How Expo 2020 Dubai put Emirati TikTok singer Abdullah Mohammad Al Shamsi on the map

The musician, who's known for singing covers in English, plans to release original music next

You may not know the name Abdullah Mohammad Al Shamsi yet, but with more than 115,000 TikTok followers, the Emirati singer is certainly one to watch.

He's captivated the world with his talent and the songwriter, 21, says Expo 2020 Dubai is to thank.

Al Shamsi, who hails from Abu Dhabi, cites his performance there as one of the key moments in his burgeoning career.

“A lot of people found me through that video I posted at Expo,” he tells The National.

TikTok star Emirati Abdullah Mohammad Al Shamsi at his home in Abu Dhabi. Antonie Robertson / The National

“I would see a lot of support, a lot of views, a lot of people coming in telling me that I have helped them. They felt a connection, they felt inspired. Especially my people, people from the Khaleej, people in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.”

Al Shamsi, who has also performed for high-ranking officials in New Delhi, is known for posting cover songs from world-renowned stars such as Bruno Mars and Adele.

His social handle is NotS0Human, which he chose because he felt different from the people around him.

“I had different ideas," he says. "I believed a lot of people did the same things I did, but then I realised not everybody is really into singing. So I felt a little bit out of this world.”

One of his favourite comments from a fan is: “I can see the human in not so human.”

The self-taught musician, who learned to play instruments such as the guitar and piano from YouTube, loves all music, but has a particular interest in pop, R&B and jazz.

One of his first covers was of Bruno Mars’s Talking to the Moon in 2019. His melodic, heartfelt version kick-started his rise to social media stardom.

He says singing came naturally to him, but this type of career wasn't something he'd planned for.

“I was living a pretty normal life. I wasn’t looking for anything," he says. "I was just kind of doing my business, getting through life like everybody else and then suddenly I became super obsessed.”

“The talent found me. Especially when I picked up an instrument in my hand to fully express myself.”

His first instrument wasn't a guitar or a piano, however, it was his voice.

“I used to do really funny beatboxing as a kid. And people used to come up to me and say how you did that," he says.

“I used to hum songs, I used to add those beats with my voice.”

When he realised he couldn't both sing and create a melody at the same time, he "grabbed the guitar".

His mother just thought it was a hobby at first, one he'd grow out of, but when she saw his dedication and passion, she changed her mind.

“At first my mum was like: 'This is all new and crazy'. And then she slowly was like: 'You know what, I am by your side'. When that happened, I was extremely happy.”

Al Shamsi, for the most part, sings in English, but says fans can expect Arabic covers from him soon, too.

Next time you hear about me will be an original song and hit

Abdullah Al Shamsi

“I really love my language and Arabic musicians here. Obviously their skills and techniques are very different," he says. "But my main platform is more to the West because that is the main impact around social media nowadays and that is one language everybody gets."

That said, one of his main musical influences is Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi.

“The reason why I love him is he looks and sounds powerful but he is also humble. It is the perfect balance," he adds. “He is super cultural too.”

Al Shamsi says the secret recipe to his success is covering songs his own way and adding his own spice.

“If you sing it your own way that means you mastered it," he says.

“The hardest song to master would be Talking to the Moon, or most Bruno Mars songs, because what he does is he goes really high and stays there.

"Then maybe Adele songs, especially for a guy like me, singing Adele's songs is really hard.”

It takes him between one hour to 90 minutes to master a song. He says: “It is just dedication, really. If you really focus on one thing you can finish in a very short amount of time.”

Next on the agenda is his own music. “Hopefully, next time you hear about me will be an original song and hit,” he says.

For anyone else wanting to embark on a journey similar to his, he offers up this advice: "Stick to your passion and accept criticism and then grow," he adds.

“One thing I will never forget that my mum told me is to never give up on your dream. Always keep your passion with you and let it grow."

His biggest tip? "Use social media, please. This generation, you have to use social media,” he says.

Celebrities at Expo 2020 Dubai: Coldplay, Prince William, Cristiano Ronaldo and more — in pictures

Coldplay performed at Expo 2020 Dubai on February 15 as part of the Infinite Nights concert series. Reuters

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a speech at Expo 2020 Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor made an appearance at the India Pavilion in February. Christophe Viseux / Expo 2020 Dubai

Indian singer Armaan Malik performs in the DEC Arena at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Prince William made a stop at Expo 2020 Dubai as part of the UK’s country day on February 10. AP Photo

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, during Belgium's country day at Expo 2020. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal at Expo 2020 Dubai in February. Photo: Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo was part of a Q&A session for Expo’s Health and Wellness Week at Al Wasl Plaza in February. Pawan Singh / The National

Malala Yousafzai, the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, visited Expo 2020 Dubai to speak at the Women’s Pavilion on January 28. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

The Black Eyed Peas perform at Expo 2020 Dubai on January 25 as part of the Infinite Nights concert series. Reuters

South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during South Korea's country day at Expo 2020 Dubai. Reuters

Egyptian singer Tamer Hosny performs on the Jubilee Stage. Mahmoud Khaled / Expo 2020 Dubai

Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur collaborated with Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman to create a new production called 'Why? The Musical' for Expo 2020. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Paris Saint-Germain football star Lionel Messi at the Garden in the Sky during his visit to Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Alicia Keys debuted her new album 'Keys' at the world fair on December 10, as part of the Infinite Nights concert series. AP Photo

Pakistan’s Muniba Mazari speaks at Jubilee Stage. Steve Holland / Expo 2020 Dubai

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola made a surprise appearance at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Olympian Usain Bolt at Expo 2020 Dubai, as part of a 1.45-kilometre family run to raise funds for charity. Victor Besa / The National

Prince Albert of Monaco made a visit to Expo 2020 Dubi for Monaco's country day. Eric Mathon Palais Princier / Yacht Club de Monaco

From left, Yoon Doo-joon, Yang Yo-seob, Lee Gi-kwang and Son Dong-woon, of the K-pop group Highlight, at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama performs at Al Wasl Plaza. Walaa Alshaer / Expo 2020 Dubai

Ali Zafar performs during Pakistan: The Land of Melodies Music Festival, on the Jubilee Stage. Miaad Mahdi / Expo 2020

Emirates welcomes Arsenal FC manager Mikel Arteta to its Expo 2020 Dubai Pavilion.

South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha in Dubai for Expo 2020. Issa AlKindy for The National

Tunisian actress Hend Sabri visited Expo 2020 Dubai during its opening week. AFP

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performs with Mira Singh from Dubai, during the Expo 2020 opening ceremony on September 30, 2021. Mahmoud Khaled / Expo 2020 Dubai

Chinese pianist Lang Lang performs during the opening ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai at Al Wasl Plaza. EPA

Kuwaiti influencer Noha Nabil also attended Expo 2020 Dubai's opening ceremony. AFP

Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi performs at the Expo 2020 Dubai opening ceremony. Mahmoud Khaled / Expo 2020 Dubai

Football star Cristiano Ronaldo, Prince William and Coldplay have all made stops at Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National; Reuters