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Mustafa, the Toronto artist formerly known as Mustafa the Poet, is back with another new song and news that he’s signed to Jagjaguwar. “Imaan” is a tender love song between two people in search of God and purpose. Helping to establish that dynamic is Snoh Aalegra, who adds guest vocals to the song. Watch the self-directed video, which stars Imaan Hammam and includes creative direction from Ramy Youssef, below.
In a statement, Mustafa further elaborated on the making of “Imaan,” stating, “It’s about longing for all that we don’t have evidence of. Two Muslims journeying through their love of borderless Western ideology and how it contradicts with the modesty & devotion in which they were raised. ‘Imaan’ sonically represents this tussle too – the Sudanese strings and Egyptian oud woven into the bed American folk chords and drums. This tapestry, this collision is the song, is the romance, is the person Mustafa is. How it’s never enough, or too much. The song sits in the grey that people of faith are afraid to live in, but identify with. It’s about the way faith swings beneath Mustafa and Imaan like a rope. How cultural tension and bias and racism can inform and dismember romance.”
“Imaan” will appear on Mustafa’s as-yet-untitled upcoming debut studio album, as will “Name of God” – one of the best songs of 2023. His first release, When Smoke Rises, came out back in 2021. Earlier this year, he organized a benefit concert for Gaza and Sudan featuring performances by Clairo, Stormzy, and Omar Apollo, among others.
Revisit the Rising interview “Mustafa’s Meditative Songs of Mourning.”