Her birthday is coming up and she has no plans. “I’m very spontaneous, whatever I feel like doing, I will do” Tiara shrugs. But don’t be fooled by the laid-back energy. At just 24, the Lebanese artist is carving out her lane in Arabic pop and R&B.
And her femininity comes with the package. She calls in from Beirut to spill her skin care routine and owes all her career success to her mother’s support.
Cosmopolitan Middle East caught up with her Tiara to talk about childhood, spirituality’s influence on her, and where she wants to take music. Her debut single Ahla Fatra, released on MDLBEAST Records, is a sound that reflects her story growing up between worlds and speaking Arabic, French, and English. It’s no surprise she’s gaining a loyal following across the MENA region and beyond. It’s only the start of something bigger.
Cosmo ME: How did living between places inspire your music and your artistry?
Tiara: My mom is in Dubai and my mom is my home, so Dubai is home. During the summer, Dubai’s heat is too much, so I’m in Lebanon now. There’s so much that you can do in Lebanon. You can go to the beach or the mountains. It’s really freeing for your soul spirit.
Cosmo ME: What have you been working on lately? What’s exciting you right now?
Tiara: Ahla Fatra is definitely my softest song. It’s really catchy and light—very different from some of my other tracks, which are more edgy. It was such a lovely experience making it. We actually recorded it back in October. I was going through the lyrics at the time, and everything just flowed.
Cosmo ME: Do you write the lyrics yourself?
Tiara: I co-write them with a writer who’s Egyptian. I usually share what I want to express in my own dialect, and then they help shape it in Egyptian Arabic. I always write the French parts though. What I love about A7la Fatra is that the bridge is in French, which adds something unique. Since I studied in French and went to a French school, I want to explore that more in my music moving forward.
Cosmo ME: What other subjects do you want to sing about moving forward?
Tiara: I love that question. Women empowerment. I take the lead, boss woman, you know. The lyrics that center around me having fun and being confident in myself. I really want to explore the depths of my personality and talk about things that have affected me like personal relationships. The most important one is my relationship with my mom. So I sing about my mom and my appreciation towards her path as a single mother raising me and being a hardworking businesswoman at the same time.
Cosmo ME: I love moms and maternal figures in general. What are some teachings that your mom has imbued in you?
Tiara: Well, she taught me the importance of independence and working hard for what you want. My mom worked really hard for what she has achieved in life. She’s the person who knows everything about my life; she’s my best friend.
Cosmo ME: Along with your mother, who are some people who have inspired you?
Tiara: Christina Aguilera—I was so obsessed with her. I like Lana Del Rey, and I listen to a lot of Spanish and French music. I love Moroccan style too. Morad is a Spanish Moroccan artist I love too.
Cosmo ME: Your Instagram page has a dose of spirituality in it. Could you share more about your relationship with faith?
Tiara: No, that’s so funny that you picked up on that. I’ve invested a lot of time and energy on understanding myself and how our bodies work. Why do certain things happen in my life? Why are these my reactions to things? What are my triggers? How do I feel if something happens? How can I reach the best version of myself for myself and the people around me? I just think it’s really, really important to heal and be the best. I’m Christian and I pray a lot. I’m also very spiritual and it seeps into music making.
Cosmo ME: What is your beauty routine?
Tiara: When it comes to skincare, I’m really particular because I used to have acne. I think just a really good moisturiser, but not oily. I use face sunscreen. I don’t overdo it, but a lot of products for acne prone skin. And I will never change my makeup look. I like to focus on the eyes on the lips. I really like pink tones. I like purple on my lash line and a tiny wing.
Cosmo ME: If you had designed a mood board, what would be on your mood board?
Tiara: My mood board is a visual representation of how I view life. Keywords: dreamy, ethereal, a lot of natural settings with vintage and cultural depths, like the scenery in Lebanon and Morocco. The aura and energy that I want to give off is just very free, happy, and simple.
Cosmo ME: How has your artistry evolved?
Tiara: Well, I’m excited to actually answer that question like in a year from now because I just started. I started with my first songwriting camp in October. When I was 13, it was just a cool experience for me to see other creatives and understand the Western world. It was very different. I started doing covers online and I signed with a management that was not in my favor. I wasn’t able to make music that I wanted to. I moved back to Dubai and focused on myself and then signed with my current agent.
Cosmo ME: When you perform, do you feel like you’re unlocking an alternate version of yourself?
Tiara: I performed with Steve Aoki and it was so nice to be on stage with him. I am sometimes nervous, but in that performance, I was so confident and happy. I was just really in my element.
Cosmo ME: What advice would you give our readers?
Tiara: The point we spoke about earlier—about understanding yourself, feeling, and just connecting to whatever anyone wants to call it: your faith, spirituality, or your self. Really looking inwards rather than outwards. I think that’s the best advice I’ve gotten from people I’ve worked with and people I’ve opened up to.
You always have to look inwards. The answer is always in you. It’s never outwards. No one else will give it to you. You will help yourself. You will allow yourself to grow. You will allow yourself to understand what path you should take in life, how to move forward. That is something I’m living by now.
Cosmo ME: Do you have any upcoming projects you could tell us about?
Tiara: Yes, I have my next project coming out in August produced in Cairo.
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