Modest fashion blogger and musician, Nemah Hassan (better known as Nemahsis) released her much-anticipated debut single, What if I Took it Off For You? on June 23, and we have had it on repeat ever since.
The Canadian-born Muslim has been an OG of the online, modest fashion community since she began posting her outfits on Instagram in 2016, and has since amassed a loyal following of 139K followers on Instagram and 346K on TikTok. Her striking, edgy style that plays with layers and fabrics has been providing us with outfit inspiration for many years, but now, she is turning her attention to music. Nemah has not been shy of sharing her rich vocals on social media, releasing successful covers of songs such as Back to Black by Amy Winehouse and No Tears to Cry by Ariana Grande, but this is her first time releasing her own music.
The emotional ballad is inspired by her thoughts and feelings following a negative experience with a well-known yet unnamed fashion brand that tokenised and failed to pay her, and the song describes the experiences that many young, hijab-wearing women know all too well. Expressing emotions of low confidence, undesirability and otherness, Nemah’s single is an ode and love letter to the struggles of dressing modestly and wearing the hijab for young women in 2021.
In an interview with Complex, Nemah describes how the initial incident with the fashion brand impacted her: “I felt like such an idiot. I was supposed to be strong and independent. I was too proud to admit what had happened. But, I will not be anybody’s victim,” she stated. She conveys her feelings of frustration and wanting to be accepted through the powerful lyrics, and has said that “this song is for everyone that doesn’t fit the mould and has felt the need to compromise their individuality in order to be accepted – my wish is to echo your voices.”
The song’s meaning and socio-political context in which it was created is extremely poignant. The rise of Islamophobia and implementation of hijab-bans across Europe (the latest being the EU high court’s July 15 decision to allow employers to ban their employees from wearing headscarves) and other parts of the West are issues that predominantly and painfully affect hijab-wearing, Muslim women. This leaves many feeling unsafe, isolated and longing to fit in. Furthermore, debate surrounding the hijab is also a hot topic in the media, particularly in TV and films. Many of us are familiar with the common trope of a hijab-wearing, Muslim character feeling oppressed by her faith, family and culture then proceeding to remove her hijab in hopes of winning the love and affection of a white, male protagonist. This stereotype has its roots in discriminatory practices such as Orientalism and colonialism, and is quite frankly, overdone, simplistic and boring.
Nemah’s single brings a breath of fresh air on debates about the hijab, from the voice of an actual Muslim woman (!), a group that’s ironically often unheard from and unconsidered in such conversations. With the support of co-writer and fellow Muslim musician, Mustafa the Poet, What if I Took it Off For You? is a stunning debut from Nemah, and we eagerly anticipate new music from this fashion blogger-turned-songster.
