Born in Italy to a family of Moroccan heritage, Imen’s dreams of becoming a singer were at odds with her Muslim family, especially her father, an Imam at their local mosque. But Imen stayed true to herself, her family, and her religion by exploring topics and presenting an image that didn’t compromise those inner beliefs. Her breakthrough moment came serendipitously while working as a waitress at the London restaurant Nando’s, when she posted a candid video of herself on Instagram, singing into a mop she was using to clean. The video quickly went viral, leading to music deals and her debut appearance on the Arabic remix of David Guetta’s “Family” alongside Ty Dolla $ign and A Boogie wit da Hoodie. “As a child, I was heavily bullied, and I made the decision at a young age to try to put a positive spin on the negative moments in my life,” Imen explains.” I want my lyrics to empower listeners to be able to do the same, without fear.” She then released her debut single “Lonely People,” which earned tastemaker acclaim first in London, and now around the world. But despite her success, Imen takes nothing for granted and continues to work full time at Nando’s as a waitress, hustling to make her music dreams a reality during breaks and off-days.

Imen took time out of her busy schedule to talk about her debut album, what she has learned along the way, and how TikTok has been key to testing the waters on new music. All this and much more on the latest episode of theFIVE10 podcast!