Son Savage follows up his debut album “Folie à Deux” with the region’s first video game music video.
On April 7, 2022, the song “Superglue” and its music video were released. Starting April 14, 2022, the game will be accessible for free download and play on the App Store and Google Play.
Son Savage’s debut album, “Folie à Deux,” spawned lead single “Love Therapy” (nearly 200K views on Youtube) and most recently the 8-bit video game music video for “Superglue,” following the runaway success of his recent single “The River,” which saw him compete with Amr Diab and Al Jasmi for chart position on regional streaming giant Anghami.
Son Savage’s single “The River” rocketed him to the top of the charts this summer, spending three weeks at the top of the Anghami International Chart and reaching No. 4 in the Full Charts. And “Folie à Deux” and the 12 tracks on it follow the same winning formula.
Son Savage not only writes, composes, produces, and performs all of his own music, but he also oversees the creative direction of his label, Say Records. As you can see from the track titles, love is at the heart of many of the songs on “Folie à Deux.” According to Son Savage, the album “explores love as a type of psychosis.” ‘The songs take the listener on a journey of falling in and out of love.’
And, like love, the album shuffles across a variety of genres: from full-fledged gospel choirs to a shredding guitar solo, from talkbox and synth to cheeky sax, the album is alive with masterfully brought to life concepts. However, when Son Savage describes his influences as ‘Soul, Funk, Blues, Motown, Gospel, Rockabilly, and Rock & Roll with ‘being Arab,’ you can see why his record is so diverse. But this success was so close to not happening.
The world watched in disbelief as the Beirut port explosion rocked the Lebanese capital just over a year ago, sending the fragile metropolis decades behind schedule. And for Son Savage, that incident served as a spark. He quit his office job and resorted to music after realising that life was too brief – and fragile. However, the artist claims that it was far from a gamble.
‘The combination of COVID and the Beirut Blast allowed me to simply change my priorities and devote more time to what I am actually passionate about, which will always be music.’ The music world benefits greatly from the loss of the business world. The single “Superglue” and the album “Folie à Deux” are available now.
Today we had a chance to interview Son Savage about his journey into the music industry and his freshly released single, “Superglue.”
- How did you first get into music?
When my grandmother passed away at age 12, music was the comfort zone that I would turn to and slowly became a huge part of my identity. I joined my first band when I was 13, and began exploring songwriting as a form of self expression. At 17 years old, I released an 8-song EP called “Trap” and it was my first official attempt at putting out original music.
- What instruments can you play?
I play the keys and arrange/produce all of my music. I sometimes write out entire string sections and brass sections on my MIDI controller before sending it off for live recording.
- Where do you see your musical career in 10 years?
I hope to still be able to make music at the highest level & to connect with audiences from around the world. My aim is to take the Son Savage brand worldwide and expand my artistic involvement from just music and video to gaming (like I did with Superglue), Fashion, AR/VR and other digital applications we will see in the future.
- Which instrument is your favourite to play?
My favorite instrument to play would be my voice! I love improvising with musicians and coming up with vocal melodies on the spot. My favorite instrument to compose/write would be the bass, and it is an integral part of all of my music.
- Which instrument is your least favourite to play?
I’m not a fan of woodwind instruments, but I have used a flute in my orchestral arrangement for Sunflower Anthem. As a fan of music first and foremost, I believe there is beauty in anything that has a musical value so there isn’t any particular instrument that I could “hate”.
- What would you say is your greatest strength as an artist?
100% songwriting. In 2012, I made my first trip to Sweden where I was fortunate enough to work with industry trailblazers in songwriting such as Gosta Hulden (Helena Paparizou), Jeffery David (Echosmith) and Thomas Stengaard (The Baseballs) among others. That was where I picked up a lot of my skills as a songwriter and I would like to thank these giants for trusting and mentoring a then 20-something year old me.
- What would you say is your greatest weakness as an artist?
Being from the Middle East, I find that a lot of publications are quick to dismiss my ability to compete with international musical acts – especially that I write and perform in English. I’m hoping to continue to prove myself in the coming years to change some minds & prove some of my doubters wrong.
- Who is your favourite musician?
I’m a big Max Martin fan. His versatility and impeccable track record are second to none. I also listen to a lot of John Mayer, especially when cruising in my car!
- What is your proudest accomplishment as a musician?
Topping the Anghami (MENA equivalent of Spotify) International Charts for 3 weeks and peaking at #4 on the Top Charts with my debut single “The River” in August 2021 with +1M streams is definitely my proudest accomplishment so far. With this feat alone, I was able to open several doors for myself and for other Alternative acts from the region.
- What interests or hobbies do you have outside of music?
I love cooking! As a child, I used to tell my grandmother (God rest her soul) that when I grow up I want to be 3 things: A singer because I love music, a chef because I love to cook, and a heart surgeon in case she ever gets sick. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it as a surgeon in time, but I still practice my other “dreams” passionately.
- What is your creative process when making music?
Melody, melody, melody. Every song has to start as a melodic idea – a catchy hook or a chorus that comes to me. Lyrics are usually the very final step in my songwriting process – as I try to make sure the emotions are conveyed purely with melody and then translated into words based on how the song makes me feel.
- Tell me about your top performances.
Throughout my early 20’s, I was able to put out chart-topping pop-rock music in my country of Lebanon, culminating in a performance in front of 25,000 audience members at the 2015 NRJ Music Tour alongside names such as Redfoo (LMFAO), Lost Frequencies, Kadebostany and Mohombi.
- Take me through how the song idea came about, the writing and production process.
“Superglue” began as a bass line. I was messing around with cool bass sounds on my DAW and came up with what would become the main bass/hook that you hear in the chorus of the song. This is one of the few examples on the album where the bass is not played live – but the VST sound (with a lot of modification) was too good to replace.
- Who would you most like to collaborate with artistically?
It has always been my dream to be in the same writing room as big pop songwriters such as Max Martin, Shellback and Rami Yacoub. There is also a Eurovision act called Dadi Freyr from Iceland that I am completely obsessed with and find that our approach to music follows a similar logic so I feel like we can do something cool together.
- Who has been your most influential teacher or mentor?
Going back to my time in Sweden and the awesome songwriters I mentioned earlier – I feel like I’ve learned the most from these bunch of guys especially that I was very young and inexperienced at the time.
- Have you ever taught or mentored another musician?
I have always made myself available for friends and talented musicians who come to me with questions and I’m more than happy to advise/mentor anyone who visits my studios at Say Records in Beirut or Soundstruck Studios in Dubai where I also lead on developing ideas for several artists in MENA.
- What was your worst performance?
30 minutes ago performing “Livin’ On A Prayer” under the shower.
- How do you deal with disinterested or unruly audiences?
I try to interact with crowds a lot to wake them up and try to involve them in the show as best as I can. It’s always challenging playing in front of a live crowd that is watching you for the first time, but it is also the best opportunity for artists to make new fans.
- Do you prefer to work alone or collaboratively?
Both. I like to start my work alone, set the structure of my music the way I want it to be and make sure I have put all my ideas into the song before I bring in other musicians/producers. Once I do, I am always very interested to hear new ideas or takes on my original vision, and that’s where I usually go back and forth with the musicians until everyone is satisfied with the final outcome.
- What are your favourite venues to perform at?
I love performing in bigger venues – you would assume it is more difficult to perform in front of a large crowd but it is actually the complete opposite. Intimate shows require the artist to do most of the work, while larger shows become an energetic exchange between artist, audience and band & that is when the magic happens.
- What inspires you as an artist?
Everything. Art is an amplification of life: the good, the bad, the ugly & the beautiful.
- How do you nurture your own creativity?
I read a lot, and I try to stay current with new creative projects from around the world – whether in music, film, or advertising.
- Do you have trouble with performance anxiety?
I would like to think so, but as soon as I think of being on stage I remember the thrill/adrenaline rush a lot more than the anxiety.
- What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
I love listening to raw, soulful music. That’s why grassroots genres such as Soul, Funk, Rockabilly, Blues, Motown and Rock & Roll dominate my personal playlists. I do love Pop music as well because of its structure and addictive hooks. My least favorite genre would have to be Heavy/Death Metal but that’s mostly because I can’t sing along with them (laughs).
- How do you differ from most other artists?
To begin with, every person is unique. Now imagine that person being an English-singing Dubai-based Arab pop artist who is influenced by grassroots American genres with the support and mentorship of Swedish, British and European songwriters. Not someone you would meet everyday I assume (laughs)
- How do you think of your previous song comparing to this newly released?
While “Superglue” did not out-perform my debut single “The River”, it did bring me and my music into the realm of gaming for the very first time. “Superglue” was released as an 8-bit music video and mobile video game which is free to download on App Store & Google Play. The game is super fun and includes a chiptune/8-bit version of the song. The game will be updated with new levels soon and I recommend everyone to download and play to try to break the high score currently held by my sister (Sorry, Jess!)
Listen to Son Savage Superglue song below!
Don’t forget to follow him on Instagram as @sonsvvvge
See also: Bineal Roy Out With “Maybe” Video
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