Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Mulahbae
THE RELEASE
“HATE TO HATE ME,” the new dark pop power ballad from mulahbae captures the twisted truth of a toxic push-pull relationship. Set against a murky, deconstructed soundscape, lyrics such as “tell your lies to your friends about the old me” and “when I’m thriving your true colors start to show” paint a picture of a dysfunctional pair. The subject of this song is controlling and degrading in response to our singer achieving any happiness and success on his own.
mulahbae took pains to imbue that push-pull feeling into the production of the track. He describes “vocals that push & pull by being too close and present at parts, but very pushed back and far at other bits.” In a particularly emotional moment, mulahbae’s vocals drop an octave to a weakened rasp before strengthening again in the pre-chorus. The whole song feels like the bleary-eyed, angsty mutterings of a lover after a midnight blowout fight.
If you get the sense that this track is a little raw, that’s because mulahbae has infused cutting candor into the piece. He described the writing process as a “form of therapy” and even lifted lyrics like, “when you shame me for being who I wanna be, if you know me doesn’t mean you own me,” straight from the real-life arguments that inspired this song.
Through the entirety of “HATE TO HATE ME,” lyrics are disjointed like a stream of consciousness born out of frightening anxiety and at the end of the track, erratic modulations leave us feeling deeply unsettled. This song is for listeners who want a front row seat to the inner workings of mulahbae.
THE INTERVIEW
Can you tell us about some of the struggles you faced while writing and recording this record and how you overcame them?
It was rather on a broad scale than a personal one. I’m based in Lebanon, & my gorgeous city, Beirut, was constantly bombed because of war. My escape was music, purely music. I studied fashion design & graduated back in June 2024. But even fashion wasn’t inspiring for me at that period of war because we really didn’t go out or dress up or even bother to check what collections were coming out. What got me and pretty much everyone through that horrible phase was music (and therapy—but sometimes music is your therapy). As for the writing process itself. It was very raw, honest, and direct. It didn’t take much time, and I had the title written down months before the song was even a thing. I always knew I wanted to write a track about something paradoxical, and ‘HATE TO HATE ME’ was that track.
You mentioned the battle you went through deciding to “let go” in a relationship, how has your views changed since then and what advice would you give someone else in the same position?
It’s really hard to be with someone who wants to be you instead of with you. And I often tend to love a bit too hard which is a blessing and a curse. ‘Letting go’ wasn’t the easiest thing ever as it truly never feels over or final.
My advice? It’s time to leave when you start thinking about leaving. What’s meant for you will eternally follow you, and when it really hurts and torments your soul - ten times out of nine it’s usually not meant for you.
What was your favorite part of this release’s process?
Most definitely the music video. Both the shooting and the screening. I got the chance to perform my music live for the first time ever at the music video’s premiere in Beirut, specifically at Union Marks. The videographer Celina Arzoumanian (@celinaarzou) is an absolute underrated gem, a true genius, & I’ll keep her in rotation throughout this upcoming album’s whole rollout. Our chemistry is truly magical, and it goes beyond words to describe how well we work together. I’ve dealt with major photographers, directors, and producers, but nobody does it like Celina; she really deserves her flowers.
The support of my friends, family, fans, and casual listeners was crazy that night. Performance was great, video was amazing, and location was an absolute 10/10.
I’m trying my best to wind down and say all of the things I should be saying, but it’s truly more of a feeling rather than a paragraph I could write or say. Definitely a ‘you had to be there’ experience.
What can we look forward to in 2025 with the release of your album?
Slightly tacky, but truly unexpected. The upcoming album ‘MYTHOMANIA’ has a tiny ode to my debut studio album released in 2021, ‘Digital Sinners,’ which aesthetically interpolated ‘The Matrix.’ - As for this record, it takes on the blue pill/red pill theme with 10 tracks on the album split into the red pill (tracks 1-5) and the blue pill (tracks 6-10).
The album is genre-bending, very experimental, truly unique, and extremely true to who I am. ‘153’ and ‘HATE TO HATE ME’ are just the tip of the iceberg. The tracks go crazy hard and are versatile enough to be blasted when you’re alone and down or wasted at a club. Super proud of this record, as I’ve been offered a record deal that I had to turn down because it involved the alteration of this project, which, to me, is genuinely perfect.
If you could convince a new listener to press play, what would you like them to take away from you as an artist?
First of all, I’m sure that you’ll relate, because I don’t sugarcoat my lyrics or messages. Take all of what resonates with you, feel all of your feelings, and eventually, when you’re ready, let go. Second of all, let this album be your therapist; let the lyrics be the things you’ve been waiting to tell or send but never did; embrace your pain; celebrate your milestones. When you listen to my art for the first time, I always have hopes that you’d be a returning listener, but what matters to me the most is that you understand the complexity of the sonic, multi-dimensional aspect of my work. Take it in, digest it, and let it sit with you, as I don’t feel like the upcoming tracks are instantly going to click (and if they do, hats off to you; wow). Let this record be your voice. ‘MYTHOMANIA’ is from me, realistically by you.
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