Malek Hanna, the Brooklyn-born Singer-Songwriter, makes his entrance to the LA music industry with his debut song “Beautiful Stranger.”
Malek’s jaw-dropping vocal strength and flawless vocal range take you through a compelling story of the concept of love in between fantasy and reality. Each lyric in this song plays on the strings of your heart and doesn’t let up, building you up fast and letting you down slow.
Produced in collaboration with Camela Leierth and Katy Perry collaborator, “Beautiful Stranger” marks the culmination of years of growth and development and marks Hanna’s first release on his upcoming debut EP, releasing later this year.
The single release of “Beautiful Stranger” coincides with the launch of Nadia’s Kids Inc., a non-profit organization created to honor his Aunt and Uncle who passed of COVID-19, in their home of Aleppo, Syria, after having lived through the harrowing civil war of the past ten years.
In “Beautiful Stranger,” it’s evident that there is passion behind every lyric and every note within; both carry a relatable message that resonates with each listener. Questioning and examining the different elements that love has to offer, this song and video displays a fine line between fantasy and reality and the type of love Hanna is searching for. Continuously soul-searching through different examples of couples and their love for each other, Malek Hanna is wondering if he’ll ever experience the future romance he yearns for.
This past year was a challenging year for musicians, but Malek Hanna shows us he’s more inspired than ever to deliver fresh new music throughout 2021.
We were taken back by your powerful voice and passionate sound in your debut song “Beautiful Stranger”. Where did your inspiration for the song come from?
Thank you for the kind words and for having me on your platform! I am so happy to hear that my song resonated with you and your viewers. My inspiration for the song came from the need to connect; to be able to understand the power of love and all its forms. I was also craving a different sound that is not present in today's music scene; music that is nostalgic of the late '80s and early '90s but with a contemporary twist, fusing old and new sounds, instruments, and melodies. I was tired of the current music scene and wanted to create something more heartfelt and meaningful.
The need to express and question love's place in what sometimes seems to be a harsh and conflicting world was important to me. I was inspired and felt called to share these thoughts in song to provide some sort of healing and connection with something that we can not always articulate in speech.
The desire to fuse different sounds and build a universal bridge of understanding for all that crosses boundaries and borders was one of my main inspirations for creating this song.
In “Beautiful Stranger” your lyrics take the listener through a story of examining the concept of love “What is this thing called love?” what was the writing process like and where was most of it done?
The writing process for this song was very reflective and cathartic. As a child, I would love to write poetry but never thought that my writing can translate into a song. I remember waking up one day and thinking, it is time...It was the need to express and the thought that" I will see this song through from beginning to end," was very strong. Since that day, I woke up with a sense of urgency and purpose but did not have the confidence I felt I needed as a songwriter. For a few weeks, I would jot down words, ideas, concepts and try to tie them all together. I then got inspired to reach out to a friend and fellow contestant on the voice, raed saade who has a master's in music. He was quick to encourage and help me see this song through. We set up a writing session in my studio apartment in Hollywood at the time and started putting it all the ideas, words, concepts together. Before I knew it, we had a rough draft of a song in about an hour. The next week, we met again at my place and tweaked some words and it just felt right. It was a great feeling seeing something come to life from an idea and a desire.
As a young soloist, you had the opportunity to perform in front of the Pope at the Vatican. How did this monumental experience affect your passion for writing music to then someday perform on live TV on shows such as The Voice, MTV & The Ellen Degeneres Show?
My experience singing for the pope at the vatican was monumental in affirming my desire to take my singing and songwriting to the next level. My passion was ignited and fueled further, especially after getting blessed by him personally. I remember feeling very nervous and in awe by my surroundings. It was a very special and unforgettable time in my life.
Unique and Rare Magazine named you “An artist to look out for” and it's obvious why. Who were some of your biggest artist influencers that you admire? Wow- there are so many but a few that come to mind that are the biggest artist influencers that I admire are:
Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, George Michael, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Queen, Simon & Garfunkel, Pavarotti, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Pink.
What can we expect to see next from you?
Superstardom! Ha - I am in the process of collaborating once again with former Swedish pop star and Katy Perry collaborator, Camela Leierth on my EP that is set to be released sometime this year. While working on the ep, I have some really cool and exciting film projects and announcements in development, where I will be seen acting and singing. Stay tuned for more to come!