, New Pop (Spotify), Alt Pop (Apple Music), Break Through Pop (Amazon) and multiple playlists covers (Spotify, Anghami, YouTube), as well as TikTok with an ‘Artist of The Week’ add and four playlists. Nxdia has also been very active on the live scene, playing regularly in Manchester and London, including performing the halftime show of The Hundred 2022 cricket game in front of 19,000 people at Manchester Old Trafford. They also performed at several festivals in 2023 including Liverpool SoundCity, Meltdown in London, Manchester Factory International and the Liverpool Arab Art Festival.
You can connect with Nxdia on Instagram @nxdiamusic, TikTok @nxdiamusic, Twitter @nxdiamusic and YouTube @nxdiamusic
