Talia Lahoud is a rising young talent from Lebanon, where she currently resides while creating music under the record label, Nvak Collective. Like many Gen Z artists, Lahoud, 19, is social-media-savvy and has been uploading videos of herself singing on the internet since the tender age of 11. Today, over 3,200 people have used her viral sound on TikTok: an undulating acoustic version of “I Am Woman” sung in Arabic.
“I feel honoured and grateful that the ‘I Am Woman’ cover was one of the soundtracks of International Women’s Day on TikTok this year,” Lahoud shared with Grazia. The app approached the singer to perform for the commemoration and she jumped at the chance, sharing that “it was a beautiful opportunity to raise women’s voices in the region.”
@talialahoud A little anthem for Women’s Day<3 Ladies, use this sound and show off the incredible things you can do!❤️ using: #IAmWoman أنا_إمرأة
The empowering lyrics of “I Am Woman” are an anthem for International Woman’s Day, praising the strength, vulnerability, and fearlessness of women. “The translation helped bring that idea into our region in a way that resonated more with the audience,” said Lahoud. Adding, “I hope it inspired and empowered women all over the Middle East, reminding them of how strong they all are,” which is evidenced by the videos made using the sound.
“TikTok is a place to express yourself freely and show your personality in a unique way.”
The kind of virality Lahoud reached, widespread and welcomed, isn’t uncommon on TikTok. Singers and songwriters have migrated to the app in droves since 2020. Bella Poarch, the “Build a B*tch” singer, became popular off of her lip-syncing videos, earning her 88.5 million TikTok followers and a record deal with Warner Records. Similarly, Gayle, the singer of “Abcdefu” fame found her fans on TikTok in 2021, which landed her 978K followers and the number one spot on Billboard Global 200 for weeks. What sets Lahoud apart from other creators on the app is her gentle voice, spontaneous acoustic sessions, and performances of original music that’s often sung in Arabic.
“TikTok is a place to express yourself freely and show your personality in a unique way,” Lahoud shared. For her, the casual posting environment created on TikTok, “has been a fun and stress-free way to get closer to my audience.” Since creating the cover with TikTok, Lahoud’s following has grown to 54.6K and her single, “Shway Shway,” has been used 451 times by other TikTok creators. Lahoud has another original song in the works, which will be sung in Arabic as well. “I’m constantly writing and producing new music and have a lot of unreleased ideas in English, French, and Arabic that I will eventually be putting out when the time comes,” said Lahoud. Adding, “I can’t wait to share all the things I have been working on for the past year and show the world the artist that I am becoming.”
Discover more of Talia Lahoud’s music now on TikTok and Spotify.
