Naaz

Born in the Netherlands into a Kurdish family, Naaz developed an early interest in songwriting and gravitated toward an independent pop at the crossroads of electro and alternative R&B. Active on the Dutch scene since the mid-2010s, she first attracted attention through collaborations with electronic artists—most notably the duo Yellow Claw—before focusing on more introspective work exploring her own identity. Her songs blend direct pop melodies, supple electronic rhythms and stripped-back arrangements often centered on the voice, with lyrics that address family, exile, self-confidence and the tensions between tradition and Western urban culture. Naaz writes much of her material herself and takes part in production, which gives her recordings an intimate, sometimes raw quality that contrasts with accessible pop structures. The release of the EP "Bits of Naaz" in 2018 and "The Beautiful Struggle" in 2019 marked a significant step in her trajectory, establishing Naaz as a singer–songwriter able to circulate her universe between mainstream pop channels, the alternative scene and electronic music networks.