Fighting Terrorism with Pop Music: Helly Luv Strikes Hard with her Single “Revolution”

Can pop music be used as a weapon to fight terrorism? The Kurdish singer Helan Abdulla, who goes by the name of Helly Luv, certainly believes so, and demonstrates it in the video for her powerful song, “Revolution”. Her second single was released on May 26th and has since drawn tremendous attention, not only to the 26 years old artist, but also to the cause she is singing for - which is exactly what she intended. 

The video was shot on the front line of Al-Khazr, a few kilometres away from ISIS troops. Helly Luv is seen leading Kurdish fighters in gold pumps, defying the enemies’ rifles with her singing and strutting fiercely among tanks. This video is unique because the artist borrows tropes of western pop music - provocative dance moves and flashy jewelry- but she distorts them to use them in a political context. Her style is also strongly inspired by her original culture. Helly Luv explains that her outfits were inspired by her mother, who was also a Peshmerga. She mixes western attributes with a keffiyeh and traditional henna tattoos. At first glance her style appears to be your typical LA product, the city where Helly Luv became a singer, but the content is unique and laden with meaning. Her song is a tribute to the courage and strength of the Peshmerga fighters. Scenes of bombings and fighting are filled with multiple peace symbols. It is a call for peace and unity, but also for international cooperation. The last sequence features soldiers brandishing peace signs against ISIS tanks and waving flags from every country, from Norway to Palestine, as well as the European Union flag. Indeed, despite the bravery of the Kurdish people displayed in the video, the support of the international community is crucial for victory. “Revolution” wishes to raise awareness to the reality of the Kurdish battle front, and to call every other nation to join their force. In this sense, Helly Luv uses pop music as cultural diplomacy.

It is also a means of soft power for the Kurdish nation. Music helps maintain a culture, and having a common anthem is particularly significant for the biggest ethnic groups without a country, spreading across four territories where they have been persecuted for generations. Helly Luv gives a voice to her people and paints a powerful image, contrasting with the usual representation conveyed in Western media. Notably, her videos show strong Kurdish women fighters, leading their male counterparts. Through her music, she is able to carry her message to the world and reach a broad international audience.  She wishes to use her music to give visibility to the Kurdish people and to their fight. She also talks about the importance of having Kurdish and Middle Eastern pop artists to look up to when growing up.

Helan Abdulla was born in Iran in 1988, but her family fled to Turkey days after to escape the Persian Gulf War. After a few years, they immigrated to Finland as refugees.  Helly Luv recalls that her childhood years in Finland were hard because of the cultural gap. At 18, she moved on her own to Los Angeles to pursue her passion, music and dance. She did not forget her heritage, and returned to the Middle East. She wants her art to have meaning and this is why she is dedicated to the Kurdish cause. Her first single released in 2014, “Risk it All”, is a pro-Kurd, anti-war anthem. It got her a lot of attention since this was the first song of its kind, mixing elements of Western pop culture with politics and Kurdish symbols. It was also revolutionary in Kurdistan, because she was the first woman to do this. She came under violent criticism from Islamists who did not approve of her clothing or dancing.

Despite the threats she received, Helly Luv didn’t renounce what she considers her duty, and she is coming back now with an even more ambitious single.  She is not only threatened by conservative Islamists, but by ISIS who placed her on their most wanted list. This proves that she achieved her goal, and that her music is powerful enough to be deemed as a serious threat by Daech. The singer shows no sign of fear or regret in the countless interviews she is now giving in media across the world. She has successfully used pop music to attract international attention to the fight Kurds are leading against terrorism.