After making a name for himself as a behind-the-scenes pop songwriter (Camila Cabello, the Weeknd), Toronto-bredMustafaintroduced himself as amajor voicewith 2021sWhen Smoke Rises, an EP-length meditation on mourning after the death of his late friend, the rapper Smoke Dawg.
In the meantime, the folk-leaning singer has become a rare artist willing to wholeheartedly voice their support for Palestinian liberation amidst Israels mass killing of civilians, organizing a series of Gaza benefit concerts featuring artists likeOmar Apollo,Clairo,Daniel Caesarand Earl Sweatshirt.
The 27 year-old singers debut album,Dunya, furthers the textured folk music he introduced onWhen Smoke Riseswith a list of varied A-list collaborators likeRosalia,Aaron Dessner, JID and Nicolas Jaar, (to name a few).
Jack McKain*
Rightly front and center in the mix, amidst the acoustic guitars, flutes, ouds, dulcimers and pianos, is Mustafas soul-deep voice, which is both smooth and weathered, which switches from croon to whisper then back from one line to the next, and which provides his musics central tension of delivering shattered imagery of violence and brokenness in moments of arresting beauty (Listen to Mustafas narrator detail bashing a skinhead with his ring on Gaza is Calling).
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With its rich melody and understated hooks,Dunyais, too, a merging of Mustfas pop sensibility: The songwriter delivering the hook on Imaan or the gorgeous alliterative refrain of album-opener Name of God (in that warm winter/I withered/I just want to get better), is very much the songwriter whos penned tunes for Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber.
One of the records most haunting moments comes towards its conclusion, on Beauty, end, just Mustafa singing over some acoustic instrumentation.
Hes detailing a past of obedience and rule-breaking, of peace and violence, until he arrives at a conclusion he seems haunted by the moment he says it out loud: I only see beauty, Mustafa coos, when it starts to end.
