Influences
Inez Atili: “I don’t force any door and I don’t close any either”
Born between two cultures, carried by a voice that is at once intimate and captivating, the Moroccan-Dutch artist is making her mark on the pop scene with rare elegance and disarming authenticity.
You carry Morocco and the Netherlands in your voice. Have these two cultures ever clashed directly in your throat?
Not at all. For me, it’s a richness. They are two different worlds, two distinct languages, and it is precisely when they come together that the magic happens. It’s that in-between, that space between two shores, that makes the beauty of it.
With your sisters Chirin and Nada in the game, how do you prevent comparison from devouring everything?
We don’t feel that between us. Of course, there is always outside noise, but we laugh at it. People often tell us that we look a lot alike, especially with Chirin, to the point that we are sometimes mistaken for twins. Yet our voices differ noticeably: mine is raspier, more broken, while hers has an almost angelic sweetness.
There is a restrained elegance in your way of performing. Powerful, never ostentatious…
Honestly, I am simply very shy and always extremely nervous before going on stage. It’s not intentional; it’s probably just the stress and shyness you perceive.
But if it is perceived as elegance, I gladly accept it!
Modest fashion in today’s pop industry: a constraint or a new ultra-sensual playground?
Long before it became a trend, it was already my style.
Just look at my earliest videos. It was never a constraint; it’s simply how I feel most comfortable, and that’s where my confidence comes from.
Do you see this upcoming album as a closed chapter or as a door left slightly ajar?
Neither. I see it as a journey, and I am simply traveling it. I am moving toward what is meant for me. I don’t force any door and I don’t close any either.
If you had to describe this album through a single scent, a single light, or a single city, what would you choose?
I would choose Marrakech for the city. It contains everything: celebration and elegance, lively nights as well as moments of calm, music, chaos, flavors and cultural richness, all in multiple layers. For the light, it would be a traffic light’s glow. As for the scent, it would be amber: calm yet powerful, deep and warm, gently softening over time.
