By Nadine Sayed
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – One day when she was seven, and her father was dropping her off at school, Tiyana Nasr was singing along with “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. Her father became the first person to tell her she could sing.
Now a senior at the American University of Sharjah, Nasr recalls how that bit of praise propelled her onto a journey as singer and songwriter.
“My dad started introducing me to new artists that he loved, and ever since, I’ve started singing on the way to school as a daily routine,” says Nasr. She was always surrounded by music at home, she says – French, Russian, Arabic, and English – and her family always encouraged her.
“My parents always saw something in me that I personally didn’t start seeing until I turned 10,” Nasr says, adding that she began singing with a passion at that age.
While “Adele was my number one inspiration ever since I started singing,” Nasr says, she also liked Katy Perry. However, she has never stuck to one genre in her love of music, jumping from pop to classical music and R&B.
Nasr auditioned for X Factor Arabia in 2015 but was too young at the time to actually appear on the show. According to her, the experience was good and fun and she hopes to audition for it again in future.
Like most singers, Nasr says her early repertoire consisted exclusively of covers. But over time, she says, she began working her own lyrics into songs. It took her four years of writing lyrics before she felt comfortable sharing her original work on social media platforms such as Instagram.
Doing so helped change her perspective on performing. While she hopes to open a clothing line in future, she says her desire to pursue music has never dimmed.
“My goal is for people to not just listen to my music but also feel it and have it resonate with them,” Nasr says.
Her work can be accessed at https://www.instagram.com/tv/CRMThEEgtFB/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==.
