Ones2Watch Home

Picture yourself at university, in the middle of a marketing class and thinking maybe this whole global pop icon thing is a possibility. Pre-smash internet hit "BABYDOLL" a little over two years ago, that was a real thought for Brooklyn student-turned-artist Ari Abdul, and the answer is now a living dream. Abdul was at the time completely nascent to the music game, and seeing her progression of going from student to currently on tour with Ness Barrett is a testament to her fearlessness. Excited to hear about her latest single "Dreams," a funny blithe, you-wish effort that shows some of her exuberant personality, we caught up with the breakout star while she was on the road, and after diving into her story, we guarantee you’ll love this future superstar as much as us.

OnesToWatch: The first question I always ask is... why are you an artist, a musician? 

Ari Abdul: Honestly, it was a complete accident for me, so I don't know how or why, which kind of sounds ridiculous, but I do love it. I am super grateful for it. I've always been the fan girl that idolizes the artist. Like, “oh, that's so cool, that's so sick,” and I would go to all these different gigs. But I never thought that I would be, you know, in the shoes of an artist. 

Okay, then what was happening that pivoted into being an artist? 

I mean, I was in college for a while studying marketing and I just happened to meet my best friend who was an intern to a producer at the time. And he was like, “Oh, you look like you listen to cool music.” And I was like, why is this guy speaking to me? We ended up just hanging out, and that was my first time being introduced to an actual studio and what that looks like. It kind of just happened organically. One day, he was like, "Do you want to make a song?" I didn’t know how to do that, but we just did it. And that first song we made was literally “BABYDOLL,” which is the biggest song and doesn't sound real at all when I think about it. I can't even conceptualize that, but that is what happened. 

That is an amazing story. I love that. I wish everything was that simple. 

No, it's insane. It's really odd it worked out this way. 

You were studying marketing, if you could do the sliding doors thing and go back and not end up in a studio writing a beautiful song, what do you think you would end up doing with that marketing degree? 

Dude, honestly I have no idea because I remember graduating high school—I feel like most people can relate to this—but I was just like, I have no idea what I'm gonna do in the future, so I'm just gonna study one of the broadest things I can and I’m a very whatever happens happens kind of person. So I was like, if I get this degree, I can end up in an office, I could start my own business. But it's weird to think about it now because I've only been doing music for three years, which doesn’t sound like a long time, but I truly can't imagine myself doing anything different. 

Amazing. Since you never had the instinct to be a performing artist when you were younger, did anyone in your family or network make it an option or interesting to you? Or was it literally just you met an intern-producer and went from there?  

Yeah, no, honestly, not at all. Both my parents are Hispanic immigrants and it was very like, you're gonna work your ass off. You're gonna get a good job. You're gonna either going to be in business, law, or medicine and you're gonna make a good living. I grew up in a very hardworking household. So it was never really a thing. It's not that they look down upon it. But I think when I was first starting, before the music really came out and I was just hanging out with this boy in his studio, literally all day, they definitely were like you know, come on, like be something. But yeah, I really don't know where it came from. 

Did you at least like to sing in the shower or anything? 

You know, I feel like everyone sings in the shower or they're a liar. The thing is, I never thought I could sing well. And I will be honest with you. I don't think I was the best vocalist when I first started. That first song we did, “BABYDOLL,” probably took an entire month just to record because we had to do so many takes, because genuinely I wasn't a good singer, but I mean, I eventually got it. And I still feel like I'm learning to sing better and just like becoming a better vocalist. Even now I'm learning stuff and I'm like, okay, that's how you sing. 

Super fascinating. Usually, I ask about the songwriting process, and I think for you, this must be extra interesting because three years... that's not a lot of time to be spending on music. I would probably spend three years finishing an article if they let me. But do you have a process yet?  

Oh, yeah, no, there's absolutely a process, but before I get into that, I would definitely like to say that it’s gotten easier for me, because I was so lost in the beginning, which I mean, is a given, because I came pretty much from nowhere, not knowing anything. But it's largely me feeling emotional or feeling a vibe, and being like, I want to put this into a song because I just can't express myself. Just to give you an example, say, I'm really pissed off about something, then I wanna make a song that just feels angry. It doesn't necessarily have to be angry lyrically, but maybe it's hard-hitting in sound. I just go in and try to replicate a feeling, which is so hard. I feel like saying it out loud sounds crazy because how do you make music out of a feeling? But for me, something that's angry is hard-hitting and kind of punchy, and something that's romantic is kind of slower and groovy. But I go with that intention first and then create a tagline. And then the melody comes out and then slowly it builds into a song. 

Love it. Speaking of anger, you have a lot of edgy imagery. It looks dark, it looks like something's going on, good or bad. It's beautiful. From an outsider’s perspective, I can imagine it's sometimes harder for a female artist to project that anger or danger without becoming pigeonholed into specific styles of music and genres. And I feel like you have not become pigeonholed. Maybe it's your marketing degree, but how did you avoid that sort of pitfall that a lot of artists struggle with? 

I'm gonna be honest with you, I feel like I do everything so naturally. There's been multiple times when I've been told to be something specific, change something, look a certain way, feel a certain way, or make music differently. But it's always been so important for me to just truly do whatever I think is cool and truly mean it to the core. Whether it's visually or in things I say in a song, I would never sing something that doesn't sound like me. I would never make visuals that aren’t me and when it comes to the anger, then I guess there's a lot of anger in me.  

Okay, well let's talk about it. Where does it come from? 

I mean, what isn’t there to be angry about? 

Okay, that's an interesting perspective. 

I mean, I feel like another part of that too, like I said earlier, I grew up going to so many concerts and gigs, and I was able to listen to really anything. I had the ability to go to any concert growing up in New York City. So I just ended up falling into the punk scene when I was a teenager, so I would go to all these really underground niche events. I mean, like 25 people in the crowd, punk shows in the middle of nowhere. Kids literally screaming about anything. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. 

I love that. It sounds like you went to check out one of my shows cause I don't think I ever had a show with more than 25 people at it. 

That's the coolest thing though. I feel like that almost makes it a bit more special. There's something magical about something so intimate when it works. It can be very awkward when it doesn't, obviously, but when it does work, it does feel like there's something special happening. 

Let’s talk about “DREAMS,” since that's why we're speaking right now. It sounds like all your dreams are dark and nightmarish and maybe appropriately so given the state of the world, but what is “DREAMS” about? And to me, it feels a little different from some of your previous work.  

Yeah, that song is so different. I've been honestly looking back at everything I've made recently and I spent all of 2024 making music. I haven't released a lot in 2024, which I didn't even realize myself, but it’s just because I was working on so many songs. And “DREAMS” is one of the songs in all of that, that is more fun. Don't make fun of me because I don't know the American word for it and this might be a British term, but it's like “cheeky.” 

That translates, that works everywhere.  

Okay, then yes, it’s definitely a more cheeky song. I feel like it's been a really long time since I made something that's more fun and—here's another word—cunty. I wanted to drop something like that as the first single because it's the last single before I just really dive into a lot of songs that are part of something bigger.  

So this is your slightly humorous pitstop to your opus of pain and suffering or whatever else you have on tap for us. 

You've honestly worded that so much better than I could have. 

I doubt that entirely, but I'll take it.  

You get it. It's a playful song. The whole premise of the song is just someone being into you and you're just flat-out rejecting them and belittling them in a song. 

Yes, I feel there's a need for that these days, so I'm glad you made it. Was this song meant to reach a new audience or were you just hoping your existing fan base could take the cheeky joke?

Honestly, I always hope, you know, any song that I drop can reach new people, but I'm always trying to just deliver to the people that are there already. I feel like something that's huge for me is that releasing every song has an evolution. Both lyrically and in my personal opinion, there's just been a huge vocal evolution and sound evolution. I feel like when I first started dropping music, in that first year of releasing, there was a really specific sound. I was just starting. And then in my second year, it's really different sonically. I've said this before and I'll say it again. It's because I was just so confused. I was new to everything. You know, I didn't know if I'm pop, if I'm more alternative, if I wanted to go down a rock lane. But I figured it out, and although “DREAMS” coming out is the first and last single before I dive into new stuff, it's definitely in that same sonic soundscape that I feel like people know from me, just new and improved.

What's it like being on tour with Nessa? Do you get to hang out at all? Is it fun? Because you haven't been on a tour this big before!  

No, I haven't, and I also have never opened any tour in my life. It's been insane, because like I said, I'm quite literally a fetus in this industry. I dropped my first song ever in 2022 and I didn't tour until very late 2023. And that first tour was a headline, but very small rooms. And then I co-headlined with my friend Isabel [LaRosa] who opened for Nessa, coincidentally, two years ago. After those experiences, I always said I wasn't going to open for anyone, but this one just felt so right. I was like, the music's so cool. Nessa’s sick as fuck. And these crowds are giant. 

So clearly not intimidating for you, though. You enjoy it. 

Oh, it's horrific. I feel like no one will ever believe this, but I have crazy stage fright. I get so anxious before I go onstage. I literally am nauseated. But it's kind of like this—I'm going to sound insane to you—I feel like I get possessed on stage because that is not me on that stage. It's no longer Ariana, that’s Ari Abdul. 

You don't strike me as someone who has that veil of anxiety fall over you. But I think it's natural, it's normal, and understandable. Given you have these bouts of anxiety, what do you do to chill out and give yourself some time and flowers? 

Honestly, I thankfully have severe ADHD, and I'm really close with my band and crew I'm with, so I will just yap to them for so long about anything and I'll run around. And I feel like somehow tiring myself out helps so much. 

Love that. If you could explain how “DREAMS” is best understood as an experience, a place, or an activity, what would it be? 

“DREAMS” is a club and you're out with your friends and we're having a good time and someone's into you, and you're like, you know, I'm gonna let you think that you have a chance but never in a million years. 

Well, a little bit of villainy is a good thing. Last couple of questions, what do you want to be doing five years from now? 

I truly have fallen in love with touring and I've only been doing it now for a year and a half, but I've only been to Europe and the States. My dream is to visit Japan and Brazil. I've always loved Japanese culture and Brazil just goes hard. 

 Just glancing at your Spotify stats, you have a fascinating global audience.  Mexico City, Sanow, Istanbul, Warsaw and Jakarta, are your top five markets currently. That's pretty impressive. 

Once again, if you told me, like five years ago that I even had music out and anyone would care about it, I'd be like, you're literally lying to me.

Clearly, there are a lot of angsty women out there who really identify with you.

I love it. It's so cool that anyone in the world can hear my music right now. 

Who are your OnesToWatch? 

I love this question. A huge influence for me, and I personally think he's so underrated, is Maru. He’s THE dark wave guy, and I feel like he's been in the scene for a hot minute. Also, I am so good at picking out when other artists are referencing something and all I'm gonna say is there are so many songs that definitely take inspiration from his music, and he should be so much bigger than he is. He's so incredible. Montell Fish is another one that I truly adore. I think he's the coolest ever. I'm gonna give a shout-out to my personal homie, Jutes, who is one of the coolest, most talented people. I feel like doing the whole nu-metal thing and referencing Linkin Park and Deftones is so hard, and so many people try to do it. But he does it so well, so shoutout Jutes.