Salty Licorice must have a thing for musical serendipity. Hailing from Gothenburg, singer-songwriter Soha Akile (the talent behind the intriguing moniker) brings her Palestinian and Iraqi heritage into a sonic playground.
Her latest track “Amare (p.87)” opens with a beautiful chance encounter – capturing the spontaneous magic of Hamburg street performers.
“The sample helped set a playful tone for the production, which we later tied together with our vision of what Mata Hari’s prime time could have looked like,” she reveals, setting the stage for what unfolds next.
This isn’t your typical electro-pop confection. The track pirouettes between genres like a caffeinated ballerina, somehow mixing Arabic influences (a nod to her early musical influences) with future-pop without missing a beat.
Her vocals? They’re gossamer-thin but convey tons of emotion, floating above the production like a ghost who’s really into synthesisers.
“Everything flowed from a place of curiosity and imagination,” she shares, and you can hear that spirit in every note.
This curiosity makes sense coming from an artist who grew up on a musical diet of The Beatles and Taylor Swift, while keeping one foot firmly planted in traditional Arabic sounds.
There’s something oddly charming about how she channels Mata Hari – you know, the infamous spy/dancer who coloured outside every line she met.
The whole composition could’ve been overwhelming, but Salty Licorice pulls it off with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing, even if we don’t.
For a newcomer with only two singles under her belt, this is bold stuff.
It’s like watching someone juggle fireworks while reciting poetry – dazzling, and you can’t look away.
And honestly? That’s exactly what makes it work.