Elyanna on Palestinian identity, Coldplay and manifestation

“When you show your identity, you always shine,” says Elyanna.

The 22-year-old Palestinian-Chilean singer already has millions of views on YouTube and a collaboration with Coldplay under her belt.

This year she is also making her first European tour, telling BBC Newsbeat that she is keen to spread the word about her home “through music and art”.

Elyanna was born in Nazareth, an Arab city in northern Israel.

Israeli Arabs are descended from Palestinians who became citizens of Israel when the state was established in 1948, many of whom continue to identify themselves as Palestinians.

“I feel like a young Palestinian artist, if I have a voice and I have a platform, I [can] talk about where I come from,’ says Elyanna.

“And talk about the beautiful things at home that are so needed.”

Elyanna and her family moved from Nazareth to California in 2017, but she still feels a strong connection to Palestine.

In April 2023, she made history at Coachella, becoming the first person to sing an entire set in Arabic at the Californian music festival.

Months later, on October 7, the Palestinian group Hamas launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel.

Israel’s massive military offensive against it still continues.

Last year, Elyanna told fans that she “prayed for” Gaza and chose to do so postponing his tour last year in solidarity with people affected by Israel’s military offensive.

One of her songs, Olive Branch, written with her brother and mother, includes nods to the people of Palestine, and she says the song is dedicated to them.

“They’ve been through so much for so long,” she says.

Despite some celebrities facing criticism for not speaking out about events in the Middle East, Elyanna says that’s not the case for her.

“I don’t feel like there’s any pressure because I’m very proud of where I come from, who I am and my identity,” she told Newsbeat after a gig in Michigan last month.

“And I want others my age, young people and artists in general, I want them to be proud of where they come from.

“I feel like it’s my mission as an artist. It gives me so much purpose.

“I always believe in speaking your mind and I believe that everyone should feel free to express how they feel.”

Elyanna sings in Arabic, with one review of her Woledto album, where she says she “plays with Arabic pop, R&B, EDM and jazz to express the nuances of love, loss and longing”.

And this year she teamed up with Coldplay alongside Burna Boy, Little Simz and Tini under their Glastonbury headline set.

The Coldplay collaboration is a teenage dream come true for Elyanna, who is now approaching 10 million monthly Spotify listeners.

“I saw their show [when] I was 15 years old in San Diego with my siblings and I was so inspired for like a week.

“And I remember saying to my sister, ‘One day I feel like I’m going to perform with them.’

“I can’t believe it’s true,” she says.

Working with the group was for her as a young artist “perfect inspiration and a perfect environment to be around”.

“They’re legends and they’re so sweet and humble in person, which makes it even more perfect.

“They stand for beautiful things and I feel like they’ve really inspired me,” she says.

Now that her tour is back up and running, she says the delay has taught her to “be patient”.

“It’s a process and it’s like you have to learn to trust the process.”

And when she’s on stage, her aim now is to “inspire people” in the same way she was by artists such as Amy Winehouse, Freddie Mercury and legendary Middle Eastern singer Fairuz.

“As a little girl, I would always feel inspired by artists, especially when they perform live,” she says.

“So I feel like I have to give that to other people, inspire them, give them hope.

“I have so many people who really inspired me in their own way, and I want to do the same for other people.”

Elyanna says she loves performing in the UK and seeing other Arabs at her concerts.

“I feel that there are so many Arabs who want to introduce their friends [to] their culture,” she says.

“I’m always so surprised and inspired that they’re all here to listen to Arabic music,” she says.

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