Nadia Younes
Get ready to groove with the latest summer anthem from singer-songwriter Nadia Younes! Her new single "Run", co-written with Thomas M.L. Ravago and produced by TEDIOUS, is a vibrant fusion of R&B and pop that will have you moving to the beat in no time. With its infectious melodies, captivating harmonies, and playful lyrics, "Run" is the perfect soundtrack for your summer vibes.
Stream "Run" now on all major platforms.
Hi Nadia, how are you? What's your story?
Hi! I’m so great, thank you so much for having me! I grew up in the Bay Area, in a small town called Saratoga. I’ve been performing since I was 3 years old. Anywhere from ballets, to operas, musicals, dance competitions, singing competitions, talent shows, recitals, you name it, I was there! I studied classical voice for many years, but when I was applying to conservatories after high school, I realized I love classical music, but pop/R&B is where my true passion lies. So, I switched over and never looked back, and I’ve been releasing original music since 2019!
"Run" is your newest single - what's the inspiration behind this song?
The story behind this song is actually so funny. It’s a little inappropriate so I’m sorry in advance. One night a big group of us went out for a friend's birthday, and one of my very close friends ended up going home with a guy. Not even 20 mins later, she frantically calls me and says, “Nadia, he had a micropenis. I didn’t know what to do so I told him I forgot to feed my cat and I ran out”.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? Who helped you create it?
When I went into my session with my producer, TEDIOUS, we had just submitted a bunch of songs for sync placement, and they all got rejected. So, we decided we needed to write a fun, catchy pop song that we thought would be perfect for sync placements. We wanted a chorus that was easy to catch on to if you had never heard the song before. Something that everyone could sing and would get stuck in your head immediately. TEDIOUS and I just spit out any thoughts and ideas that pop into our heads during our sessions, so we got on the topic of running and I was like “OMG, I have a funny story” and I told him the story about my friend and we were like wait a second, this is perfect.
When did you know "Run" had to be a single?
Immediately. We wrote this song in a couple of hours, and we were like this is hilarious, but also such a good song people are gonna love it.
What did you feel when recording "Run"?
I was excited because it was such a quick and fun writing process, both of us couldn’t wait to record it. TEDIOUS and I spend a lot of time vocally painting our tunes. There are a lot of stacks and harmonies that people don’t really notice, but I do, and it makes me so happy to hear everything come together. I threw in a whistle note in the last chorus, but partnered it with an octave double, so unless you strip it down you won’t hear it, but I know it’s there and it adds so much to that singular run.
What's your favorite lyric on this song?
“I wanna be a marathon runner, but I don’t know if he’s gonna recover. Oh, buddy, no, 3,2,1.” I think this line is sneakily clever. Like when you’re listening to it you don’t think much, but then you throw in the rest of the context and it’s so funny. Also, the night before we wrote this, I was over at my producer’s house for Thanksgiving, and there was a discussion about how guys apparently hate being called “buddy.” So, I was like we have to throw in “Oh, buddy, no”.
What message do you want to deliver through this song? What do you want people to feel when listening to it?
It is such an unserious song, so I want people to blast it in the car with their friends, dance, laugh and just enjoy it.
Could you list a few records that influenced the music you are making today?
Yes, I’ll list a few that inspired a couple of my singles
thank u, next by Ariana Grande influenced the structure of Run..
Say My Name by Destiny’s Child and No Scrubs by TLC influenced That Shot (Bang Bang)
Hit Me Baby One More Time by Britney Spears influenced the guitar riff in my song Tombstone.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part is marketing and consistency. I could write, record and perform live all day every day, but I’m an independent artist so I’m also my own creative director, marketer, stylist, the list goes on. Making the music is the “easy” part, what you do with it afterwards is the hard part. The best part is getting to do what I love every day, seeing how people respond to my art, and watching my craft grow.
How does social media impact your mental health?
I love consuming it, I hate posting. If you asked me this 4 years ago, I would have a completely different answer. I loved posting and creating content. Now, it’s a little harder to stay positive and consistent with social media. I’m a perfectionist, so I put a lot of time and effort into every video I create and if there is 1 tiny thing I don’t like about it, I won’t post it. Recently, I’ve been getting myself out of that mindset and just posting whatever makes me happy instead of what I think people want to see and it has helped me a lot mentally and it makes me less upset when a post doesn’t perform the way I want it to.
What biggest lessons have you learned since the beginning of your career?
You have to love music, singing, and performing so much that everything else that goes on behind the scenes is worth it. No one is gonna make you successful, it’s on yourself.
In your opinion, what would make the world a BETTER place?
There are so many things that would make the world a better place, but for me the main one is being a good person. It’s so important to educate yourself on topics that may not directly affect you. Just because you’re not affected by it doesn’t mean other people aren’t. I have always been a big advocate for accepting everyone despite their age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, etc. We are all living for the first time and kindness really does go a long way.
What can we expect to hear/see next?
You should expect some fun collaborations and a lot of new music!
Connect with Nadia: