INTERVIEW: Layla Kaylif shares new cover

Across a decorated career, Layla Kaylif has remained an artist who can float between musical, cultural and emotional spheres. A London-based English-Arab singer-songwriter with a knack for melody and meaning, her work blends Western pop appeal with a unique cross-cultural element. She first caught global attention back in 1999 with “Shakespeare in Love,” a bright pop single that shimmered across Asia and beyond, lifted from her debut album Enough Rope. It was an early sign of her gift for crafting songs that feel equally intimate and widely relatable, poetic and moving.

Since that first breakthrough, Layla’s path has gently meandered through various iterations of her own creative expression. Over more than two decades, she’s continued to create music that’s struck a chord with a growing audience of listeners around the world. Channeling the timeless elegance of classic pop to wandering into the expansive storytelling of Americana, Layla has built a body of work that’s varied and always instilled with heartfelt context.

Her 2020 record Lovers Don’t Meet saw her explore those Americana textures, pairing warm arrangements with reflective, thoughtful songwriting. More recently, her single “God’s Keeper” marked a powerful return to her poetic pop origins, this time refracted through a new lens which fused atmospheric synth textures with subtle Middle Eastern inflections, creating a sound both ancient and cutting edge. Her follow-up release, “Closer,” which landed in October, extended that dialogue further and marked the beginning of a new creative phase ahead of her forthcoming 2026 album.

Now, Layla Kaylif returns with her brand new release, this time presenting a reimagining of David Bowie and Brian Eno’s “I’m Afraid of Americans,” released to mark the tenth anniversary of Bowie’s passing. Produced again by Johan Bejerholm, the track lands as a cultural translation, an act of reinterpretation that reframes the song’s message for a new audience. Through her own version, Layla transforms the song into something unsettling and dripping in the tensions of the modern world.

Her take trades Bowie’s jagged industrial edge for a haunting fusion of Middle Eastern instrumentation and atmospheric electronic elements, creating a sonic landscape that mirrors the lyrical notion of the original while adding new tones of meaning. Through this, the song becomes a conversation about identity, perception and power, its message no longer chained to one nation or ideology, but expanded into a wider reflection on cultural misunderstanding and belonging.

Retaining the stabby rhythms and biting vocal style of the original, Layla injects pattering percussive shots and stacks of backing vocalisations to forge a gripping soundscape that pays respect to the impact of the original song while reimagining it in her own vision. As she prepares to unveil her new album next month, “I’m Afraid of Americans” feels like both a bridge to her past and a statement of intent for what’s next, laying down a reminder that her art, much like her identity, will always exist in motion.

We caught up with Layla Kaylif to find out more about her musical journey so far, her new cover of “I’m Afraid of Americans” and what she’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Layla Kaylif below.

Hey Layla, how are things?

Alhamdulillah 😊

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

Memorising Grandmaster Flash’s White Lines (Don’t Do It). (sings)

A million magic crystals, painted pure and white
A multi-million dollars almost overnight
Twice as sweet as sugar, twice as bitter as salt
And if you get hooked, baby, it’s nobody else’s fault, so don’t do it!

I learned the entire song. I had absolutely no idea what I was singing about 😂

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

Whichever artist is doing something that moves my soul or my sense of humour.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Inspiration for my music comes from anything and everything.

What was your highlight of 2025?

I started translating Rosalía’s song La Yugular into Arabic. The song is based on the Quranic verse “We are closer to him than his jugular vein”- you can see that clearly in the title and some of the lyrics – which wasn’t discussed as much as its reference to Rabia al-Adawiyya’s inspired refrain, which I understand. Still, I think a full Arabic version could be really beautiful.

What do you love about the London music scene?

I’ve got to be honest – I really don’t know what’s going on.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

With a computer so they can google the lyrics.

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

Like a zigzag, not a straight line. A circle in a spiral is too clean. Yes – I’d say a zigzag.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

Definitely Rosalía.

How did you find making your cover of “I’m Afraid of Americans”?

Fun.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

I’m not really Afraid of Americans, particularly.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

Rosalía… lol.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

Spiritual healing.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

I haven’t done it yet.

Who would be three artists to headline your dream festival—and where would it be?

Rosalía, Diego El Cigala, and myself 😄
It would be in Córdoba.

My dream is to sing in Spanish, actually, but I suck at Spanish.

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Don’t! (Just kidding.) Follow your muse.

Finally, what do you have lined up next?

An album next month. But you know, that could change. Right now, I’m expected to do loads of social media content. I never signed up to be a social media creator, but apparently, that’s the only way to get people to listen to your music these days. We’ll see. I have been known to change my mind.

Listen to I’m Afraid of Americans below