Idol Melodies: Melodi Ghazal’s Introspective Debut

Melodi Ghazal, a rising talent within Copenhagen’s underground music scene, announces her full-length debut, Idol Melodies, set for release on 6 March 2026 via Anyines. A graduate of the prestigious Rhythmic Music Conservatory (RMC), Ghazal fuses her Iranian heritage with ’80s pop influences, creating a sound that is both eclectic and introspective.

The album’s lead single, “Numb,” showcases Ghazal’s meditative vocal style over major key guitar strums. The song reflects a period of personal transformation during which she grappled with self-alienation and strained relationships. “I received this beautiful major folk guitar progression from my guitarist Peter Bruhn, and instinctively wanted to sing along,” Ghazal explains. “My melodies quickly darkened it. The song became a meditation on losing control, observing your life as if from a distance, and asking, ‘Who am I now? Numb?’” A section sung in Farsi directly explores relational themes, underscoring the album’s bilingual intimacy.

Born in Copenhagen to Iranian parents, Ghazal’s musical sensibilities were nurtured through cultural gatherings. Her early influences included pre-revolutionary Iranian hits, Los Angeles pop of the 1980s and ’90s, and VH1 and MTV staples such as Dido and Celine Dion. At her mother’s encouragement, she took piano lessons, though her career would later stall for nearly a decade due to personal introspection and the challenges of navigating “otherness” in a predominantly white environment.

Her re-engagement with music led to acceptance at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, a crucible for contemporary Danish talent including ML Buch, Astrid Sonne, and Clarissa Connelly. Idol Melodies evolved gradually, with initial daf drum sketches forming part of her conservatory thesis. Collaborations with Anyines founder Villads Klint, NTS resident Coby Sey, guitarist Peter Bruhn Rasmussen, acoustic guitarist Albert Hertz, and consultant Fine Glindvad enriched the album’s sonic palette.

The record intertwines Sufi-inspired rhythms, Madonna-esque spiritual curiosity, and the exile-infused voice of Googoosh. Ghazal also draws on Hafez’s poetry and circular compositional motifs, resulting in a sound that is simultaneously spry, mercurial, and emotionally textured. Tracks such as “Destinies and Melodies,” “Numb,” and “In My Room” traverse themes of surrender, introspection, and familial dynamics, balancing sonic directness with lyrical depth.

Blending Middle Eastern percussion with English-Persian vocals, Ghazal cultivates a protective intimacy while navigating self-dissolution and connection. The album reflects personal crises, breakups, and transformative growth, cloaking life’s storminess in magical, resonant melodies. Idol Melodies signals the arrival of an artist poised to carve her unique voice in contemporary music.