There are many things in our world to be horrified about. For Dua Saleh, one of the major issues that’s haunting them is the way we’re treating Earth – and what we’re willing to sacrifice for it.
“I am aghast that we’re willing to destroy our planet to sustain an economic system that will not sustain itself because the pillars of it are destruction,” they tell NME sorrowfully while taking time out of a well-earned slow November day in Los Angeles. As a Sudanese-American who moved to the States as a refugee, they’ve witnessed first-hand the damage and danger caused by the climate crisis. Everything, Saleh reiterates, is linked: environmental, economic and social justice are all related and exist in tandem with personal relationships and circumstances.
It’s this philosophy they carry in their life and in their music. Although better known for their breakout acting role in Netflix’s Sex Education, Saleh is primarily an artist and began releasing music with their debut track ‘First Take’ in 2017. They swiftly followed it with the dreamy, experimental EP ‘Nūr’, and a further two EPs – including the electronic-fuelled ‘Crossover’ in 2021 – expanded their range. Last October, they opened up their sonic boundaries even further with their debut album, ‘I SHOULD CALL THEM’.
That latter record is a moving collection of tracks which fuse R&B and jazz to narrate the tale of queer star-crossed lovers as they navigate a deteriorating environment and uncertain future. Against a backdrop of celestial electronics, sultry strings and sweeping guitars, Saleh shifts effortlessly between tender, airy vocals and poignant, on-the-nose delivery. The album, which features guest appearances from Serpentwithfeet, Gallant, Sid Sriram and Ambré, is a project that Saleh has always wanted to make, and R&B was the tool they used to tell a story that connects romance with a biosphere in catastrophe.
“The thing about R&B and Black music at large is that a lot of it is insightful on the worries that we have about the world,” the 30-year-old trans, non-binary musician and actor says, citing ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ as an example. “For me, environmental justice is something that is considerably important, being from East Africa and seeing the ways our resources have been exploited.”
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