Emotions on loop

Having recently embarked on an ‘experimental’ journey with her latest single Down Bad, Bahraini singer Noora Almoosa aka Goodth_ngs has big hopes for its official release this year.

Last month, the 27-year-old gave fans in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a taste of the creation, among others in her set list, as she participated for the first time in the famed XP Music Futures conference.

In November, the artist opened with the track for Canadian-Bahraini duo Majid Jordan at Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre, and the composition has been ‘shaping up’ with every performance.

“It started as a three-note guitar thing and I’m singing over it. It’s kind of like spoken word poetry, almost and I’m singing here and there,” Noora told GulfWeekly.

“But then, because I was curious about live looping, and I wanted to incorporate it, I borrowed my friend’s loop equipment and I started playing around with it, and I asked her if I can use it for my next show, which at the time was in Kuwait,” the Berklee Abu Dhabi alumna, who attended the music school’s Performing Artists and Leadership programme in 2023, added.

Live looping is a playing technique based on loops which are recorded during the performance. It’s a way to compose in real time, or ‘near real time’ since the loops are recorded seconds or minutes before they are heard.

“I remember telling the audience, ‘by the way, the performance is experimental’ because I still do not know how to use it. Over time, I got more confident and that song built because of that experience.

“The composition had a natural evolvement through time and, mirrors the time that I am in, as it developed from almost a spoken word piece to a live looping piece that came to be through my experiences, practising for shows and performing live around the region in 2024.

“I’ve never done live looping before and this has been a growing part of my practice especially as a solo artist,” the A’ali resident revealed.

“I believe it’s like, you’re always thinking ‘what more can I do?’. Sometimes you shock yourself, with where you start with a body of work, and then where you take it. Trusting and allowing myself to play has been the main part of the whole experience,” she added.

While she continues to work towards the official release of the track, the former corporate junkie is grateful for the opportunities she had especially in the last year, with live performances that make her feel ‘in her element’, regardless of the artistic challenges she sets for herself.

“I think, performances and live shows are my favourite part of being an artist, because I feel very at home doing it. My first love has always been being on stage.

“I am really grateful for the path I am on of learning, playing, exploring, creating and releasing my projects, doing bigger stages in Bahrain and around the Gulf region, as well as talking and connecting with people through the experiences. It’s been the blessing in my evolving artistry.

“I’ve also come to appreciate the different hats I’ve worn as an artist, like organically considering visuals and the artwork as well as the more operational and business side of things as it’s a part of it (musical career), but my focus will always come back to my music and practice of it.

“Letting it speak for me and grow with me, I’ve learned to be really confident in my abilities and lean on my community, which I’m very grateful for.”

Not one to rest on past laurels, Noora is determined to stay curious, work on projects and do more shows on new stages.

“I hope to perform locally and abroad insha Allah (God willing) and continue connecting with people,” she noted.

For more details, follow @goodth_ngs on Instagram.