The beginning of KORBAG by Nada Nader feels slow and devastating, like a whispered accusation. This was my first feeling listening to the song as someone who is not fluent in the language, and upon seeing the lyrics I learned that it is a listing of grievances. The first lyric—“Sometimes you feel sorry for yourself with all your heart”—sets the listener up for the story that is being told, which I felt even before looking at the translation. Clearly, Nader did an excellent job conveying the emotion so much so it wasn’t necessary to understand the language. 

From the beginning of the verse “نفسيتك من اسوء إلي ادني إلي اسفل إلي اوطي” the pace of the song increases but the vocal quality manages to stay excellent. The artist does not drag her voice. This pace change feels not random but adds to the increasing intensity of the song. 

The lyrics convey someone whose mental state is spiraling. The singer feels alone, fighting against the expectations of an unnamed “they” which this listener assumes to be society at large. The clarity of the singer’s voice makes the listener feel as though she is whispering angry secrets to them, matching the lyrics excellently. And, she plays with cliches i.e. “If the opportunity isn’t mine I still grab it.” 

In this song, the most notable quality is the frequent change in tune. It lets the singer take her audience on a journey that increasingly feels more high stakes. The background vocals are also interesting, adding to the secret-like feel of the song. At the beginning of the verse where she utilizes anaphoras i.e. “In class, I’m the smart one/In the movie, I’m the villain” the momentum builds to show a shift where the singer is regaining her power and agency. All in all, the necessary variations in dynamics are all present in this piece. 

The ending tapers off quite abruptly, not sitting well in the listener’s ear. Although the unfinished quality of the ending mirrors the lyrics—“life is fleeting, but it still whips you,” the rest of the song has so much cohesion it feels like a lazy ending to the instrumentals. The last line—where the singer delivers the title of the song but— is followed by faint vocals that seem like they were only added to soften the fadeout rather than to serve any artistic purpose.