BAHJAT

Attempts to sonically align the Middle East and the West have often faltered, but Bahjat is proof that it’s not only possible, it’s essential. Through raw, genre-blurring pop that fuses Arabic roots with Western flair, the Libyan singer-songwriter has been carving a lane that challenges not only musical boundaries, but cultural ones too. As an Arab artist, Bahjat has faced pushback for defying Arab masculinity, but he turned that into art that resonates worldwide. With millions of listens on his music, Bahjat’s success puts him in a position where he could become the Arab world’s first global superstar and a shining crossover hope to fly the flag for his region.

Growing up in Tripoli, Libya, Bahjat was fascinated by Disney animated movies, particularly The Little Mermaid. He was enraptured by the songs, but also found a connection in the escapist stories about misfit protagonists trying to find their place in the world. He taught himself to play keyboards by imitating songs at seven and fell in love with writing his own after he started taking guitar lessons at twelve. The young musician was inspired by artists like Taylor Swift and Lorde, and discovered that songwriting was a way to put wordless emotions into words. Throughout the ups and downs of his youth, particularly as he was bullied for being obese, songs were Bahjat’s constant companion.

By fifteen, Bahjat became convinced he wanted music to be his life and began uploading cover songs to YouTube. A few months later, in 2011, war broke out in Libya and Bahjat and his family were forced to flee their home country for Malta. They lost everything and became refugees. The musician’s father disappeared from his life, leaving Bahjat as the head of his family. During this time of upheaval, Bahjat also underwent a major personal transformation, losing 120kg as he began reclaiming his sense of identity and confidence through both music and self-discipline. It was a dramatic change from his life in Tripoli, but still Bahjat clung to music, knowing that music had always been there to heal his pain and offer a feeling of catharsis.

Determined to make it, Bahjat began releasing original songs independently over the next few years. An avid networker, he sought out hundreds of producers on Facebook, packed a backpack, and travelled to Stockholm to knock on doors in hopes of finding opportunities to make the music he wanted to make. His determination led him to getting a slot in Musikmakarna, a pop music academy in the north of Sweden, where he built a strong network of songwriters and producers, and met one of his musical heroes, Max Martin.

Today, Bahjat leads a new wave of pop with his self-coined genre, A-POP, which combines English and Arabic lyrics with Western and Middle Eastern stylistic influences. His breakout singles, “Hometown Smile” and “Istanbul”, set him on his current path, and he’s built a loyal fanbase of over 1 million people, the “bahjatroops”. Bahjat’s “troops” have helped him rack up millions of listens on his music, as well as a Bronze award from TikTok for being the third most watched musician in 2022. These achievements not only make Bahjat one of the pop’s most promising international acts, but already cement him as one of the most successful Libyan artists of all time.