Riyadh: On Saturday night in Diriyah, cars drove along a seemingly abandoned, winding road with flight tickets, but they were not headed for an airport. Their destination was The Warehouse, a new venue by Jax District that was created to help artists connect with their audiences.
Singer-songwriter Molham came onto the Saudi music scene about four years ago, after leaving behind a lucrative but monotonous corporate job. Since then, he has garnered a loyal following on social media. Known exclusively in the Middle East and North Africa music scene by his first name, Molham is set this month to become the first Saudi artist to embark on a regional tour in 2023 — with his first show landing perfectly in the heart of the Kingdom.
Describing his musical style, Molham told Arab News: “My sound is a blend of Arabic lyrics with Western melodies. I call it A-pop. There is some R&B; there are hints of pop and trap. There are hints of hip-hop. There is a lot of experimentation within it. And because there’s no blueprint, we have the privilege, responsibility and the freedom to make it what we want it to be. And it’s not easy.
“For my very first tour, the ‘Khayali Tour,’ which means ‘my imagination,’ we’re starting off in Riyadh, then we’re going to Cairo and Amman. I’m extremely excited to take the Saudi music we’ve been working on (abroad),” he said.
Eventgoers to Molham’s concert were handed authentic-looking red and white boarding passes, a unique touch that aimed to inspire in audience members a feeling of being transported to another place.
On the carefully curated experience of the concert, Molham said: “I love creating unique experiences for people that are coming out to spend their night with me. When somebody comes out to a show, they’re not just coming out to see the music, but they’re coming for the ambiance. They’re coming for the overall energy.”
The artist noted the personal sentiment behind concert tickets in the form of boarding passes: “I personally keep tangible things. I’ll keep the ticket from a flight or if I go to a particular event that I really enjoyed, I’ll keep memorabilia from that event. So, I wanted to create something unique and custom-made that my audience could keep. Something that is from the very first show of my very first tour that they can always remember.”
On concert day, Molham walked out on stage wearing a posh red leather jacket and slick black pants, a microphone in his hand and swagger for days. His charisma matched the crowd’s enthusiasm. His voice was smooth and his bursts of rap, flawless.
Molham performed a medley of fan favorites, many of which were released during the pandemic. His passionate delivery reverberated well in The Warehouse.
As a songwriter, Molham’s lyrics move seamlessly between Arabic and English. The messages in the songs are often wholesome, sometimes playful but always deeply emotional. He explores love in all its forms: self-love, love for family, painful love and everything in between.
The theme of the concert is important to Molham, as travel has been a constant in his life and has helped shape his identity and work ethic. After having spent his childhood in Canada, attended university in the US and lived out part of his adult years in the Emirates, making his tour about flights, or traveling in general, was all deliberate. He often writes his songs in airports and has come up with many of his ideas while in flight.
Describing his love for traveling and airports with a warm smile on his face, Molham said: “I have spent a ridiculous amount of hours in airports, honestly. I’ve been lucky enough to travel a lot. So, it is all a core part of who I am and the experiences that I’ve had. The entire theme of the show, from the way that it starts to the way that it ends, is that we’re going on a journey. We’re going on a flight. So, it kicks off with an announcement.”
The announcement that opens the concert, reminiscent of an airport boarding call, was recorded by Molham’s father. Interestingly, Molham’s uncle voices the Prophet Muhammad’s travel supplication at the beginning of all Saudia flights.
Although the theme of the tour is personally inspiring to Molham, going on tour was not an easy decision. He said that there was “no blueprint to doing a tour like this in the region.”
Starting with two Saudi cities and then moving on to shows in Egypt and Jordan, Molham is hoping to maybe add Dubai and Khartoum to his list of performance destinations — a significant undertaking.
“The logistics around every city (are) extremely different. It’s very complex to put together a tour in the region because there’s no clear tour circuit. For instance, in the US there are venues in each city where they are used to having bands or performers do tours and stop by on certain dates. Tour culture is still being introduced here,” he said.
Molham is emerging as an artist who faces the challenges before him while never sacrificing his creativity. He shared that he is also planning to release an EP this summer.
After the end of his first show, Molham stayed until the early morning hours to mingle with fans and those who waited in line to meet him. He was mindful that many were introduced to his music during quarantine, and this was their first opportunity to engage with him outside of their phones and in real life. It was special to him, too.
But the one fan he was most delighted to see was his mother, who surprised him by flying in from their hometown Jeddah. Throughout the set, she stood swaying to the beat, mouthing the words to the songs, her glistening eyes transfixed on stage. After the show, she told Arab News: “I had to be there. It’s his first tour!”
For details about tickets to Molham’s upcoming show in Jeddah on March 10, visit @molham on Instagram.
