Not everyone will perhaps appreciate the sharp, playful lyricism behind ‘HOWTOBEAMAN (pt.1)’. Yet, under the tongue-in-cheek imagery lies a melancholic, decadent truth, one that was informed by Joudi Nox’s dealings with ‘modern men’, as she so boldly describes them. Fed up with cheating and emotional manipulation, the Toronto-based songstress seeks to reclaim her fierceness and authenticity, using a sarcastic, satirical pop song as a cathartic tool for her experiences.
From a sonic standpoint, HOWTOBEAMAN (pt.1) finds its sonic character on a gloomy, striking hip-hop-flavoured beat. This eclectic concoction of potent energy resonates with any keen listener – especially women, we suspect. Nox’s luscious, sultry vocals are delivered with a strong, fearless attitude, once again making her resilient artistry irresistible and memorable.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with the Canadian voyager to learn more about the single and the reasoning behind it… interview below!
Hey Joudi, how is it going? You’re the latest Torontonian pop creative on Mesmerized’s pages – how are things in Canada during these turbulent times?
Things are tense, I’m not gonna lie. But going through war a few times in my lifetime along with a couple revolutions and the worst economic crisis in the 21 century in Lebanon, I’m used to it. Nothing stopping me from making music.
Your current work is the result of a long journey; What first drew you to making music?
As my mom says, I used to want to dance and sing before I could even walk. I’ve always been musical but I grew up stateless with financial problems that I had to prioritize surviving before anything sometimes. Yet, I still managed to write music since the age of 11 as a way to teach myself English and take guitar lessons. I found an escape from the harsh reality that lived in. Then I went to school for music and then did my master’s at Stanford in music as well. You can see that I’m quite persistent on that music thing. I was always afraid of releasing music and no one listening to it, now I’m releasing my music so that my grandchildren can listen to them, to leave a legacy.
I am hypnotised by your latest offering, the potent and fierce single ‘HOWTOBEAMAN’. Part playful, part serious, the song is very direct and easy to understand. Out of curiosity, was it inspired by personal/real events?
The song was inspired by most of the boys I’ve been friends with during my university days. I learned over the years the rule of being a man from these boys. The competition that drives their every move to be better than the other guy, to get the girl, get the money (etc.) contaminated their friendship. I watched the cheating, the manipulation, and them asking for princess treatment, but then I realised how lonely they were. All of that – mixed with my own disappointments in dating at the time – piled up until one day I exploded and I wrote HOWTOBEAMAN as a satirical rulebook, assembled from all the toxic insecure men I’ve met in my lifetime.
‘HOWTOBEAMAN’ seems to be taking a punchier, more electronic path than some of your previous records. Could we say that you are entering a new artistic era? Or is this a one-off?
I wouldn’t say an era but more of a path. I do believe that my previous songs were 100% me, but I feel that HOWTOBEAMAN is the most me. The style, the edge and the punchiness are exactly what my personality looks like. I describe this song as a resting bitch face, which is my personality most of the time. I struggled a lot in the past couple of years to become who I authentically am, on social media or through my music when the world keeps telling me that I should look a certain way, make a certain type of music, or be born in a certain country. HOWTOBEAMAN is the start of who I truly am as an artist.
What’s the one thing you’d like all the men reading this interview to know?
If you’re offended by this song then it’s about you and you should seek help. If you find it funny and cool you should follow me because they’re plenty of that music to come.
Love troubles allow us to make better art – do you agree with this statement?
That’s true. My songwriter friends from Stanford and I used to discuss why songs about heartbreak are more popular than songs about love and happiness. It’s something we all can relate to which is sad to admit. For me, sadness and love drive me to write music, but the dominant emotion that makes me write my best songs is anger. Anger makes me witty, vengeful, and in my element. I’ve been told by many people that it’s “unhealthy” but I’m not burning my ex’s house (even if it sounds like a good idea), I’m just writing songs about it. That’s my way of processing those emotions and staying out of jail.
Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
I would love to work with a team actually. I’ve been making music alone for my whole career now because I haven’t settled down in one city for more than 3 years. I think making music together is a lot more fun.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
More music! More music! More music! I want to release as much music as I can this year because more music means more materials to perform on tour. So an EP maybe? Who knows?
