Soundstorm review: From Zeyne to Elissa, Arab artists deliver at mega Saudi festival

Regional artists take over Riyadh with commanding shows on both the main and secondary stages

Zeyne impressed crowds by incorporating slick dance routines into her set. Photo: MDL Beast

As well as being the place to catch some of the biggest musical acts, Riyadh’s Soundstorm festival has evolved over the past five years to incorporate more regional acts into the line-up.

This applies not only to the A-list Arab pop stars, who have always commanded their own performance slots on the main Big Beast stage, but also to a growing number of promising artists from the region.

This is primarily thanks to last year’s decision to launch the Down Beast stage on the other side of the sprawling site, home to an eclectic mix of artists ranging from Arabic indie-pop to hip-hop cult acts.

That formula has been further refined this year, with Palestinian-Jordanian singer Zeyne sharing the stage bill with Egyptian singer Bayou and Egyptian rapper Marwan Moussa.

All held their own among the high-profile names headlining the stage, including hip-hop stalwart Busta Rhymes and RnB singer Jason Derulo.

Two weeks after releasing the regional viral hit Asli Ana, Zeyne’s 20-minute set served as a preview and confirmation of her burgeoning talent. Flanked by six dancers, she made the most of the brief running time with songs defining her approach of marrying Levant-inspired Arab pop with various styles.

Palestinian-Jordanian singer Zeyne delivered a set packed with slick choreography. Photo: MDL Beast

Balak had an ethereal quality with its pulsating and nocturnal electronic beats, while Mish Asfeh features an irresistible Arabic pop chorus that merges intriguingly into an Amapiano-esque wall of washed-out keyboards.

The biggest response, unsurprisingly, was reserved for Asli Ana. The souped-up Levant folk number went down a storm, with Zeyne and her dancers breaking into scintillating dabke routines.

“It was a great experience to perform here and it was a really heartwarming experience for me,” Zeyne told The National backstage. “A few months ago, I made the decision to use my music to celebrate my heritage and identity, and that choice brought my life new light when everything seemed dark at times.”

Egyptian singer Bayou at Soundstorm festival in Riyadh. Photo: MDL Beast

Egyptian singer Bayou also held his own on the Down Beast stage. His fluent bilingual take on RnB, melding old-school Egyptian romantic balladry with modern pop production, resonated with the crowd, particularly in the zippy single Haifa Wehbe and the bruised heartbreaker Bansa Haly.

Born in Jeddah before moving to Dubai and eventually the US, Bayou – real name Adham Bayoumi – described his Soundstorm set as a homecoming gig.

“I don’t spend as much time here as I would want, and my dad lives here now,” he told The National. “So my connection with Saudi Arabia is still strong, and to play on this huge stage is amazing.”

Meanwhile, Elissa was the sole Arab artist headlining the main stage. It was effortless for the veteran Lebanese pop star, who delivered a set filled with favourites from a more than two-decades-long career. Highlights included mass singalongs of hits such as Halet Hob and Hob Kol Hayati, proving that regional acts can match their global counterparts.