Sevdaliza

Sevda Alizadeh (; born 1 September 1987), known professionally as Sevdaliza, is an Iranian-Dutch singer, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and director. She is of Azerbaijani, Russian, and Persian descent. She moved with her family to the Netherlands at the age of five. At 16, she left home after obtaining a basketball scholarship, eventually playing on the Dutch national basketball team. She went to university, graduating with a master's degree in communications. Sevdaliza is fluent in Persian, Dutch, English, French, and Portuguese.

2014–2018: The Suspended Kid, Children of Silk and ISON In March 2014, Sevdaliza released her single "Clear Air" along with a music video. It was later followed by "Sirens of the Caspian" and "Backseat Love". Children of Silk was released in November. Sevdaliza cited textures such as skin, glass, and silk as the main inspiration behind the EP. In May, Sevdaliza released a short film titled The Formula, which tells the story of how "the pain of losing an unborn child destroyed balance in marriage and leads to tragedy." Directed by Emmanuel Adjei, the short film features three songs by Sevdaliza, "The Formula", "The Language of Limbo" and "Mad Woman"; the latter was issued as a single the following year in October.

In January 2017, Sevdaliza released her first Persian-language song, "Bebin", in response to Executive Order 13769. She stated, "In protest of the inhumane political climate, I could not rest my head in privilege. I wrote 'Bebin' in Farsi, to solidify. I stand strong with love. In this case I choose to avoid mainstream media, because I have no interest in part taking in a victimized concept. Take this message without lights, camera, action. I am solely a messenger. In the brain of love, there is no place for racism nor bigotry." In February, a music video was released for "Amandine Insensible", which showcases the limited roles women are expected to fill in modern culture. Sevdaliza said, "The story of Amandine explores the concept of 'identity' in a contemporary world that is rapidly changing due to the disappearance of 'boundaries'. Amandine is everything you want her to be. An extreme extraction of average life, representing a world where we have become so universal all feelings have disappeared. Paradoxically, this makes you feel uncomfortable. Her life takes place in an infinite white space, composed with minimal objects that represent different facets of the cycle of daily life."

2019–present: Shabrang, Ride or Die, Alibi, and Heroina

On March 8, 2019, Sevdaliza released a new single which would be the beginning of a new musical chapter in her career, "Darkest Hour". It was succeeded by the non-album single "Martyr" the following month.

Sevdaliza then released three singles in 2020, "Oh My God", "Lamp Lady" and "Joanna", before announcing her second studio album Shabrang, with a release of 28 August 2020. Shabrang also features the single "Human Nature", which also appeared on her 2018 extended play The Calling.

Shabrang was released on 28 August, 2020 to critical acclaim. It peaked at number 39 on the Dutch Albums Chart.

In 2021, Sevdaliza released a number of new singles including "The Great Hope Design" and "High Alone", which debuted alongside a robot that she had built over the course of several years.

The song "Ride Or Die", featuring Puerto Rican rapper Villano Antillano, released on June 22, 2023, going viral on social media app TikTok.

A string of singles released in 2023 and 2024, including "Nothing Lasts Forever", featuring Grimes, released on November 3. The 23rd of the same month saw the release of "Who Are You Running From", a song featured in the Josef Altin-directed short film I Don't Know Where to Start.

Ride or Die, Pt. 2 was released on, April 18, 2024, featuring, along with Antillano, Dominican rapper Tokischa.

June 28, 2024, saw the release of viral song "Alibi", featuring Brazilian singer and drag queen Pabllo Vittar and French singer-songwriter Yseult. The track was Sevdaliza's debut at Spotify Top 50 chart, and was promoted with performances at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and NRJ Music Award.

In October 2024, Sevdaliza released "No Me Cansaré", a collaboration with Colombian singer Karol G.

In August 2025, Sevdaliza's scheduled performance at the Coca-Cola Music Fest in Armenia was canceled following criticism from religious groups over her music video "Messiah," which featured religious imagery. Organizers cited public concerns; the cancellation received mixed reactions.

In October 2025, Sevdaliza released Heroina. The album consists of thirteen tracks, and features artists such as Eartheater, Pabllo Vittar, Yseult, Karol G, Villano Antillano, Tokischa, Kenia Os, and La Joaqui. The music publication Rolling Stone describes the album as an "an ode to femininity", while citing Sevdaliza herself who stated that "Heroina is about wanting to be free, and at the same time feeling how limited that freedom can be" .

Artistry

Musical style and influences Sevdaliza's music incorporates electronic, alternative R&B, trip hop,

According to Sevdaliza, "I think my sound would mostly be described as pure and raw. I'm not necessarily drawn to a genre, but to a process, or towards a certain mood like melancholy. The interesting thing is that the music that my music gets compared to is not necessarily music I've listened to, which makes it super interesting. I was performing once, and a conservatory professor came to me after the show, saying that he could really hear that I draw inspiration from old Persian singers. I asked him, "Wow, that's really interesting. How do you hear that?," and he said because I use certain semitones and microtones when I sing. But I've never had a singing lesson in my life, and I've never listened to Persian music in my life! It's really interesting to me that some things just come to you unconsciously like that. It's like you have this brain and it's unconsciously and consciously registering everything and in combination with your DNA it just becomes... something."

Sevdaliza's music is inspired by ideas of womanhood, identity, and motherhood. Music videos Her album, ISON, is a visual album and has a video that is 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 28 seconds long. Unlike similar visual albums, the film is abstract and meant to be viewed in one sitting, as it subtly changes like a "moving painting". The audience members sweat and watch cautiously, as if scared of her. Her video on YouTube is accompanied by the quote, 'the basic human need to be watched was once satisfied by god'. There is an official rendition of the song in Brazilian-Portuguese. The video for Human was directed by Emmanuel Adjei.

"Amandine Insensible" Sevdaliza performs several archetypal figures of women in contemporary society. These archetypes are all solo and set against a bright white background, with watermarks and are meant to represent the limited roles accessible to women. As a commentary on the commercialization of everyday life, Sevdaliza sold clips from the music video to Shutterstock. There is the "confident, powerful woman active wear", "professional woman operator call center business", "glamorous sensual woman in silk garment", "confidant ethnic woman leather suit umbrella", and "glamorous woman wow white fur piano". Sevdaliza says that "The accessibility of information and matter has created a new universal language, in which commercial brands play a key role."

"Bluecid" Sevdaliza dances a slow tango-inspired duet with François Sagat in a large, ornately decorated hall with a golden table set for two in the middle of the room. The video is written and directed by Sevdaliza and Zahra Reijs and was released in 2017.

"Nothing Lasts Forever" In collaboration with Grimes, Sevdaliza released this single with a music video that uses AI to put the faces of both singers, alongside Madonna, ASAP Ferg and Julia Fox, on top of female bodybuilder's bodies. The whole video was filmed in an empty parking lot and it also features Sevdaliza without any technological alternations dancing and posing.

Album art ISON The album art for ISON features a hyper-realistic bust of Sevdaliza herself, barely superimposed and upside down over a mannequin copy that appears to be covered with fresh bright red paint. The hair that is hanging upside down, drapes over the shoulder of the bright red bust. Both appear to be sweaty or wet. The silicone sculpture is by sculptor Sarah Sitkin. Stikin says "The idea is based around Sevdaliza being the mother to herself and her past lives. It carries her vulnerability stoically. Her features distorted, some omitted, some emphasized. A new form is repeated through her 16 children (number of songs) surrounding her."

Awards and nominations

Discography Studio albums Title Details Peak chart positions NLD BEL GER ISON Released: 26 April 2017 Label: Twisted Elegance Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 192 — — Shabrang Released: 28 August 2020 Label: Twisted Elegance Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 39 166 100 Heroina Released: 31 October 2025 Label: Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Extended plays Title Track listing Details The Suspended Kid 1 "That Other Girl" 2 "Sirens of the Caspian" 3 "Clear Air" 4 "Backseat Love" 5 "Taste" 6 "Underneath" Released: 28 January 2015 Label: Twisted Elegance Format: LP, digital download "Taste" and "Underneath" were later deleted Children of Silk 1 "The Inside" 2 "Amandine Insensible" 3 "Marilyn Monroe" 4 "Men of Glass" (featuring Rome Fortune) Released: 24 November 2015 Label: Twisted Elegance Format: LP, digital download The Calling 1 "Soul Syncable" 2 "5D" 3 "Soothsayer" 4 "Energ1" 5 "Human Nature" 6 "Voodoov" 7 "Observer" Released: 30 March 2018 Label: Twisted Elegance Format: LP, digital download Raving Dahlia 1 "System" 2 "High Alone" 3 "Everything Is Everything" 4 "The Great Hope Design" 5 "Human Flow" 6 "Oh My God (Sleepnet X Sevdaliza Remix)"Released: 25 February 2022 Label: Twisted Elegance Format: LP, digital download

Singles + List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing album name and year released Title Year Peak chart positions Album NLD BRA FRA GER IRE SPA SWI UK US WW Certifications "Colorblind" 2013 — — — — — — — — — — "Race Against the Machine" — — — — — — — — — — "Lions" — — — — — — — — — — "Clear Air" — — — — — — — — — — "The Valley" 2015 — — — — — — — — — — "One Armed Lullaby" — — — — — — — — — — "Time" 2016 — — — — — — — — — — "Human" — — — — — — — — — — ISON "Bebin" 2017 — — — — — — — — — — "Hero" — — — — — — — — — — ISON "Hubris" — — — — — — — — — — "Marilyn Monroe" — — — — — — — — — — Children of Silk and ISON "Mad Woman" — — — — — — — — — — "Soul Syncable" 2018 — — — — — — — — — — The Calling "Human Nature" — — — — — — — — — —The Calling and Shabrang "Darkest Hour" 2019 — — — — — — — — — — Shabrang "Martyr" — — — — — — — — — — "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" — — — — — — — — — — "Ride or Die" 2023 — — — — — 65 — — — 112 PROMUSICAE: Gold — — — — — — — — — — "Who Are You Running From" — — — — — — — — — — "Good Torture" 2024 — — — — — — — — — — "Alibi" 55 5 9 20 44 85 3 58 95 15 PROMUSICAE: Gold SNEP: Diamond RIAA: GoldHeroina "No Me Cansare" — — — — — — — — — — "Maria Magdalena" 2025 — — — — — — — — — — "Heroina" — — — — — — — — — — "Messiah" — — — — — — — — — — "Strong Because You Are" — — — — — — — — — — "Stripper" — — — — — — — — — —"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Guest appearances Title Year Other artist(s) Album "Haunted"2015StwoD.S.T.N.T. "Sev" 2019 SebastiAn Thirst "Shlut" 2023 Shygirl Nymph_o "Samsara" Anyma Genesys "Fortuna"2025 The End of Genesys "Rich Man"Aespa

Videography Music videos

Films Year Title Role Director Notes 2016 The Formula Zillah Emmanuel Adjei Short film