Tasneem El-Aidy: The Voice of the Future
Edited By: Karim Moataz
Photo Taken By: Ziad Tamer
Tasneem El-Aidy’s journey through the world of music has been a testament to her continuous dedication, innate talent, and the unwavering support of her family. At just 23 years old, El-Aidy has already carved out a unique path for herself in the music industry, blending her skills in both performance and sound engineering to create a distinct sound that resonates with audiences worldwide.
In 2021, El-Aidy went viral after her cover of Masked Wolf’s hit song “Astronaut in the Ocean” garnered international attention, prompting the famous singer to share it on his TikTok account with the caption “I give props when it’s due…you killed my song..so good!” Soon enough, Masked Wolf reached out to El-Aidy asking her to duet his song with him, captioning the video with “too much respect.” Her music career kicked off after that, writing and performing the English and Spanish portions of the La Liga’s 2022 Football Launch and the song for the World Fencing Championship 2022. She is now a singer and songwriter, creating her original music and writing music for ads and films. Her hit single “Queen” even made it to a billboard in Times Square in New York on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
El-Aidy graduated from AUC in 2024 with a double major in Music Performance and Music Technology. However, her musical journey began at the age of 8 when she first discovered her love for the piano.
Over the years, she improved her craft, progressing to the fifth grade out of eight total grades in classical piano, before transitioning to vocal performance upon moving to Egypt from Dubai at the age of 12. Despite initially facing challenges with her voice, El-Aidy’s determination and passion led her to self-train using online resources, gradually refining her technique and developing her signature sound.
“When I first started singing, I had a terrible voice. The kids in school would always make fun of me when I would sing in school morning lines and talent shows across the country, but I never wanted to quit,” El-Aidy told The Caravan.
El-Aidy’s talent soon caught the attention of her peers and teachers at Modern Education School (MES), where she showcased her talent in a breakthrough moment when she landed the lead role in a school play. This marked her first experience performing with a microphone and garnering widespread praise for her surprising performance.
Upon joining AUC at 18, El-Aidy continued to pursue her musical aspirations, participating in the university’s talent show and captivating audiences with her soulful renditions.
“I entered the AUC talent show three times. The first time, I did not do that great. The second time, I reached the finals and managed to get third place. The last time, I decided to leave in the middle as I found no purpose to continue,” said El-Aidy.
Despite initial setbacks, El-Aidy’s perseverance off-stage paid off, as her social media presence led her into the spotlight as she gained millions of followers on platforms like TikTok and Instagram when her cover of “Astronaut in the Ocean.”
“The main reason I was in the talent show was to gain exposure. When I went viral on social media, I had already achieved that, and I started getting very good opportunities. Hence, it made no sense for me to take up any of my time for the talent show,” said El-Aidy.
Throughout her journey, El-Aidy attributes much of her success to the unwavering support of her parents, who wholeheartedly embraced her passion for music and encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Their belief in her abilities served as a driving force that helped El-Aidy achieve new achievement heights.
“I don’t know what I would have done without my parents. They guided me and supported me through every step in my journey, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. My parents are a blessing, and I’ll always be grateful for them,” said El-Aidy.
While El-Aidy remains humble about her viral success, she has achieved remarkable milestones in her career, including over 1.3 million streams for her cover of “Astronaut in the Ocean.” She also has several successful singles like “Good Girl” and “Queen,” with over 90 thousand streams each.
“Queen” was one of El-Aidy’s greatest singles, and featuring it in Times Square last year was an iconic moment for her. The song was put up after El-Aidy had applied to advertise it on International Women’s day to promote her song and send out its strong message to women around the world.
“This was one of my proudest moments, for myself, my parents, and even for Egypt – it was a pretty big deal, and I’m very grateful for it,” said El-Aidy.
Among her proudest achievements are collaborations with prestigious entities such as La Liga and the 2022 Fencing World Cup, where El-Aidy showcased her versatility and creative ability on a global scale in the songs she co-wrote.
“The La Liga campaign for Puma’s “Orbita” ball was probably the biggest thing I have ever done, so I wanted to perfect it. I got to know more about football, and I learned some Spanish to be able to make a part of my lyrics fit in with the audience of the La Liga as well,” said El-Aidy.
Despite her undeniable success, El-Aidy has faced her fair share of challenges along the way. From navigating the complexities of legal contracts to expanding her audience beyond the English-speaking market in Egypt, she has confronted each obstacle with resilience and determination, guided by her father’s assistance and support.
“I have seen Tasneem grow so much and work on herself. I remember this one time, Tasneem had her final exam performance at Malak Gabr and it was the first time I actually realized how big her voice was. I knew she could sing, but not in a million years would I have thought that she knows how to captivate the room like that,” said El-Aidy’s father, Magdy El-Aidy.
Looking ahead, El-Aidy’s aspirations extend beyond musical performance, as she harbors ambitions of pursuing a master’s degree in vocal training at Berklee College of Music. Her ultimate goal is to share her passion for music with others as a professor, imparting her knowledge and expertise to the future generation of aspiring musicians.
“Teaching voice has always been my goal since I started – always and forever. This is why I studied for more than four years at AUC and why I want to do both a master’s and a PhD. I want to be as capable as possible to have my own academy in the future where people can learn everything about music and voice,” said El-Aidy.
In a world dominated by social media metrics and fleeting trends, El-Aidy remains persistent in her commitment to authenticity and self-expression. Her advice to fellow musicians is simple: “Do not fall into the trap of chasing numbers on social media. Your art is art regardless of its online popularity, so never lose your identity. Stay true to yourself and the music you love, and success will follow.”
