interview | selton mello

leather jacket. AVVENN
shirt + tie. Calvin Klein
shorts. Jaded London
loafers. Jacquemus

Like a compass finding true north, Charlie Bushnell has been meticulously carving out his own path — one guided by instinct, curiosity, and a deep respect for the craft. From staging makeshift productions in his family’s living room and donning Tweedle Dum’s striped sleeves in middle school, to stepping fully into the shadows as Greek demigod Luke Castellan in ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians’, Bushnell’s journey has been anything but accidental.

Raised in a creatively charged household, surrounded by music, storytelling, and performance, Bushnell didn’t rush toward the spotlight — he found it on his own terms. What began as playful imagination slowly sharpened into purpose, sparked by watching young actors his own age command the screen. Now, as one of the emotional anchors of Disney+’s epic reimagining, Bushnell brings nuance, physicality, and quiet intensity to a character living in moral grey space.

In conversation with Schön!, he reflects on growing up on set, the power of ensemble work, and why finding stillness — both on and off screen — has become essential to his evolution as an actor.

So you started acting quite young. What drew you to acting?

When I was a little kid, my family always said that I was going to be the actor in the family. My brother and I put on these really crazy shows where we would wear our parents’ clothes or put underwear on our heads, run around the house and play these crazy characters. We would entertain our families the whole night. I would make movies with my toys when I was a kid. I had an iPad or something, and I would just film and create these crazy, big battle scenes with my Legos. I think it was in the cards for me.

The school I went to – elementary through middle school – doing a play was actually part of the curriculum. I would say up until seventh grade, I just wanted to be a very small character. I’d be guard number two and have three lines, and I’d be good with that. I always did enjoy those plays; I thought they were a lot of fun.

It was when I watched Stranger Things for the first time, I was thirteen or fourteen – I watched it a year later than everyone else. Because all the kids were sort of around my age, they were all so good, such talented actors, something just clicked for me in that moment. I realised, “oh, wait, I can do that too. I want to try that.” So I told my parents, and next thing I knew I was in acting classes.

blazer. Sivan
sweater. TAAKK
opposite
coat. SMFK
t-shirt + bandana. Ludovic de Saint Sernin
jeans. Jaded London
boots. COS
belt. Y/Project

What plays were you in?

Oh man, I think seventh grade was ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, I played Lysander, which was really fun. Eighth grade was ‘Alice in Wonderland’, a musical, so we had to sing quite a bit. I was Tweedle Dum, and another good friend of mine was Tweedle Dee. We had a musical number just the two of us, and it was terrible. I had a massive voice crack on stage in front of the whole school, but I was also in eighth grade.

So, coming into that time when it was happening all the time, anyway.

Oh yeah, every other sentence, I was having voice cracks at that point. I think my brother also got it on film. It’s somewhere there. Unfortunately.

You also grew up in a creative household, your dad’s a musician, you’re uncles an actor. Did that make you more inclined into going into a creative career yourself?

Definitely. Something I appreciate about my parents – my whole family is very creative and into the arts. But they never forced me to do anything I didn’t want to do. My dad, when he was a kid, was sort of forced into music. He ended up loving it, so it all worked out, but I think there were times when he had teachers that he really hated and whatnot, so he wanted us to find it ourselves. They never pushed me into it, but I was surrounded by music, creativity, and the arts my whole life, so I’m sure that influenced me in many ways.

At the end of the day, I decided I wanted to become an actor and found that path on my own. I have to give it to my parents; they have sacrificed so much for me. All the times they would drive me all across town to auditions, or come with me to set, and sacrifice so much of their own lives just to be there and support me on my journey. I’m super grateful for that.

That’s super sweet. I hear you also play football, tennis, and the guitar, too. Do these outlets play into your acting at all? Are there any lessons that manifest themselves?

Absolutely. Sports were definitely my first love growing up. I also have a very athletic family. My grandpa on my mom’s side is Costa Rican, so he’s been playing soccer from the moment he could walk, basically. Soccer was my main sport growing up, I did about seven years, and I was on a travel team, it was so much fun. It’s so great for kids to play sports and be on a team when they’re young, because you have to learn to work with others. It really is a team effort, and it’s the same in acting. You’re an ensemble, you’re part of a cast — it’s not just you.

That’s something I was thinking about the other day – the people I work with, or my friends – I love seeing them succeed because if they succeed, we all succeed. It’s such an amazing feeling, and we’re all so supportive; we really root for each other. I think learning how to work with others and be a part of a team and ask for help when you need it, that’s the main thing.

leather jacket. VIBRATE
leather tanktop. Ludovic de Saint Sernin
trousers. COS
opposite
leather jacket. AVVENN
shirt + tie. Calvin Klein
shorts. Jaded London

Interestingly, group sports have played into working with a full cast and team.

It really is a team effort. I have to give it to the people working behind the scenes, because at the end of the day, it’s the final product. You only see the actors on screen, but really, we’re such a minuscule part of it all. The ‘Percy’ crew, they’re the hardest working group of people I’ve ever met. They’re working crazy, long hours every day, and they always show up in good spirits, working at the top of their game. They’re truly the unsung heroes of not only our show, but the industry as a whole; they’re the ones that really bring it to life. So shout out to the crew.

Speaking of ‘Percy Jackson’, tell me a little bit about your role and what you’ve enjoyed most about playing Luke.

Luke is an amazing character. There are so many layers to Luke, which have been really fun to peel back, particularly in season two and as we head into season three. In season one, he was the older brother and mentor figure to Percy at Camp Half-Blood, and really one of the first people to take Percy in.

Of course, there’s a big twist: we find out that [Luke] is the Lightning Thief, the traitor. I like that change — in the book, he tries to take Percy out of the woods and kill him, but in the show, he tries to recruit [Percy] in that moment because Luke, at the end of the day, is doing this for the demigods. He’s trying to create a better world for everyone, in which they can all live harmoniously with the monsters — he doesn’t even use that word — and not be under the control of the gods anymore.

It was really fun to play this darker version of Luke, but also explore the revolutionary that he is. It’s more technical, it was very physical for me — apart from the actual stunts and fight scenes — I had to play two different versions of Luke. I played the current Luke, and then the flashback version when he’s fourteen on the run with Thalia and Annabeth. I tried to stand up straight and powerful, and to find the stillness in current Luke, like he holds the power and he’s working from a more logical point of view. Whereas young Luke is definitely more agitated, emotional and impulsive. You can see that in their physicality and movements.

Luke truly is just trying to make the world a better place, but he still exists in a grey moral area where he’s portrayed as the villain. What parts of him did you find easiest to connect to, and the most challenging?

You said it best, Luke is working from a morally grey area, even though his intentions are in good faith. At the end of the day, the Gods are not good people or parents. So, he truly believes what he’s doing is right and what’s best for everyone. That being said, he’ll do whatever it takes to make this dream of The Golden Age come to life, and that includes hurting people, even those closest to him.

Luke’s not a saint — he does some pretty villainous and unforgivable things. I think that was the challenge. I really had to step into his shoes and understand where he’s coming from. Our acting coach, Andrew, says that we share a nervous system with our characters. I’ve also been playing Luke for such a long time now, and I feel connected to him in a lot of ways.

coat. SMFK
t-shirt + bandana. Ludovic de Saint Sernin
opposite
sweater + trousers. TAAKK
boots. Maison Margiela

Were you into Greek mythology before ‘Percy Jackson’?

I’m not a Greek mythology encyclopedia; I couldn’t tell you every little thing about it, but of course. I learned a little bit about Greek mythology in school. I even took a philosophy class in my senior year where we went over all the ancient Greek philosophers. I always found that stuff so interesting.

With ‘Percy Jackson’, because we exist in that world, we have to know about various myths and creatures, what they are, and their back stories. I was thinking about Medusa the other day; her backstory is so sad. She’s made out to be this monster, but really, once again, she’s just a victim of the gods. You can also just learn so many lessons from the Greek myths; I feel like they mirror many human experiences.

And what’s it like when the cameras aren’t rolling? The ‘Percy Jackson’ cast is fairly young, and you’ll seem like quite a close-knit bunch.

Exactly how you guys see us on camera is exactly how we are in real life, too, but even more so. On camera — even when you’re just doing interviews — it feels like you’re playing a little bit of a character of yourself in a way. But we truly are a family at this point. I feel like people say that, but we actually mean it. Especially on this tour, I feel like we grew even closer, which I didn’t even think was possible — they are some of my best friends in the world. We spent almost three weeks seeing each other every day and didn’t get tired of each other once. I’m honestly excited to get back to Vancouver soon and get back to filming with everyone.

I heard some pranks were happening on set. Were you a victim of any, and what kind of role did you take on with the group?

To be honest, when we’re filming, we’re all really professional. Even though this cast is full of pranksters and we’re always making each other laugh, we also realise that we’re there to do a job. Every little second on set is accounted for. Especially with the kids, they can only work a certain number of hours. When you’re working on a show, especially like Percy Jackson, where there are so many moving parts that you have to take into account, there’s not that much time to get everything done. And so, we’re all very prepared and ready to go when we’re on set.

I can’t recall that I was a part of too many pranks during season two. Honestly, I was very locked in. Luke’s energy was just so different from mine that I had to stay in it, and everyone really respected that and respected my space. I really appreciate them for that. But off set, we’re always messing around. Leah is probably one of the biggest pranksters. I’ve learned some funny pranks that she’s done, particularly on Walker and Aryan over the years. That’s a boring answer, but the thing is, we all just love acting and the process. We’re still having an amazing time on set, and then we save all the goofy stuff for when we wrap for the day or hang out on the weekends.

You also recently did some voice work on ‘In The Know’. What was that like?

It was amazing. Oh man, I’m so sad we didn’t get to do another season. It was so much fun getting to work with Mike Judge and Zach Woods – everyone was incredible. Zach, I’m such a huge fan of his. I remember seeing him in ‘The Office’, which is one of my favourites, and I thought he was so hilarious, so getting to work with him was a dream come true. Mike Judge, who created all these incredible, iconic shows — he’s amazing. He’s quite a reserved guy, super nice, super kind. But as soon as we start rolling, he’s able to put so much energy into the characters he plays in an instant. Seeing that was really cool.

What was so fun about that show is we really got to improvise a lot. The whole day, we do a couple of runs where we follow the script, but then they were so open, being like, ‘Let’s stick to the layout of the scene, but play around and say whatever you feel.’ Every take would turn out different. Zach is the king of improv — you would think he wrote these out in advance because they were just so perfectly timed and funny. But no, he’s just that talented.

It’s just cool to do something in the animation world. It’s different from live-action, and you really have to use your imagination a lot more because you don’t have the set, wardrobe, or hair and makeup to rely on to bring the world to life. On the other hand, that can also be nice, because you don’t have to worry about any of the external stuff, and you’re fully present as the character, not worrying about how your hair looks.

Are there any other projects you’re looking forward to, any genres you’d like to do next? What’s next for Charlie Bushnell?

I have this other animated show that I’ve been working on. I couldn’t give you an exact date, but it’s been a lot of fun to work on and has also been a dream of mine. I feel like I’ve really hit the jackpot with everything I’ve gotten to work on so far in my career, and also all the people I’ve gotten to meet, work with, and call my friends and family. At this point, I’m just so grateful. ‘Percy Jackson’ has been the greatest gift of my life, and I really hope we get to continue on that path for as long as we can.

I’d also love to jump into the world of film. I think it’d be cool to do something totally like a slice of life, maybe an indie film. I just rewatched ‘Past Lives’ the other day, and you follow these characters, not really that much happens, but you’re still so invested. It’d be cool to do something like that next. We’ll see. I know I have definitely a few months of filming for Percy coming up in the new year.

leather jacket. VIBRATE
leather tanktop. Ludovic de Saint Sernin
trousers. COS

Season two of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is streaming now on Disney+.

photography. Mekhi Turner
fashion. Peiwen Wang
talent. Charlie Bushnell
grooming. Michelle Harvey @ Opus Beauty using Charlotte Tilbury + Oribe
production. Clara La Rosa
production assistant. Cassidy Cocke
location. Vision Studio LA
interview. Rhea Lobo

graphic t-shirt. The Society Archive
watch. Rolex

Melvin Gregg’s face once lived in six-second bursts—quick jokes, exaggerated expressions, instant laughter. Rising to fame during Vine’s golden era, he became one of the platform’s most recognizable creators. Today, his performances unfold more slowly and with greater emotional depth. From Snowfall to The Paper, Gregg has shifted toward characters defined by vulnerability, uncertainty, and quiet tension. His career now exists in the space between viral visibility and long-form storytelling, tracing not just a change in medium, but an ongoing search for identity beyond first impressions.

graphic t- shirt + trousers. The Society Archive
opposite
knit cape. Giorgio Armani
underwear. The Society Archive
necklace. Talent’s Own
watch. Rolex

You transitioned from making millions of people laugh on social media on Vine to carrying deep pain in front of the camera. In this journey between two extreme sides, what was the sharpest conflict between the version people expected from you and your true self?

What was the biggest difference between the version people expected and my true self? I think people often expect me to be exactly how they first encountered me. But like most people, I have many different sides depending on the moment, the person I am speaking to, and what is happening in my life.

Throughout my career, I have been able to tap into different sides of myself, but people tend to hold on to that first impression. If they discovered me online, they expect me to be very outgoing and energetic. That platform was centred on comedy, and with only six seconds, you had to be big and animated. In real life, I am not really like that. I am much more relaxed and low-key.

If someone meets me through Snowfall, I am playing a gangster, but I am not a gangster in real life. And now in The Paper, my character is a people pleaser. He is optimistic, enthusiastic, carefree, and awkward. I am not really like that most of the time. Maybe around certain people, but generally, I am more cynical than enthusiastic.

I am optimistic in my own way, but I am definitely not a people pleaser. I think all of my characters contain parts of me, but they also distort certain traits. It is a mix of truth and exaggeration. I actually miss the Vine era sometimes. TikTok is great too, but Vine was all about six or seven seconds. It felt more playful and spontaneous. It was definitely a moment.

trousers. Levis Baggy Capri
underwear. Calvin Klein
beanie. The Society Archive
necklace. Talent’s Own
opposite
hoodie. Eckhaus Latta
shirt. Aubero
jeans. The Row
shoes. Timberlands
watch. Rolex

How did you reframe your career from going viral to leaving a lasting mark? What was the most frightening aspect of that transformation for you?

The thing about going viral is that you get a lot of attention, but not all attention is equal. People care for a few days, then something else goes viral, and they move on. It is very short-lived. You might reach more people, but the content itself is brief, so the impact does not last.

You do not go viral just once. You have to keep doing it constantly to stay relevant. That can be exciting, but it is also exhausting. In more traditional formats like television or film, you may not go viral, but the people who do watch your work carry it with them much longer.

When someone sits down to watch a film for an hour and a half, they get to know the character. They go on a journey. That experience stays with them. There are movies we watched as kids that still affect us today. A viral video usually does not have that kind of lasting effect. You may reach fewer people, but the attention you receive is deeper and more meaningful.

button up. Aubero
t-shirt. Barneys @ The Society Archive
opposite
blazer. Emporio Armani x Our Legacy
t-shirt. Barneys @ The Society Archive
trousers. Giorgio Armani
shoes. Birkenstock Boston Clog
belt. Talent’s Own

In productions like Not Perfect, Strangers, and The Way Back, we often hear an inner monologue shaping your characters. How do you construct those inner voices, and how close are they to your own?

I always try to find parallels between the character and things I can relate to in my own life. That might be something I am experiencing now or something I went through in the past. That connection helps me understand and justify the character. Once I understand who the character is, what they want, and how they see the world, I can exist in that space and let the environment affect me naturally.

In Not Perfect Strangers, a large part of my character’s story did not make the final cut. He resented social media because his wife wanted attention from people online more than from him. She was chasing validation from strangers, and he kept questioning what really mattered. Was it the attention of people you will never meet, or the attention of the person right in front of you? That idea connects directly to my own experience. Coming from social media, I sometimes felt like I was performing for people I did not know instead of focusing on the people closest to me. That parallel helped me live truthfully inside the character.

In The Paper, my character is in love but not receiving attention. He starts spiralling, trying to figure out how to get it. Should he play hard to get, or should he be honest and vulnerable? That is something most people have experienced, and it is something I have lived through myself. I try to find those shared emotional truths and let them guide the performance.

shirt. The Society Archive
trousers. Nili Lotan
watch. Jaeger La Couture

During your Vine days, was comedy a kind of protective shield? Looking back now, were there emotions you thought you were hiding that still came through on camera?

I would not say it was a shield. It was more about what worked best on that platform. Vine was built around shareability, and comedy is the most shareable form of content. People tell jokes all the time. You do not usually walk around sharing traumatic stories. Comedy simply worked, so that is what most of us leaned into. I do not think I was hiding much emotionally.

shirt. The Society Archive
trousers. Nili Lotan
watch. Jaeger La Couture
belt. Giorgio Armani
opposite
t-shirt. Barneys @ The Society Archive
trousers. Giorgio Armani
belt. Talent’s Own

How do you challenge dominant portrayals of Black masculinity as strong, stoic, and unbreakable when choosing roles? Do you actively look for vulnerability in a character?

I look for characters I can bring humility to. Black men are often portrayed as a single type or trope. If I can break that down and add more layers, then maybe audiences can walk away with a deeper understanding of masculinity, and specifically Black masculinity. With The Paper, I get to play someone who is not the traditionally cool or hyper-masculine guy. That feels important. Being Black and being a man is not a monolith. We come in many forms, personalities, and emotional registers. Exploring that range on screen feels necessary.

blazer. Emporio Armani x Our Legacy
button up. Aubero
t-shirt. Barneys @ The Society Archive
trousers. Giorgio Armani
belt. Talent’s Own
opposite
shirt + necklace. Talent’s Own
beanie. The Society Archive

If your career were a basketball game, where do you see yourself right now? Are you still playing offence, or are you beginning to direct the game?

I feel like a player who understands the game deeply. When I retire, I will probably coach. Right now, I am coming off the bench. I have strong games, but I am not a starter yet. I am not the star of the team. I have not yet been given the opportunity to fully take control and show everything I can do. At this point, I have mostly been a role player, but I believe I have the potential to be a key player on any team.

Is social media still a big part of your life today? Who is Melvin Gregg when the camera is not rolling? Are there habits or rituals we do not get to see?

I am still figuring out how social media fits into my life now. The perception around it has changed a lot. In the early days, it was not taken seriously because it was new. Now people understand its value, the reach, the numbers, the influence. I am trying to find a balance where I can benefit from having an audience without getting distracted by chasing virality. Sometimes productions want someone with a large following, but that is not really who I am anymore. It would not be genuine to my goals.

I try to create content based on my real interests rather than trends. Most of my life is not online. I am very intentional about what I share. If I post my family, it is because I hope it encourages people to spend time with theirs. If I post myself building something, I hope it inspires someone to put their phone down and create something themselves. If it does not serve that purpose, I usually do not post it.

graphic t-shirt. The Society Archive
watch. Rolex
opposite
shirt. Giorgio Armani @ The Society Archive
trousers. THE SOCIETY ARCHIVE
underwear. Calvin Klein
necklace. Talent’s Own

You have spoken about your desire to write and tell your own stories. Is there a character or scene that has lived in your mind for years but has not yet been brought to life?

There are too many to count. When I was doing social media, I created new ideas every day for four years. When I stopped posting, the ideas did not stop. I just stopped sharing them publicly. I have written several scripts that I want to bring to life one day. The challenge is getting them made, especially in today’s industry. I have scripts I want to produce, ideas that are not even on paper yet, and projects I have already filmed that I am waiting to complete and release. The creativity never stops. Right now, it is just about navigating the process.

Are you currently writing? Are these scripts, or do you work in other forms as well?

Mostly scripts. I have written television shows and films across different genres. I am also working on a short film series right now. I have completed the first two and I am working on the third. I am always creating. It just takes longer to bring things into the world than it did with social media. Hopefully, when they do arrive, they resonate more deeply.

graphic t- shirt + trousers. The Society Archive

photography. Torian Lewin
fashion. Izaake Zuckerman
talent. Melvin Gregg
grooming. Lynda Esparza
fashion assistant. Cole Norton
interview. Alper Kurtel
special thanks. The Refinery Hotel, New York

Zeyne is emerging as one of the most compelling voices of her generation. She stands as a modern muse for Arabic music with a clear understanding that the future doesn’t arrive through erasure but through evolution. “It’s the responsibility of us as artists, as filmmakers, as painters to speak up, represent and reflect the times,” she tells Schön! over Zoom.

Everything the Palestinian-Jordanian singer puts forward is done without negotiating her identity. Her debut album ‘AWDA’ — meaning return in Arabic — is an intimate exploration of return to self, to memory and to meaning. Written entirely in Arabic, it tells her story without need for translation as it speaks entirely on its own terms. “That was very intentional. I wanted to tell my story fully in Arabic. The language itself is so beautiful, I didn’t want to include just a few words here and there in English, or in another language, just to make it easier to commercialise,” she says.

Sonically, it’s measured and emotive, leaving as much space for reflection as it does for release. Zeyne explores the arcs of love, grief, mental health, origin, belonging and displacement. These are all personal experiences that inevitably echo collective ones, allowing the album to function as both an intimate diary and a wider cultural statement. “We’ve gone through so much as a community [and] as a region so it talks about returning to so many parts of yourself if you’re ready to confront them,” she explains.

Beyond the music, Zeyne’s visual language is just as considered. She doesn’t reference heritage as an ornament, she inhabits it with the same intention that defines her sound. “That’s one of the few ways we can keep our identity alive. Through art, through dance, through music, through shared memory,” she says.

Marrying tradition with contemporary experimentation, her work is rooted in Palestinian ancestry but shaped by a generation that refuses to inherit it passively, instead making space where there was once friction. “We always had this imposed narrative on us that we’re just not enough as Arabs,” she says. “I wanted to challenge that and say…we are enough as we are.” In doing so she claims full authorship over the narrative, reshaping the space she moves through rather than asking to enter it.

To experience Zeyne is to witness a return that looks forward. She is a reminder that identity, when embraced fully, can be both an anchor and a horizon. Fresh from her tour of the Gulf, Schön!’s 2025 Rising Star opens up about keeping her culture alive, the rise of Arab stars in mainstream music and how she’d love to take legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz out for lunch. 

Hey Zeyne, thank you for joining us! You released your debut album ‘AWDA’ which means “return” in Arabic. What parts of yourself did this album ask you to return to the most?

I realised that, as I was finishing the album, I had just been writing about the past year and a half of my life. It felt like I lost myself with the amount of things that were happening. Then by the end of it, I felt like I was slowly coming back to myself. It’s truly just a cycle. We’re always going to be going through life, losing ourselves and then finding ourselves again through community and through identity. 

Let’s talk about the opening monologue on the first track  ‘Asli Ana.’ It introduces these ideas very powerfully. What did starting the album that way mean for you?

The whole album starts with ‘Harrir Akla [Free Your Mind]’ and ‘Asli Ana [My Origin].’ They’re a statement at the beginning of the album to let the listener know exactly who they’re listening to. Someone who is unapologetic about their identity, about who they are, where they come from, their roots, their heritage, their lineage – everything that makes them who they are.

Listening to the album, it feels very personal. How does the theme of identity unfold through ‘AWDA’?

It goes through different themes of loving yourself and then finding love, running out of love, confronting yourself [and] your mental health, going through grief and then realising when you’re at rock bottom that there is hope. There is a chance to find yourself again and regain that strength and resilience through the people that are around you. We tend to forget where we come from and who we are as a people. ‘Kollo Lena [It’s All Ours]’ which is the end track talks about the kind of people we [Palestinians] are, how we have unbreakable spirits and unerasable culture. I was inspired a lot by Mahmoud Darwish’s poem, ‘On this land.’ He’s just my favorite poet in the world.

How does that sense of self translate into your visual identity? Particularly in your music videos.

If you want to represent culture visually, it has to be based on research. It can’t be based on surface level, stereotypical accessories that people are used to. For example, the keys on the black outfits in the ‘Asli Ana’ clip. The story behind the keys is that in 1948, a lot of people were forcibly displaced from their homes and were promised they would be able to come back after a couple of weeks. So, a lot of people held onto their keys. My grandmother still has hers to this day. It’s a reminder that we’re never letting go of the keys. They symbolise the right to return. What [creative director] Farah did was use newer looking versions of the keys to represent our generation holding onto that promise. It’s not just our grandparents. Also, I love referencing other artists. Slimane Mansour was a painter that we referenced. We recreated one of his paintings, the one with all the farmers harvesting.

That carries into your performance, as well. Dabkeh has become central there.

Dabkeh is the traditional Levantine dance. Living in Jordan, where almost half of the population is also Palestinian, we have many Dabkeh groups. The one that I was in is Palestinian. It’s called the Al Quds folkloric group. I joined it when I was five, my mum used to run the group. For the longest time during school years, I was a bit shy to tell my friends that I did that because somehow being connected to your roots wasn’t cool and we always wanted to do what the West did. In my family, maintaining cultural ties through storytelling, through making sure that we have good relationships with our grandparents, traditions – it was very important.

Can you tell us more about that? 

It was really special because it’s not just dancing, it was being a part of a community. In a time where people are trying to erase our culture and ethnically cleanse Palestinians, it’s very important for us to hold on to what we have. Dabkeh originates from people who used to jump on the soil when harvesting. It was a mechanism to make the soil more fertile. It evolved into them connecting hands and singing folkloric songs. They literally created that dance from our land. So yes, it looks really cool, but it’s also a very intimate personal dance for Palestinians. When I’m singing about decolonising your mind, embracing your identity, and about unbreakable spirit, it’s important to match that on a performance and movement level.

It feels like artists of your generation are shaping a whole new language around what it means to be an Arab singer today. What does that look like from your perspective?

As time will pass, more and more artists are going to emerge. Growing up I didn’t have that. I didn’t have a Palestinian female artist to look up to or someone that I could resonate with from my own generation. Hopefully it also inspires the younger generation to be proud of where they come from and not shy away from that. I remember when I was in university people would ask, “where are you from?” I would say “Palestine, Jordan,” [and] they would just give me a weird look. I’m pretty sure if this happened now it might evoke a different emotion which is really cool. I think the shift is not only in music, it’s the general conversation around the world about Arabs in general. I feel like everything Arab related is now becoming more popular. 

What does singing in Arabic mean to you?

There’s a shift in how people look at the Arabic language. We have the most poetic and romantic language to exist. It’s so cool to see people from all around the world sending me messages saying they don’t understand Arabic but they’re starting to learn the language.  It’s very touching when I get these messages because it feels like we’re bringing people closer to who we are and not trying to bend over to kind of get to them. The Arabic language is becoming a bridge in my music. 

You’ve described yourself as a dreamer. As you look ahead into the new year which dreams feel realised and which ones are still calling you?

I’m finally doing my headlining tour in the spring which I’ve wanted to do for a really long time. It’s very surreal for me. You know what I would love to do? I’d love to sit down with Fairuz. Just for lunch or breakfast or anything she wants. 

This Schön! online exclusive has been brought to you by

photography. Vicky Grout @ Soho Management
fashion. Yasmine Sabri
talent. Zeyne
casting. Shama Nasinde
hair. Tarik Bennafla @ Stella Creative Artists using Oribe
makeup. Joy Adenuga @ Forward Artists Movement
movement direction. Elettra Giunta
set designer. Elena Horn
photography assistant. Alex Galloway 
production. Clara La Rosa
location. Sunset Studios
words. Sarah Diab