Sevdaliza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sevdaliza
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Sevdaliza performing in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sevda Alizadeh |
| Born | 1 September 1987 Tehran, Iran |
| Origin | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Twisted Elegance |
Sevda Alizadeh (Persian: سِودا علیزاده), known as Sevdaliza, is an Iranian-Dutch artist. She is a singer, songwriter, and producer. She also works as a visual artist and director.
Sevdaliza released her first two EPs, The Suspended Kid and Children of Silk, in 2015. An EP is a "mini-album" with fewer songs than a full album. Most of her songs are in English. However, she released her first song in Persian, called "Bebin", in 2017. This song was a way to speak out against a political order at the time.
Her first full album, ISON, came out in 2017. It was released through her own music label, Twisted Elegance. In 2018, she released another EP, The Calling. Her second studio album, Shabrang, followed in 2020.
Contents
Life and career
Early life and background
Sevda Alizadeh was born on September 1, 1987, in Tehran, Iran. Her family has roots from Azerbaijan, Russia, and Persia. When she was five years old, her family moved to the Netherlands.
At 16, Sevdaliza left home. She had earned a scholarship to play basketball. She even played for the Dutch national basketball team. After her basketball career, she went to university. She earned a master's degree in communications. Sevdaliza can speak many languages. She is fluent in Persian, Dutch, English, French, and Portuguese.
Early music releases (2014–2018)
In March 2014, Sevdaliza released her song "Clear Air". It came with a music video. She then released "Sirens of the Caspian" and "Backseat Love".
Her first EP, The Suspended Kid, was released in January 2015. She had worked on it for over a year and a half. The title of the EP shows how people sometimes reacted to her. She realized she needed to choose her own path. Sevdaliza and Mucky, a producer from Rotterdam, created this EP together.
In September 2015, a music video for "That Other Girl" was released. This song was described as industrial R&B. In June, she released "Marilyn Monroe". This song was the first single from her second EP, Children of Silk. "Marilyn Monroe" is a trip hop song. Its music video came out in March 2016.
Children of Silk was released in November 2015. Sevdaliza said that textures like skin, glass, and silk inspired this EP. In May 2016, Sevdaliza released a short film called The Formula. This film tells a sad story about loss. It features three of her songs: "The Formula," "The Language of Limbo," and "Mad Woman." "Mad Woman" was released as a single later that year.
She also released new songs called "Time" and "Human" in 2016. "Human" also had a music video. These songs, along with "Marilyn Monroe" and "The Language of Limbo," were later included on her first album, ISON.
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In January 2017, Sevdaliza released "Bebin." This was her first song in Persian. She released it to protest a political order that she felt was unfair. She said she wanted to share a message of love. She wanted to show that there is no place for racism or unfairness.
In February 2017, a music video for "Amandine Insensible" came out. This video explores how women are sometimes expected to fit into limited roles. Sevdaliza explained that the video shows a world where feelings have disappeared. This makes people feel uncomfortable.
In April 2017, "Hero" was released. It was the second single from her first album, ISON. The album was released in April 2017. It is named after Comet ISON, a comet that flies close to the sun.
In January 2018, Sevdaliza released "Soul Syncable." This song came out on the day of a special "super blue moon." "Soul Syncable" was the first song she released after her album ISON. In February, she released "Human Nature." Both "Soul Syncable" and "Human Nature" are part of her EP The Calling, which was released in March 2018.
In May 2018, she released a Portuguese version of her song "Human." It was called "Humana." She released it to celebrate "Human" reaching 10 million views.
Recent music (2019–present)
On March 8, 2019, Sevdaliza released "Darkest Hour." This song marked the start of a new part of her music journey. She then released "Martyr" the next month.
In 2020, Sevdaliza released three more songs: "Oh My God," "Lamp Lady," and "Joanna." She then announced her second album, Shabrang. It was released on August 28, 2020. Shabrang also includes the song "Human Nature," which was on her 2018 EP The Calling.
Shabrang was well-received by critics. It reached number 39 on the Dutch Albums Chart.
In 2021, Sevdaliza released new songs like "The Great Hope Design" and "High Alone." "High Alone" was released with a robot that she had built over several years. These songs were part of her fourth EP, Raving Dahlia. This EP was released on February 25, 2022, and also received good reviews.
On October 7, 2022, Sevdaliza released "Woman Life Freedom." She released it to support the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran, her home country.
The song "Ride Or Die," featuring Puerto Rican rapper Villano Antillano, came out on June 22, 2023. It became very popular on the social media app TikTok.
She released more singles in 2023 and 2024. These include "Nothing Lasts Forever" with Grimes on November 3. On November 23, "Who Are You Running From" was released. This song was featured in a short film.
Ride or Die, Pt. 2 was released on April 18, 2024. It features Villano Antillano and Dominican rapper Tokischa.
On June 28, 2024, the popular song "Alibi" was released. It features Brazilian singer and drag queen Pabllo Vittar and French singer-songwriter Yseult. "Alibi" was Sevdaliza's first song to enter the Spotify Top 50 chart. She performed it on TV shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
In October 2024, Sevdaliza released "No Me Cansaré." This song was a collaboration with Colombian superstar Karol G.
Artistry
Musical style and influences
Sevdaliza's music blends different styles. These include electronic, alternative R&B, trip hop, experimental pop, and avant-pop. Critics have compared her music to artists like Portishead and Björk.
Sevdaliza describes her sound as "pure and raw." She is not focused on one music genre. Instead, she is drawn to a certain mood, like sadness. She finds it interesting that her music is compared to artists she hasn't listened to much. For example, a professor once told her he could hear old Persian singers in her voice. He said it was because she uses certain notes. Sevdaliza said she never had singing lessons or listened to Persian music. She believes some influences come to you without you even knowing.
Sevdaliza's music is often inspired by ideas about womanhood, identity, and motherhood.
Music videos
Her album, ISON, is a visual album. This means it has a long video that goes with all the songs. The video is 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 28 seconds long. It's meant to be watched all at once. It changes slowly, like a "moving painting." Sevdaliza's goal with her music videos is to make them feel both real and extraordinary at the same time.
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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| Berlin Music Video Awards | 2020 | Best Song | "Habibi" | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Best Director | "Homunculus (Oh My God)" | Nominated | ||
| Best Visual Effects | "Everything Is Everything" | Won | |||
| 2024 | Most Bizzare | "Nothing Lasts Forever" (with Grimes) | Nominated | ||
| Camerimage | 2018 | Best Music Video | "Shahmaran" | Nominated | |
| D&AD Awards | 2019 | Visual Effects | Nominated | ||
| Shark Music Video Awards | 2018 | Best Cinematography | Won | ||
| Writing/Idea/Concept | Won | ||||
| Best Music Video | Nominated | ||||
| Best Color Grading | "Hear My Pain Heal" | Nominated |
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
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| NED |
BEL |
GER |
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| ISON |
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192 | — | — |
| Shabrang |
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39 | 166 | 100 |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | ||||
Extended plays
| Title | Track listing | Details |
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| The Suspended Kid |
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| Children of Silk |
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| The Calling |
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| Raving Dahlia |
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Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NED |
BRA |
FRA |
GER |
IRE |
ITA |
SWI |
UK |
US |
WW |
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| "Colorblind" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | |
| "Race Against the Machine" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Lions" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Clear Air" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Suspended Kid | |
| "Sirens of the Caspian" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Backseat Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "The Valley" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | |
| "One Armed Lullaby" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Time" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Human" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ISON | ||
| "Bebin" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | |
| "Hero" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ISON | ||
| "Hubris" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Marilyn Monroe" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Children of Silk and ISON | ||
| "Mad Woman" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
| "Soul Syncable" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Calling | |
| "Human Nature" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Calling and Shabrang | ||
| "Darkest Hour" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Shabrang | |
| "Martyr" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
| "Oh My God" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Shabrang | |
| "Lamp Lady" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Joanna" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Habibi" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Rhode" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Oh My God" (Sleepnet X Sevdaliza Remix) |
2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Raving Dahlia | |
| "The Great Hope Design" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "High Alone" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Everything Is Everything" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Woman Life Freedom" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
| "Ride or Die" (with Villano Antillano or "Pt. 2" with Villano Antillano and Tokischa) |
2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 112 | rowspan="6" TBA | |
| "Nothing Lasts Forever" (with Grimes) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Who Are You Running From" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Good Torture" (with Elyanna) |
2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Alibi" (with Pabllo Vittar and Yseult or "Pt. 2" with Anitta, Pabllo Vittar and Yseult) |
56 | 5 | 10 |
20 | 44 | 43 |
3 | 60 | 95 | 15 | |||
| "No Me Cansare" (featuring Karol G) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||||||
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Haunted" | 2015 | Stwo | D.S.T.N.T. |
| "Sev" | 2019 | SebastiAn | Thirst |
| "Shlut" | 2023 | Shygirl | Nymph_o |
| "Samsara" | Anyma | Genesys |
Videography
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) | Ref. |
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| "Race Against the Machine" | 2013 | Sevdaliza | |
| "Lions" | Sevdaliza | ||
| "Clear Air" | 2014 | ||
| "Sirens of the Caspian" | Atlynn Vrolijk | ||
| "Backseat Love" | Atlynn Vrolijk Lisette Donkersloot |
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| "That Other Girl" | 2015 | Pussykrew | |
| "The Valley" | Zahra Reijs | ||
| "Marilyn Monroe" | 2016 | Hirad Sab | |
| "Human" | Emmanuel Adjei | ||
| "Amandine Insensible" | 2017 | Piet Langeveld | |
| "Bluecid" | Sevdaliza Zahra Reijs |
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| "Hear My Pain Heal" | Ian Pons Jewell | ||
| "Duality" | 2018 | Emmanuel Adjei | |
| "Shahmaran" | |||
| "Martyr" | 2019 | Marlou Fernanda Sevdaliza |
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| "Oh My God" | 2020 | Sevdaliza Willemskantine |
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| "Joanna" | Marlou Fernanda Sevdaliza |
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| "Habibi" | Anastasia Konovalova Sevdaliza |
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| "Rhode" | Anna Himma | ||
| "Darkest Hour" | 2021 | Sarah Benjamin An Simin Willemskantine |
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| "Homunculus (Oh My God)" | Willemskantine Sevdaliza |
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| "Ride Or Die Pt.2" | 2024 | Sevdaliza Mathias Janmaat |
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Formula | Zillah | Emmanuel Adjei | Short film |
