Mayer in Manama
Ahead of Bahrain: 6 Songs That Define John Mayer’s Live Ritual
From “Neon” to “Gravity,” six essentials that define John Mayer’s live evolution before his Bahrain debut.
MUSIC
The Rolling Stone Interview
Issam Alnajjar Is Ready for You to Re-Discover Him
Issam Alnajjar holds nothing back ahead of his sophomore album A Night In Cairo, from early virality pressures to the world he’s building.
The Making of a Legend
The Live Alchemy of John Mayer
Ahead of his Bahrain debut, Ahmed Amin revisits John Mayer’s iconic 2007 concert that cemented him as a guitar legend.
Not Very Distinct
The Franchising Curse Haunts Dystinct’s ‘Ta3al’
Why Dystinct’s “Ta3al” feels like franchising a hit instead of pushing forward – and how pop keeps forgetting the power of scarcity.
Unevenly Rich
Balad Beast Reviewed: The Place, The Sound, The Crowd
Ahmed Amin attends the two-day festival and reports on what works, what’s missing, and what sets Balad Beast apart from regional peers.
Bars Behind Bars
Bars Behind Bars: The Unspoken Rules Governing Tunisian Rap
Following the brief detention of rapper Kamara last year, the Tunisian rap scene is divided on what that detention means to their future.
Smells Like Gen Z Spirit
The Stealthy Revolution of Moroccan Grunge Rap
Lo-fi, raw, and defiant: how Moroccan grunge rap became a voice for a restless generation.
Right Wing Olympics
Ghali Under Fire Ahead of Winter Olympics Over Pro-Palestine Stance
Italian rapper Ghali faces backlash ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics over his outspoken pro-Palestine stance.
MUSIC
How Moe Rock Turned an Unlikely Story Into a Grammy Nomination
There are very few hard rules left in pop culture, but one has held for more than three decades: no…
MUSIC
Inside the Sound of K_T
Some artists approach music as invention; others treat it as recognition. K_T belongs to the latter group, drawn to melodies…
Music First
Our Pocket List of Can’t-Miss Balad Beast Sets
Balad Beast returns in its 4th edition with a line up combining global headliners with regional rising voices.
Rewired Heritage
The Limping Pulse: Decoding Istanbul’s Hybridized Electronic Scene
Bridging Europe and Asia, tradition and technology – meet the artists at the heart of Istanbul’s melting-pot electronic scene.
