Jaafar On His Debut Album And New Single ‘Sixteen’ [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]

Jaafar, an English-speaking Jordanian artist, is ready to break out in America with his forthcoming debut album that features hit singles “Oasis” and “Sixteen.”

Jaafar Exclusive

Jaafar first developed an interest in music as a small child after singing an Arabic song during a school production. In college, Jaafar started to take his music more seriously, and ended up in recording studios and playing at festivals. But it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that Jaafar really started to find his sound.

“I really started paying attention to lyrics and writing about things that were on my mind, things that were affecting the world,” Jaafar told uInterview in an exclusive interview. “So [“Sixteen”] was a response to the refugee situation around the world, to kids dying all over the world because of the different wars we have going on, just conflict within the countries.”

Another track Jaafar’s currently writing, “Down the River,” features a similar theme of struggle and degradation, but comes with a message of hope.

“It’s a reaction to pop culture today, to the world we’re living in, and so the lyrics say, ‘Down the river we go, down the river we go, fast to a wasteland of souls,'” Jaafar explained to uInterview. “That’s the kind of direction I think we’re heading in, and it continues by saying, ‘But if we swim upstream before we’re lost at sea there may yet be a better tomorrow.’ So I always try to put a little bit of hope in the songs.”

As for the sound Jaafar has embraced in his music, it’s a fusion of influences that includes the Middle Eastern music he grew up with and the Western music he’s been exposed to over the years. There’s no doubt that he’s created a thoroughly unique sound, and watering it down to make it more mainstream for U.S. audiences isn’t something he’s willing to do.

“I’m gonna keep doing what I’m doing because I finally feel like I’ve found my sound,” Jaafar said. “I really wanted to write music that was personal, but at the same time had the stamp that when people heard it they would know it was me…. I did a lot of searching and that was really what took me back to my Middle Eastern roots and Middle Eastern music was always my first love.”

Jafaar hopes that his music will speak for itself and that after his album comes out next year, he’ll tour across the Middle East and in America and get his big break stateside.

“I mean the U.S. is a great place to break through if you want to have an international career,” said Jaafar. “And that’s the goal.”