Interview: Amidst Rising Fame, Sobhhï Is (Almost) Ready to Reveal His Identity
The Dubai-based R&B singer sat down with Popdust for his most transparent interview yet
Sobhhï says he feels that he's lived his life in a dissociative haze.
When asked to describe his inspirations, the R&B singer, who for years has purposefully kept his identity foggy, said people inspire him less than "sensations" do. "There are so many moments I didn't feel like I actually lived through," he said. "It feels as though the physical experiences happened quickly, but realization occurred [long after], the way thunder does after lightning."
The young lo-fi crooner curates music with a similar aesthetic. Shrouded in thick 808s and ethereal dream-pop samples, Sobhhï sounds as if he's floating, drugged-out at a party he knows he should be present for and enjoy. His diaphanous sound creates the feeling of an endless night, which is probably why he calls his imprint NUIT SANS FIN.
Over the last three years, Sobhhï has slowly emerged as one of Dubai's biggest talents, with thousands of streams to his name: an accomplishment he's previously been quick to brush off. Titles don't mean much when your goal is to curate authentic art. "I view myself as playing the role of director in my music, rather than lead actor," he said.
Born in the States but based in Dubai, Sobhhï got into music at the age of seven at a piano recital. He was handed a songbook and was asked to choose from three to four songs. Everyone in the recital would play a variety of those songs. "I guess I felt an urge to be more original," Sobhhï said. He went home that day and instead wrote his own song. His teacher loved it and asked him to perform it for the recital. "Recital day came, and I got a chance to embrace my originality."
Sobhhï dropped out of high school at 16, but music eventually hit the back burner when he decided to go to college. His undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley led to graduate studies at the University of Chicago; he was studying for a Ph.D. in applied mathematics when he decided he needed to pursue music.
He entered the scene in 2017 with a collection of murky noir R&B tracks and has let his music do the talking ever since. "There was something I felt was absent in other music," Sobhhï said. "Collecting these parts and amalgamating them is what eventually resulted in 'my sound.'"
Over the years, Sobhhï's voice has slowly inched to the forefront of his songs as he's gained artistic confidence. His latest single, "use you," is refined and surprisingly lively. Sobhhï is less consumed by the darkness now; he instead seems to control it like a puppet master. "Trying to show me off, some kind of prize you won," he wails over quaking 808s and strums of an electric guitar.
The song seemingly illustrates why Sobhhï would want to remain faceless. He doesn't want to be attached to a persona. Without a face to go with the name, his art can merely stand on its own. "Spielberg doesn't have to appear in his films for us to feel and recognize his work," he told me.
Despite encroaching fame, Sobhhï isn't quite ready to let us know his name or even his age, but as his career has exploded online, he understands that he has to pull back the curtain at least a little bit. But he assures me, there is no big secret.
"There is no secret identity or real identity," Sobhhï said. "It's my grandfather's name and part of my name too. It's been that way from the beginning." While these details may not seem like much, his candid honesty shows the singer is ready to embrace artistic transparency. He still wants to keep his biography slightly diluted for now, at least until he feels his art can speak for itself. But his art has never been closer to doing just that.
"I don't think anything has really changed. It's been a strange year, but I'm thankful for the chance to hit pause when everything felt to be moving so quickly. I had the chance to reflect on myself, focus on my priorities, and plan the next move. I feel like 2021 will be all blessings."