Congratulations on the release of ‘One Suitcase!’ The album includes a mix of personal storytelling and broader themes like love, empowerment, and resilience. How do you balance vulnerability with your radiant ‘world-pop’ sound?
The short answer is: with great difficulty!
To be serious, I really didn’t really think much about such types of balance in regard to the compilation of songs that were included on ONE SUITCASE. We have about a dozen songs that are near completion but did not make it on to this album for a variety of reasons…and indeed, a few of those songs were excluded simply and insofar as we didn’t want the album to be particularly focused on one or two genres.
‘ALCHEMY’ speaks to your reinvention after fleeing fundamentalism. What were some defining moments in your journey that shaped the woman and artist you are today?
My journey to America and my gradual westernization over two decades is probably the defining aspect of both my life and my career. Many of the perspectives that were ingrained in me during my formative years in Iran where things that I quite consciously and deliberately had to unlearn in order to comfortably exist in America.
Becoming a mother with two wonderful children was also another key moment as it made me realize that I wanted to set an example for my children that might be a key learning experience for them. It was in the aftermath of the birth of my first child that I determined to try to pursue music on a full-time basis: so I guess we’ve got him to blame.
Finally but not least, meeting my guy and having a committed relationship with the man who is my best friend, Number One supporter and around-the-clock confidante has given me the foundation to pursue my musical dreams.
‘ONE SUITCASE’ blends multiple genres, from modern disco to Latin and Middle Eastern sounds. How do these diverse influences reflect your identity and artistic vision?
I really don’t think it’s any more than a reflection of my musical taste and the diverse genres of music to which I have been exposed over the years. While growing up in Iran, we listened to all types of Western and Middle Eastern music: but when I came to Germany, When I came to America, I was exposed to HipHop and myself favored hundreds of hours of dance music as I was commuting in greater Washington DC. And finally, when I came to Texas a decade ago I was introduced with heavy exposure to Latino music by my Latino gal pals here in Dallas.
When you come into my house, you never know what’s going to be playing on the sound system — it could be Frank Sinatra or Chet Baker or Morgan Page or Bad Bunny or Tiesto. I still Love the genius of Paul Oakenfold, the O’Jays, Sade and Miley Cyrus.
So it should be no surprise to anyone that my musical output is a kaleidoscope of genres.
Some songs, like ‘AFTERGLOW’ and ‘EXOTICA,’ explore sensuality and romance, while others, like ‘NOSTALGIC,’ have a more vengeful edge. How do you navigate these different emotional tones within one album?
ONE SUITCASE represents a chronicle of my coming to America as well as some of the difficult mental transitions that were necessary in order for me to have a fully Westernized life.
A big part of that transition was relearning what it was to be a woman and becoming comfortable with my femininity: and how all of that megatopic rolls in to the concepts of romance and romantic relationships.
In that regard, songs such as AFTERGLOW, EXOTICA, A LITTLE LOVE and ALIVE represent one side of the coin on romance: while ALL I WANTED WAS YOU and NOSTALGIC demonstrate my own experience that not every romantic relationship is wine and roses.
The humanitarian aspect of your career is as strong as your musical one, with you recently joining Choose Love as an ambassador. Do you see yourself expanding further into activism in the future?
I don’t consider myself an activist in the sense that most people associate with party politics in the West You are not going to see me protesting DOGE activities in America or arguing about whether you should be using certain bathrooms.
However, being a refugee from a regime that suppresses basic female human rights, I will always stand for female empowerment and equality. It strikes me as insane and unhealthy that we’re still arguing about these issues in the 21st century. But as long as my sisters across the globe are subjugated and threatened with punishments for nothing other than the expression of their femininity, I will speak out. And there is nothing that in a political sense enrages me more than a group of adult old gangsters desperately clinging to power and using God and his supposed will as their excuse.
From your debut album ‘INFINITE LOVE’ to now, how do you feel you’ve evolved as both an artist and a storyteller?
Oh, I think that the difference is profound.
On my INFINITE LOVE album, I still feel that a number of the songs are terrific — but the musical breadth is mainly constrained to the EDM genre. And some of the songs are autobiographical: but still reserved in emotional impact.
On ONE SUITCASE, the album is replete with an array of personal and deeply reflective songs that are drawn from my own experience. And for example, I’m not sure that I will ever be able to write a song having a more deeply and raw emotional texture than ALL I WANTED WAS YOU. Or if you think that ALIVE is just a catchy little dance song, listen hard.
Choose Love has an incredible roster of high-profile supporters, including Oprah and Benedict Cumberbatch. How do you see yourself using your platform to drive change?
I’m not sure that my role as a spokesperson for Choose Love will have any meaningful impact, but I’d like to think that awareness of my own experience as a refugee might open people’s eyes to the reality of this situation.
Cross-border migration is such a hot topic worldwide, specifically from the standpoint of illegal immigration across borders. It took my family eight years Iran and then another six years to legally immigrate all of my brothers and sisters into the United States. And we are still working for over a decade get other relatives out of Iran and to America. So I tend to laugh out loud when someone tries to lecture me on the topic.
But seems to get lost in the public discourse on immigration is the plight of refugees, you are often cod in the No Man’s Land that exists in the trek their native countries and their intended destinations. Because I am so Americanized and have no discernible accent, people who have heard my music but do not know my background are consistently surprised to learn that I came to America as a teenager with virtually nothing and with a family that suffered horrendous persecutions as a result of our political affiliations. And when people learn of my own refugee story, it always seems to spark a certain degree of admiration and empathy. So if I can do anything in this regard for Choose Love, I am hoping that I can humanize in the minds of people the status of countless millions of similarly situated humans worldwide who have real needs.
Are there any upcoming live shows or tours that fans should be looking forward to in 2025?
We have turned down a few opportunities so far for 2025 simply because we did not feel that either the setting or other aspects of the performance proposals were appropriate. But we are working hard right now to finalize some tour dates for the coming year as I am eager to perform some of the songs that you’ll find on ONE SUITCASE.
With ‘ONE SUITCASE’ marking such a major chapter in your career, where do you see yourself headed next musically?
In fact, I am already at least three songs into my third album, which I am hoping to release during 2026. While I have not yet selected a theme for the album, much less a working title, I can tell you that these new songs are fairly emotionally raw and more stripped down currently than the tracks that you’ll find on ONE SUITCASE.
But If you’ve finished reading this interview, go listen to ONE SUITCASE. I can virtually guarantee that you’ll be happy that you did!
