LANA LUBANY INTERVIEW: 7 UNFILTERED SECRETS TO REWRITING THE RULES OF DARK R&B
LANA LUBANY INTERVIEW: Breaking borders and bending genres, the London-based vanguard discusses bilingual flows, dark cinematic production, and the vital importance of creative autonomy.
The power of music lies in its ability to construct worlds where physical borders cease to exist. For Lana Lubany, this isn’t just an artistic philosophy—it is a lived reality. Since her breakthrough track ‘THE SNAKE’ seamlessly fused English and Arabic, the London-based artist has pioneered a haunting, avant-garde soundscape where ancient heritage and hyper-modern, bass-heavy production sit in perfect harmony.
Refusing to smooth out her edges for mainstream palatability, Lubany’s music serves as a sanctuary for the diaspora and a masterclass in world-building. Following a string of high-profile live dates—from Wembley Arena to touring with The Last Dinner Party—and a crucial partnership with AWAL, she is proving that absolute creative autonomy is the ultimate currency.
We spoke with the vocalist and songwriter to dissect bilingual rhythms, late-night intensity, and the necessity of protecting your true voice.
LANA LUBANY INTERVIEW: Your breakthrough track ‘THE SNAKE’ was a pivotal moment where you first merged English and Arabic (Arabizi). From a Rap and lyrical perspective, how did shifting into a bilingual delivery change the rhythm, flow, and cadence of your bars?
Adding another language to my writing unlocked a new perspective plus a new instrument. I feel like different parts of your personality come out in different languages. My Arabic wasn’t as strong as my English, so I couldn’t rely on a wide vocabulary or complicated descriptions. I had to keep things simple and find creative ways to connect ideas and build metaphors that communicated what I was trying to say.
Sometimes a phrase hits harder in Arabic because it carries an emotion or attitude that doesn’t really translate, and vice versa in English. They work so well symbiotically. Once I stopped treating language as a boundary and started treating it as part of the production itself, everything changed. It opened up new rhythms, new melodies, new flows and new ways of telling a story.
Your production heavily blends traditional sounds with avant-garde dark R&B, trap textures, and heavy bass. How do you approach the studio to ensure the ancient and the hyper-modern sit together without losing that raw, underground edge?
Everything starts with emotion. If the emotion is honest, the sounds can come from completely different worlds and still feel cohesive. I grew up between cultures, so hearing an Arabic melodic influence over dark bass-heavy production feels natural to me because that’s how my life feels. I think the underground edge comes from trusting my instincts rather than trying to make those influences more palatable or commercial. It all comes from my soul, from the elements that make me me.
Tracks like ‘THE CURRENCY’ and STANNA’ carry a very distinct, late-night intensity. What drew you toward these darker, more cinematic sonic landscapes for this era of your music?
I’ve always been drawn to turning wounds into something beautiful. A lot of that music came from a period of tension, both personally and in the world. The night became a sanctuary for me – it’s when the noise disappears and I can hear myself clearly. That’s where a lot of those songs were born. They feel cinematic because they came from those quiet hours where you’re forced to sit with your thoughts, your fears, your desires, and hopefully find some healing in them.
PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDREW MORALES
STYLIST: ANI HOVHANNISYAN
STYLIST ASSISTANT: MELLY BOUQUET
HAIR: ANDREA DISABATINO
MAKEUP: TIM MACKAY
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This interview is part of our long-form content series, now hosted exclusively on our Substack. To read the full conversation with Lana Lubany and gain access to our archive of deep-dives into the architects of Hip Hop and global culture, head over to the Viper Substack.
[READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE]
