Nadia Nair, we're told, wrote her latest single "Bricks & Sandstorms" in response to growing up in Sweden and being perceived as "not looking Swedish". Cleverly, the tale is told in a style that taps directly into the sort of ethereal, dreamy electro-pop sound we usually associate with Scandinavia. Despite the kernel of pain that sits at the heart of the track, "Bricks & Sandstorms" is ultimately an optimistic, uplifting track that offers a message of encouragement and self-love. Powerful and beautiful in equal measures, it's also worth remembering the track comes at a time when a lot of people in the West are being made to feel like an 'other'.
"'Bricks & Sandstorms' is about embracing and being proud of who you are in your beautiful coloured skin in a society or in situations that still do not accept you as the norm as you claim your spaces," Nair told Complex via email. "It questions, it's open, honest and raw. One of my most to-the-point songs, but I still managed to paint it colourfully in the ways I am drawn to do, but with a less mystical meaning and with an emotional spill I want to penetrate with."
"Bricks & Sandstorms" drops tomorrow (Sept. 21) along with B-side "Moon". Keep an eye out for Nadia Nair when she comes to London for a headline show at The Waiting Room on Nov. 6.
