Following on from her critically acclaimed EP Bits Of Naaz of 2018, the gigantic pop momentum and RnB undertones of Naaz’ new single ‘TAPED’ reflect the immense release that the Dutch-Kurdish songwriter feels in finally opening up about her own mental and emotional state. For her, this catharsis comes through music, but the message of her new single is that everyone should feel the freedom to speak out. Referring to the multiple experiences that inspired the truthful and honest ‘TAPED’, Naaz shares “I told my friend about my never ending nightmares that sometimes can feel so real that they’ve been altering the way I see the world. His reply was that he wouldn’t want to have my mind. I wrote a song about it.” She continues to recall that “When I was 15 years old, I had taught myself to stop speaking as it often brought me in trouble. I’ve always had such strong opinions that it ended up in me being bullied for years. Once I turned 18, I had to start socializing again as I was putting out music. I felt like my mind, ears & mouth were TAPED shut for years, and therefore I became an extremely open person - just to make up for all the years before where I mistreated myself with my mindset.” The reflective nature of the lyrics is mirrored in the texturally developing musical accompaniment, and it’s incredibly fortifying to see that this twenty-one-year-old artist now has the resilience to state that “I live off the success of my head being messy and unimpressed,” as she boldly sings in that enormous voice of hers. Not only is Naaz using her talent as a kind of self-therapy, but she also hopes that it will be bring comfort to others, and in particular that ‘TAPED’ will provide the space to scream and shout those feelings. - Hannah Thacker & Dan Peeke