Review: "khaif" by Nabeel

A hauntingly tense song that invokes the spirit of early 90s grunge.

In an ideal world, there would be no reason to ever have to feel fear or to process the emotions that stem from such an intense sentiment. 

Fear remains a powerful sensation that enraptures the mind and body in any given situation, often resulting a deeply uncomfortable and vulnerable sensation. 

The immediate strums of the first chords of “khaif” by Iraqi American artist Nabeel instantly set that tone of melancholic uneasiness, a tension that simultaneously forces listeners to put their guard up while also yearning to sink deeper into this feeling. 

Nabeel’s vocals hover over the melody, acting as the listener’s conscience in this fearful state. 

His voice harkens back to a poignant time in the mid 80s and early 90s when grunge emerged as a counter cultural musical expression and bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam made their mark on an entire generation of musicians seeking ways to express these dark emotions, completely upending its underground core on the way to becoming a mainstay in popular music.

In the spirit of Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vader, Nabeel carries the genre to not only this generation but in a language that speaks more acutely to his community. 

Sung entirely in Arabic over a slowly-paced tempo, his voice drifts into the ether as he laments feeling paralyzed and overcome by fear.

“I’m scared for my sister, stuck inside the house. I’m scared for my parents, always on my mind,” Nabeel eerily sings before a thrashing electric guitar bursts through the song.

The song sonically dances between the highs and lows of fear, with Nabeel’s haunting lyrics ironically projecting calmness and the electric guitar bridges emphasizing the chaos that comes from fear.

To hear such a genre sung in Arabic—about fear, no less—adds a particular weight that many in the Middle East, North Africa, and its diaspora communities continue to feel. 

With the genocide in Gaza, war in Sudan, and instability in Lebanon and Iraq, Nabeel strikes a chord at the heart of what it means to be Arab and what it means to feel human in times of uncertainty and danger. 

You can listen to “khaif”, the third single from Nabeel’s upcoming EP, on all streaming platforms and watch the music video below.