In a technical move that reflects a clear artistic maturity and a sincere desire for diversity and difference, young Emirati artist, Saleh Abdullah, chose to address his audience at the start of the New Year in a completely different way, with a new musical work titled "In Your Absence." He delivered an exceptional dose of music that evokes the classics of Arabic music, translating the Arab palate's longing for its charm and beauty, while simultaneously proving his ability to experiment musically and sing in various dialects and maqamat, breaking free from the templates of prevailing Western rhythms. According to him, he consciously chose this musical direction and its timing, driven by his desire to present a song dedicated to New Year's celebrations, in harmony with the warm winter atmosphere that suits its romantic nature. He noted that this is his first experience in this direction. The artist also emphasized his belief that "whoever strives for something will attain it with God's help and the love of the audience, whom I always promise the new and diverse." He added that he is preparing a new musical work after the upcoming Eid al-Fitr. The year 2025 was a period of study, research, and learning, as well as a test of his artistic abilities. Through this work, whose lyrics were written by Hussein Al-Hakim and arranged by Sulaiman Mammu, Saleh aimed to dedicate a form of artistic and musical nostalgia to the beauty of Arabic rhythms. He told himself that he had to differ this time from the Western rhythms he was accustomed to performing, in response to audience comments that praised the new song, composed in the Eastern Bayati maqam. He also added that while he feels more at home in the Gulf style, he does not find difficulty or a problem in diversifying. He has performed the song "Ash of Life" in the Gulf dialect, and also experimented with the song "Oh Sweetness" by its writer and composer Yasser Sidassi in the Moroccan dialect, in addition to the song "Enough, Forget" by its poet Osama Anwar and composer Mohamed Zafrani in the Egyptian dialect, to test himself in various musical colors and showcase his vocal skills before settling on a specific artistic identity. On Unlimited Ambitions. Regarding the obstacles faced by the young Emirati singer amidst a lack of support and monopolistic practices, the rising artist confirmed that "the journey to art and stardom was and is not paved with roses, but is extremely difficult, especially since I still self-support myself in the production aspect, spending on the execution of my works and filming them as video clips to reach the required level through personal efforts and without any external support, at a time when everyone knows that material and moral support is very limited, especially at the level of appearing on local media platforms or at official events." However, he continuously draws strength from the support and encouragement of his fellow young artists and their moral support that accompanies his journey on social media. Love for the Audience. Saleh Abdullah addressed his audience with a message, saying, "My love for art in general, and my passion for music and singing in particular, is what makes me bear these difficulties, stay strong, and continue in this field to solidify my experience and reach my dream of engraving my name on the list of prominent names in the local artistic scene." He added that, in addition to this, he primarily relied on Eastern instruments such as the oud, qanun, nay, and strings to create a new soul, inspired by that beautiful time to which the audience loves to return. Testing Abilities. In the same context, Saleh Abdullah confirmed that for him, the year 2025 was not just a period of passing releases but a year of study, research, and learning for artistic development. He stated, "During 2025, I released three new songs that were a real test of my artistic abilities, after I focused on delving into the study of musical maqamat in an academic manner and tested my vocal capabilities in multiple musical maqamat to fully know the vocal texture that can distinguish me in this field."
