A Quick Chat with Sabah
Australian-born Lebanese artist Sabah, previously known by the moniker Suzie, is making waves with her debut single, "Bombs Away (Last Time I Saw You)," a punk cover of Nicki Minaj's iconic track. The release marks a significant moment in Sabah's musical journey as she returns to her birth name, embracing her uniqueness and ethnicity.
Sabah, whose name means 'Morning' and 'Promise' in Arabic, recounts facing adversity in high school due to her ethnic name and love for punk and metal music. After adopting the name Suzie at the age of 10, she now proudly reintroduces herself as Sabah, emphasizing the higher purpose it serves in her life.
A self-proclaimed "punk rock Barbie," Sabah blends elements of Barbie, Bratz, and punk to create a distinctive style inspired by the 90s and 00s. With a background in music and media communication, she has a deep passion for the punk and metal genres, drawing influence from bands like Good Charlotte, Paramore, The Used, MCR, Slipknot, Bring Me the Horizon, Parkway Drive, and The Amity Affliction.
Sabah's debut single, "Bombs Away (Last Time I Saw You)," is a unique take on Nicki Minaj's hit song. The artist has completely deconstructed and rearranged the track, infusing it with her punk rock energy while ensuring Nicki Minaj is duly credited and will receive royalties from the song. Sabah proudly claims the title of being the FIRST EVER to cover a Nicki Minaj song in a different genre, a feat that sets her apart in the music industry.
Expressing her excitement, Sabah says, "This will be my first release, so the biggest achievement is getting the song cleared from Nicki's labels to allow me to cover this track! Directing and putting together the music video all on my own and having a large scale music video for my first-ever song was really cool and extremely stressful at the same time. Pushing myself to actually put something out finally instead of sitting on unreleased music is an achievement of its own."
Sabah extends her gratitude to Nicki Minaj and her label for clearing the music, enabling her to bring the world a long-awaited "Pop Goes Punk" cover. The single is set to make a lasting impact, showcasing Sabah's creative prowess and marking the beginning of an exciting musical journey.
We caught up for a quick chat with Sabah!
Can you share more about your decision to go back to your birth name, Sabah, and the significance it holds in your musical journey?
I decided to go back to my birth name at the end of 2022 because I felt I needed to stay true to myself and my true identity. I was ready to break free from the trauma my birth name held for so many years.
How did your experiences in high school, facing adversity due to your ethnic name and love for punk and metal music, shape your artistic identity?
It helped me understand I was different and that was ok. The music I listened to also immensely helped, especially the song “Hold On” by Good Charlotte where it says in the lyrics, “But we all bleed the same way as you do, And we all have the same things to go through. Hold on, if you feel like letting go. Hold on, it gets better than you know.” It made me realize I wasn’t alone and to keep chasing my dreams which is what I did because I never stopped. I embrace my uniqueness because why would I want to be the same as everyone else?
With influences from bands like Good Charlotte, Paramore and Slipknot, how do you incorporate these diverse elements into your own sound?
I definitely take inspiration from all those bands, that’s for sure. I’d say Nicki Minaj is my biggest influence and inspiration but more specifically Nicki Minaj circa 2010 because she was so animated and different. She did almost every genre when she started out and her style was top tier and up there with Lady Gaga when it came to quirkiness. Ahead of her time. I was also definitely channeling Joel in terms of my singing voice but trying really hard to maintain my Aussie accent because that was important for me to make sure my accent was noticeable in the song.
What challenges did you face in deconstructing and rearranging Nicki Minaj’s hit song for your unique cover, and how important was it for you to ensure she receives proper credit and royalties?
The hardest part was trying to figure out how I was going to sing the song. The song is SOOO different from the original, I had to make it as true as it could be to a pop punk anthem. It turned out to be a pop metal track. In terms of the arrangement that was easy because I knew my favorite part was “Bombs Away” which she says at the end and I wanted to have that in the beginning. In terms of Nicki receiving royalties, all I had to do was properly credit her as a writer and pay for a cover license then wait for that to be cleared by distribution. Let’s pray she hears this song.
Can you share your experience directing and putting together the music video for “Bombs Away (Last Time I Saw You)” on your own? What were the highlights and challenges?
I knew exactly what I wanted and I had to make sure I hired the right people to help me get the job done no matter the cost. I sourced everything myself in terms of the props and I had reference pictures, so I hunted those 1990’s style speakers made famous from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and searched pretty much all of Sydney for them! I wanted the exact speakers from the Sum 41 “in 2 deep” music video and I’m so lucky I found them! The second biggest challenge was finding the skaters, but they came through in the end. I sewed my skirt together, I wanted a quirky kawaii style hello kitty skirt. The entire thing was challenging but well worth it!
How did your background in music and media communication contribute to your artistic vision and approach in the music industry?
It helped because I knew it was going to be tough and I knew what to expect. I have built some really good connections over the years so I knew what approach I was going to take. Watching other upcoming artists get their career off the ground was also a bonus.
Being the first ever to cover a Nicki Minaj song in a different genre is a remarkable feat. What inspired you to take on this challenge, and what do you hope to achieve with this unique musical approach?
Yes! To clarify, I’m the first female artist to cover any Nicki song in a pop-rock, punk-rock genre as there has been a few metal covers in the past! Definitely proud to be the first female covering Nicki in this particular genre and making it my own.
What drove you to overcome the challenge of sitting on unreleased music, and how does it feel to finally share your work with the world?
Initially this particular track was never meant to be an official song. I originally only planned to make a 60 second snippet to my Instagram but one thing led to another and I fell in love with the song which is why I decided to release it and make this my debut. I have songs I’ve recorded but I’ve never released, but the past is the past so next up will be a brand new original and I’m glad I’ve finally taken the leap into releasing my own music! A long time dream of mine.
Looking ahead, what can fans expect from your future projects, and how do you envision your continued growth as an artist?
I plan to make nostalgic music, anything pop-punk, pop-metal and on a similar vibe to my current track. I want to be someone young girls can aspire too. I think there’s so much toxicity in music today and I’m not for it. I just want to be a good role model and set a positive example to the youth in my personal choices and in my music. It will help me grow and be a better person myself. My target audience is myself at 14-16 years old so I just want to make music my younger self would be proud of.
Follow Sabah on social media for updates, behind-the-scenes content and more!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suziestarbow/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuziestarBow/
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@suziestarbow