Friends hype you up. They make you feel confident, at ease, and remind you that you’re that bitch when you forget. I’d like to introduce you to your newest best friend who is ready to make you feel empowered, sexy, and relaxed, all just by plugging in your headphones. Her name is Foreign Frnd, and she’s the next artist to watch.
Foreign Frnd is a 22-year-old from Springfield, Ohio with proud Palestinian roots. She has always loved music, from memorizing Eminem’s verse on “Forever” when she was just twelve to finding her sound while rapping freestyle to Drake’s “The Motion.” Like all good friends, she is a woman of so many talents: She graduated from Wright State University with three minors, while running track and commuting to school, and is now completing her Master’s degree in Legal Studies at Northern Kentucky University. Oh you know, all while releasing two singles in 2020 and another, “Lies” this January, that has gained traction and made its way into many listener’s hearts and workout playlists. As for new music, SHEESH! is psyched to spill the tea that Foreign Frnd just dropped her newest single “No Surprise” that you should definitely run to check out on every streaming platform.
Pulling inspiration from artists like Drake and Travis Scott, Foreign Frnd effortlessly blends her melodic tone with clever raps, using heavy trap beats and wavy tones to keep her listeners on their toes. Her music is honest, full of attitude, and laid-back, just like she is. Listen on Foreign Frnd’s Spotify, learn more about her on TikTok, and gain major inspiration from her Instagram. But for all the best insight, continue reading the interview to chat with Foreign, like she’s your new best hype woman.
Tell us about your love story with music! Has it always been a passion of yours, or is it a new flame?
FOREIGN FRND: I have always been, to say the least, obsessed with music. But I would say it’s a new flame in terms of recording, releasing, and coming up with Foreign Frnd. Growing up, I always went back and tracked music. When I was younger, before we had Spotify or Apple Music, I would go to YouTube and look up songs that my brother would play in the car and stare at the screen until I memorized every single word. I started writing about two and a half years ago as an outlet; I was going through a lot and it helped with my anxiety. I realized from there that I really enjoyed it, and this is where I’m at now.
What is the inspiration behind your artist name, Foreign Frnd?
FOREIGN FRND: There’s a song by M.I.A. called “Foreign Friend.” Me and my close friend were talking about M.I.A. and how she is so underrated and just disappeared, and I hadn’t listened to any of her newer stuff. My friend played me the song called “Foreign Friend” and the pre-chorus went, “Gonna be your best friend, gonna make that shit trend, I’m gonna be your foreign friend, all the way to the end.” It was just a strong song and I was like, everyone could use a foreign friend, and it stuck.
Your new single “Lies” just came out! Can you tell us a little bit about the song and the inspiration behind it?
FOREIGN FRND: I wouldn’t say I was in a fling, but it was me and this person, and they were far away from me, so we would link up when we would see each other. But then I was lied to, and it was like, I know what we’re doing. We’re cool and we see each other, but you don’t have to lie to me, I get it. Me and this person are completely fine, so it’s not a diss track. I don’t even think they know it’s about them, because they said, “I love the song so much,” which I thought was really funny. It’s an empowerment song, because there’s always this stigma that men have the upperhand on women, but that’s not how it is.
In a few words, how would you describe your music aesthetic?
FOREIGN FRND: I would describe it in the simplest terms as “vibey.” It can be chill, but also not. In “Lies,” the hook is very cool and then it gets hard. I’m very into those heavy trap beats—I got that from Travis Scott. You can rap really hard on those types of beats but you can also be melodramatic. I’m very laid back. I’m just tryna vibe.
What is your creative process like? Has it changed at all during lockdown?
FOREIGN FRND: I try to write everyday, whether it’s a line, a song, a hook or anything. I try to do that first thing when I wake up in the morning. I’ll lock myself in my room if things are going well, and if not i’ll take a break and try to come back to it the next day. Quarantine was a similar process, but there was a time period of a few weeks where it was hard for me to even want to write because I was dealing with the stress of graduation, of what am I doing next. I was very anxious, and I just kind of shut down. I didn’t do anything for a few weeks, but then I restarted, knowing I had a lot of unfinished songs.
How do you hope your music makes people feel?
FOREIGN FRND: Confident. That’s the main word I would pick. I’m a very confident person in everything I do and the way I carry myself. I know music is subjective so people take different things from it, but I just want my music to make people feel good. There are some songs that I have that are more vulnerable, and while I wrote a song like “Lies,” and this is how I am as a person, I want people to know that it’s okay to be vulnerable because there’s power in vulnerability and there’s power in feeling. That’s something I do better in my music than I do in real life: Talk about how I feel.
Besides making music, what gets you out of bed in the morning?
FOREIGN FRND: Going to train and staying active. I’ve been doing athletics my whole life, so staying in shape is something that is super important to me. I would be lying if I said, “Oh yes, my school is what gets me out of bed in the morning.” It would definitely be that I’m about to go do this really hard workout, and it sucks now, but I always come back feeling better, knowing I did it. That’s why I like track as well, because it’s more individual. If I do badly it’s because of me, and if I do well it’s because of me. I think it’s cool because a tenth of a second is huge in running. That separates a world record, that separates first and second place in a sixty meter dash. You don’t always think the little things you do help you get better, but they do.”
Who are some of your biggest influences, and what do you love about them?
FOREIGN FRND: Outside of music, growing up I looked up to Christiano Ronaldo and Kobe Bryant. They interlock with their mentality of winning; they love to win and work so hard, and if they lose, they get back up and try to be the best they can be. Even though they have nothing to prove, they want to prove it for themselves. Music wise, I love Drake. I love his versatility and everything he can do. I first realized I wanted to start making music in 2016 when I was listening to Travis Scott, his album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. It was those heavy trap beats, and I was like, “This is sweet. I love this kind of music.” I love the sound of Don Toliver too, that melodic, chill, you-can-listen-to-in-any-type-of-mood music. I would love to make music like that, but I would also love to be versatile and try other things like Drake.
How do we all channel hot girl energy like you do? What’s the key to being unapologetically yourself?
FOREIGN FRND: You wake up, you look in the mirror and say, “Yeah, I’m that bitch.” I’m very confident in what I wear, how I walk, how I interact with people, and how I talk. I was always the black sheep of my family — I still am. I was outspoken and stood up for other people who couldn’t stand up for themselves and anyone who was oppressed. I guess growing up in that dynamic of a Muslim Arab hosuehold, my family is wonderful, but misogyny was just something that I was always surrounded with. It just disgusted me, so I would let it be known. I would always tell them that they would be nothing without women. I grew up strong, my mom is a very strong woman. I was told by my dad that how you shake someone’s hand says a lot about you, so I would always shake with a really firm handshake and eye contact. Some men would find that weird, but it’s like, listen, I’m here, and we’re on the same level.
What mantra do you live by?
FOREIGN FRND: If it won’t matter in five years, it shouldn’t matter for more than five minutes.
What’s next for you?
FOREIGN FRND: More Foreign Frnd. Me building myself, having more people listen to me out there, maybe drop merch or an EP sometime soon as everything gets bigger. I just really want everyone to get a sense of who I am and what I’m bringing, and I have so much more to share. Everyone says they like “Lies” but they don’t even understand how much I have in the vault right now, so I’m just very excited to share more.
Stream Foreign Frnd’s brand new single “No Surprise” on Spotify and Apple Music. And don’t forget to follow her on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with her life and new releases.
For more interviews with other up-and-coming artists, check out Valentina Cy is 2021’s Alt Pop Artist to Obsess Over and Inside the Magical World of Josie Man.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
