Nasreen’s the thinking Swiftie’s kind of music

It’s pop, but it’s got substance.

It’s the thinking Swiftie’s kind of music with lyrically meaningful tunes. It sets United Kingdom-based South African performer Nasreen’s music apart from a pack of wannabes. Because her music speaks gently, but clearly.

Her musical storytelling is refreshingly honest to a fault, and while the themes of love, longing and of course, growing up are universal, she stamps her brand of individuality clearly.

She has collaborated with alumni from The Voice, Eurovision, and American Idol, and worked alongside top-tier producers and songwriters from BMG, Cloud 9 Music, and Armin van Buuren’s Armada Music amongst others.

Nasreen’s single My Best Friend Hates Me hit number one on 5FM’s Pop Chart, Jacaranda FM’s Top 40, and the SA Top 10, while How Is Summer Over, a new track from her EP titled Seasons also made its mark on national charts.

Born and bred in Jozi

Tell us about your journey.

I was born and raised in Joburg and lived there all my life until moving to Sweden in 2021 to study a master’s degree.

I now live in Scotland, where I work and make music.

I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller. Even as a little girl, I was constantly writing and finding new ways to express myself. Singing was another passion of mine, but it took time before I truly believed I could take it further.

When I finally realised, I could combine my love for storytelling with music, it felt like magic, and I knew I wanted to do it for as long as I could.

You then moved to the UK a year and a bit ago…

I moved to Edinburgh, Scotland in December 2023, and it’s been incredibly inspiring creatively.

The change of scenery sparked new ideas, but I’ll admit it’s also created a bit of distance from the music community I worked hard to build back home.

Breaking into a new market without an existing local network is a challenge- but I’m lucky to have a strong support system in South Africa that continues to back me.

I also see this as an opportunity to bring a proudly South African voice to this side of the world, and that’s something I’m proud of.

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Let’s talk about your creative process.

I’d describe my writing as a little dreamy but conversational. I like to play between literal storytelling and emotion.

Sometimes it’s a clear sentence pulled straight from a journal, and sometimes it’s just a feeling I’m trying to catch.

What comes first usually varies. Sometimes a single lyric will come to me, and I’ll build the melody and song around it. Other times, I’ll be playing guitar, and the words arrive.

Music of melancholy and nostalgia

Your EP Seasons was just released.

Seasons is really a collection of feelings.

The melancholy comes from nostalgia, those quiet, reflective moments where we realise something beautiful has passed. But the joy is in the fact that we got to experience those moments at all.

Whether it’s childhood, love, or friendship, the sadness only exists because it mattered. And that’s something to be grateful for.

How do the songs on Seasons relate back to your state of being when creating?

That’s such a layered question, I love it. Each song reflects a shift or turning point I was going through at the time.

Winter Baby came from quiet, introspective moments in our apartment. How Is Summer Over was written after a trip back home to South Africa, filled with all that post-visit reflection.

Scared of This Part captured a moment of vulnerability and growth, while Keep Scrolling was tied to nostalgia and a kind of digital attachment to an earlier version of myself.

I was evolving as the seasons changed, and that’s all over the music.

Would you say that there is an existential element to your music?

Yes, definitely. I think there’s an underlying question in all my music- about meaning, memory, connection, and who I am or where I’m going.

I’m often exploring how we hold on to moments, what we choose to remember, and who we become in the process. So even when the lyrics feel personal or intimate, there’s usually a bigger question in the background.

‘I hope my music reaches people who feel a little unseen’

How do you feel your music will support people right now as the world seems to become crazier by the minute?

I hope my music reaches people who feel a little unseen or in-between, like me.

Representation really matters, and you don’t often hear the voice of a South African Indian female telling her story through song.

If even one girl listens and thinks, “maybe I can do this too,” then that’s everything to me.

Emotionally, I want my music to be a soft space people can come back to. Intellectually, I hope the lyrics spark thought or at least feel real enough to sit with for a while.

What do you miss most about Mzansi?

The warmth and friendliness of South Africans is truly unmatched. There’s just something special about how people connect back home.

And of course, I miss the sunshine and natural beauty.

The food, the familiarity… there’s a lot to miss!

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