Multidisciplinary artist Nihan Belgin's new song 'Put a Glass on Your Soul': Hope against darkness

Belgin reinterpreted Erkin Koray's "Çöpçüler," a song we've grown accustomed to hearing, adding "Güne Oldu," "Zeus Çok Angry," "Kozmos," "Jupiter Storm," "Ayık Olmak İsterm" (I Don't Want to Be Sober), and "Bu Bir Cinayet" (This Is a Murder) to her songs, "Ruhuna Bi' Kadeh Koy." With the song, Belgin strives to create both an inner story and a space of hope for the listener against the chaos of our daily lives. The song focuses on courage, self-honesty, and the desire to start over. In this respect, it provokes thought, and its energetic atmosphere provides an opportunity to lift one's spirits.

Belgin also directed the song's music video, which was shot in a special location created through an architectural transformation of a real house undergoing urban transformation.

We talked with Belgin about her new song and her new projects.

'I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL'

- Let's start from your new song: where did ilmmi come from?

Actually, my producer, Yiğit Keven, came up with the idea. He said, "Let's make a motivational song."

At first, I found it strange because I'm usually inspired by darker elements. Even if I'm going to tell a story about something bright, I always get there by going through that darkness.

But then I realized that this was precisely the time I was in: a period of picking myself back up, letting go of the burdens I was carrying, and trying to breathe. I now see life from a more motivating perspective. So, "Yes," I said, "I have something to say." And it occurred to me: we've been feeling so depressed lately that maybe we all need a little toast to ourselves.

- Can we say it is a balm for those looking for a glimmer of hope?

Yes, indeed, sometimes when we're in despair, if even one person listens to this song and a small glimmer of hope ignites within them, I'm so happy. I feel that side of art, especially in music. It might not be as obvious in cinema, but music is something so fleeting; you listen to it in the moment, and it immediately evokes an emotion.

- "Don't be afraid of being defeated/of breaking, of falling apart." There's a Samuel Beckett vibe. How does philosophy contribute to your work?

Actually, you mentioned it, and I realized it does exist. I've always been interested in philosophy and mythology; existentialism, in particular, nourishes me deeply. I didn't have a specific philosophical reference in mind when I wrote this song, but I guess that way of thinking inevitably surfaces somewhere.

'IT HAS ACQUIRED A DIFFERENT MEANING'

- The location where the video was shot is a ruined house. How does it relate to the song?

The song had just been completed, and I still hadn't yet developed a clear idea for the video. It all started by chance. One day, my friend Taylan Mutafoğlu sent me an invitation to an exhibition about an architectural project he'd developed. The visuals on the invitation immediately drew me in; it felt like a familiar place, yet one imbued with a different spirit. I later learned that it was Taylan's grandmother's house, which was about to be demolished due to urban renewal. Hearing that story moved me. The connection that house had with the past, the meaning Taylan had imbued it with, and the transformed state of the space reminded me of the song's spirit.

Because “Raise a Glass to Your Soul” is actually a bit like that; it's about giving ourselves another chance, no matter what we've experienced.

The idea of ​​setting a final scene in a house that would never exist again was profoundly moving. In that house, we raised a glass to the past, to resentments, and to life all at once. The song took on a new meaning through its connection to that place.

- You have seven singles, including your new song and one cover song. Are you considering an album?

Yes, the idea of ​​making an album has been around for a long time. It's slowly taking shape in my mind.

If I can pull it off, I'd like it to be a bit of a concept album, because now we're telling a story piece by piece with the singles. With the album, I want to unify that story and perhaps explore different musical genres and subgenres.

'PRESSURE CREATES A SPACE FOR STRUGGLE'

- We wouldn't be wrong if we called you a multidisciplinary artist. Directing, acting, producing. Where does music stand in this cinematic journey?

Music didn't actually enter my life until later; it's been there since childhood. I discovered music at a very young age through the albums my father played me. For many years, cinema was at the forefront, but music never left.

I took classical guitar and vocal lessons, but I always approached music from an intuitive perspective. Over time, I started making my own recordings, and as I matured, I realized, "I think I need to share my music now." At that point, music became a new avenue of expression for me.

- Is there any cinema-related project in the near future?

I miss cinema so much; now I feel like I need to produce something there too. I wrote a feature-length script this summer, and it'll be shot in November. It's directed by Biket İlhan. It's a small-town story about women's solidarity. I'm also writing my own film. This is a project I've been thinking about for two years. It's about existence, being trapped within the system, and the weight of the individual.

In short, I can say that it describes the exact opposite of “the unbearable lightness of being.”

- Lightness or weight?

In other words, its weight. It's like a kind of reverse reading; this is the story of heaviness, not lightness.

Art in Türkiye has never been easy, both financially and spiritually. How does it make you feel to be able to produce something in an environment where art and artists are so oppressed?

Sometimes I feel really bad, but at the same time, it drives me even harder. Because oppression also creates a space for struggle. That desire to fight comes from within. It makes me say, "Okay, then we need to produce more."

It's not like, "The pressure is on, let's close up shop"; on the contrary, I think, "Since we're going through such a period, we should stand right against it."

In recent years, I've come to believe that the most powerful way to achieve this is through production. Perhaps in a more peaceful era, I would have produced more calmly, but today, I believe that even production itself is a form of resistance.