Emerging artist Amira Elfeky is an American singer and songwriter under Atlantic Records who has made a mark in her career in the alternative scene; her music has elements of alternative rock/metal, shoegaze and pop. She is known for creating and pairing melodies with crushing instrumentals and explosive screams; she has created an identity that feels true to herself.
Amira has grown immensely from her ‘Skin to Skin’ EP era up until now, where she has portrayed her ability to create emotion, desire, and the darker side of emotional attachment in her music. Her debut album “It was only a dream” portrays a dreamlike story about complicated relationships between who we are and who we wish we could be; the album shows the uncomfortable realities of growing up, falling apart, finding yourself, but also trying to make sense of everything in the world.
Her debut album kicks off with the single ‘Breakdown,’ which immediately establishes the album’s emotionally turbulent nature. There’s a tangible sense of urgency throughout, a feeling that she’s at the breaking point in order to get to a place of healing. The second single ‘I don’t want to fall in love,’ is a different kind of vulnerability, a kind of confrontation with the fear of being too close to another person. Those two singles in combination are the key to the album: the desire to feel something deeply, whilst being terrified of what might cost you.
PHOTO: YULIA SHUR
What’s so interesting about Amira Elfeky is the way she manages to blend the pop into an otherwise alternative record. The heavier side of things is there, but so are the melodies, the hooks, and the atmospheric production. It gives the record a real sense of scope. There’s a very good balance between the gritty and the polished, and the production is absolutely key in that it brings all of those different things together. It allows the record to stay firmly in the alternative scene, yet it’s also accessible to people who like a heavier record but are also intrigued by the pop elements. Those add a real significant impact to it.
The album captures the feeling of nostalgia for something that may never have been there at all, combined with the frustration of knowing that life doesn’t ever quite turn out as you’d hoped. The album that makes you feel like you’re caught between wanting to run away from your life and wanting to have some control over it. It’s an album that’s very emotional, very much in the domain of melancholy, anger, yearning and determination. It’s reflective without being passive, and it’s emotionally heavy without being entirely depressing. There’s a definite sense of wanting to get away from it all, whether that’s getting away from your past, the various duplications of yourself that you’ve been, the bad habits and the bad expectations that you’ve had that no longer serve you.
My personal favourite track on the record is ‘I want it all.’ It has been a personal favourite ever since it was teased two years ago, so being able to see that it was included on the album carries a different kind of excitement. Sometimes a song stays with you long before you have heard the final version, and the anticipation becomes part of the experience. For me, this has always been one of those songs. In my opinion, it feels particularly fitting within the album: the desire for something bigger, the refusal to limit what you want and the perseverance to experience everything life has to offer. There is something very relatable about that feeling, especially when you are at a point in life where you know you want more but you’re also figuring everything out.
PHOTO: YULIA SHUR
Amira Elfeky’s identity comes through in the contrast between different elements of her music. She embraces the darker, heavier side of alternative while making space for melody, vulnerability and a certain pop sensibility. It is this combination that gives her sound its appeal; for example, the breakdown in the track ‘Funeral ’ and the pop elements in ‘I don’t want to fall in love’ made me lean into the record more because it portrays her ability to intertwine those two sounds together. She does not have to choose between being accessible and being alternative, nor does she need to give up the emotional depth for a bigger sound. Instead, she brings these qualities together in a way that feels like a natural extension of her artistic personality.
Overall, ‘It was only a dream’ is essentially about the space between expectation and reality, and everything that happens while trying to close that distance. It shows the hesitation of finding yourself, the frustration of wanting more and the determination to believe that something better is possible. What makes Amira Elfeky worth paying attention to is not simply her ability to blend alternative rock with pop influences, but the personality and emotional perspective she brings to that sound. She is carving out a space that does not rely on fitting neatly into one genre, and that willingness to explore different sides of herself is what makes her an interesting artist to follow.
For an artist who is continuing her journey, this is a significant statement of intent. ‘It was only a dream’ captures the feeling of standing on the edge of something new, looking back at everything that brought you there while wondering what is in store next. Perhaps the dream was never about becoming someone else, but finally recognising who you were capable of being all along. And that is what makes this album matter.