Salty Licorice, the intriguing musical project of Gothenburg-based singer-songwriter Soha Akile, is quickly making a name for herself with her unique blend of Arabic influences and future-pop. With her latest track Amare (p.87), she has pushed the boundaries of genre, creating a sound that is both spellbinding and unpredictable. The song is a stunning display of creativity, seamlessly merging traditional sounds with futuristic electronic elements, and showcasing her ability to make seemingly disparate genres come together in harmony.
Born from Soha Akile’s Palestinian and Iraqi heritage, Salty Licorice isn’t just a catchy name—it represents a deeper cultural fusion that Akile brings into her music. Her identity is a key influence on her sound, which is both rooted in her Middle Eastern background and modernized with an unmistakable future-pop edge. With Amare (p.87), she delves into a world where influences from her early musical upbringing—The Beatles, Taylor Swift, and traditional Arabic music—coexist and inform her artistry. The result is a rich tapestry of sound that is uniquely Salty Licorice.
Amare (p.87) opens with a fleeting moment of spontaneous magic—the kind of chance encounter you might experience while walking past street performers in Hamburg. Akile reveals that the opening sample of the track helped set a playful tone, adding an element of serendipity that pervades the song. This seemingly random spark eventually evolved into a concept that conjured the vision of Mata Hari’s prime, blending the mysterious allure of the famous dancer and spy with the pulsating energy of modern electro-pop.
This opening moment sets the stage for a genre-defying composition that feels as though it has sprung from a place of unbridled curiosity. Akile’s process is all about blending different worlds, exploring the unexpected, and finding coherence in the chaos. She’s not afraid to let her influences from different cultures and genres collide, creating something truly unique in the process.
What truly sets Amare (p.87) apart is its genre-bending nature. The track pirouettes between multiple musical worlds with ease, mixing traditional Arabic musical motifs with futuristic pop sounds. It’s a delicate balancing act that could have easily felt cluttered or overwhelming, but Salty Licorice pulls it off with ease. The Arabic influences—whether in the vocal delivery or the intricate instrumentation—are beautifully woven into the track’s future-pop production, making them feel like a natural part of the whole.
Her vocals are a key part of this blend—gossamer-thin and ethereal, they float above the dense layers of electronic production, creating a hauntingly beautiful effect. Akile’s voice is light yet full of emotion, evoking a sense of both vulnerability and strength. It’s like listening to a ghost who has fallen in love with synthesizers, her breathy, delicate tone drawing you deeper into her sonic world with each passing second.
For someone with only two singles under her belt, Amare (p.87) is a bold and impressive statement. The track is a clear indication that Salty Licorice is an artist who is unafraid to take risks and push boundaries. The production is lush and detailed, with layers of sound that build and evolve over the course of the song. Each element, from the delicate guitar plucks to the pulsing electronic beats, is carefully placed to create a sense of movement and depth. The track shifts seamlessly between moments of calm and energetic bursts, keeping listeners on their toes and never allowing the song to fall into predictability.
There’s a certain charm in how Salty Licorice channels the spirit of Mata Hari. The infamous spy and dancer, known for defying conventions and coloring outside the lines, serves as the perfect muse for a track that refuses to fit into one single genre or sound. Like Mata Hari herself, Amare (p.87) is daring, confident, and unapologetically itself.
Despite the track’s complexity, there’s an underlying confidence in the way Salty Licorice handles these bold choices. It’s as if Akile knows exactly what she’s doing, even if the listener might not always understand how everything fits together. It’s this sense of assuredness that makes Amare (p.87) work so well—it’s the feeling of watching someone juggle fireworks while reciting poetry: dazzling, slightly unpredictable, and absolutely captivating.
Salty Licorice is clearly an artist with a vision. Her willingness to experiment, blend different influences, and create something entirely her own speaks to a level of creativity and confidence that’s rare in the music industry. She is not just playing with sounds—she is building an entirely new soundscape, one that feels like it could only have come from her.
Amare (p.87) is an ambitious and captivating piece of work that signals big things for Salty Licorice. The song’s seamless blend of Arabic influences and future-pop production showcases an artist unafraid to explore the unknown and create something entirely fresh. With her unique voice, intricate production, and a clear sense of direction, Salty Licorice is undoubtedly a rising star in the music world. If Amare (p.87) is any indication, we can expect much more genre-defying brilliance from her in the future.
For now, Amare (p.87) is a must-listen for anyone looking for something new, unexpected, and utterly captivating. Salty Licorice is an artist you’ll want to keep on your radar as she continues to push the boundaries of genre and create music that is as unique as it is mesmerizing.