All singing, all dancing

Intimidating. It’s the only appropriate word; intimidating. There’s something frightening about women who are this stunning – this isn’t just cute, pretty, or even sexy, this isn’t the head-turner in Starbucks in Hamra Street, who you consider asking out when they’ve dwelt over their frappucino a little too long. This is professional beauty. This is 1.8 unfurled metres of beauty, whose legs don’t actually end, whose body offers a constant reminder of your own inadequacy, who, just by standing to greet you, makes you wonder where you left your brain. If you actually had one to begin with.

 

The thought of meeting Nesrin Zreik, a girl who’s physical perfection has led to multiple careers in modelling, all-girl singing groups, TV presenting and a high-profile slot on Miss Lebanon reality contest, is rather like a high-school reunion; you know nothing you say will be remotely interesting, and all you can think about is how much more time you should have invested in the gym in the preceding two weeks. Her last video clip didn’t help. “Kahalini Ma’ak”’s Bond-girl sequences of scuba-diving by a sea-plane, of writhing around in a leotard and roller-blades, of dancing in black leather that bordered on the S&M, hardly detracted from the femme fatale perception. She’s probably already had five guys for breakfast.

 

Nesrin Zreik, who is turning 28 before our very eyes, has already started out on what will be the fifth chapter in her career. But meeting NOX a couple of days before the (spectacular) cover shoot, she still has that model quality; her looks are blissfully unselfconscious, with almost no makeup to enhance the brown eyes or full, Angelina Jolie lips, and her red hair, with youthful bangs, hanging straight down over a lemon-yellow top. It’s as though she knows an autocratic stylist could be lurking around the next corner, so why bother? 

 

Nesrin Zreik: Well, after the last video clip, “Khalini Ma’ak”, people are still very interested in me, so there are lot of interviews. But in the main I am selecting the next song I am going to do. I am in the studio several times a week, trying to get the perfect track for the follow-up. Then there’s the album. So this is like development work on the new direction, really. 

 

Nesrin: No, actually. I had just been given an offer to go to Milan on a modelling contract, which was obviously quite a big deal. I was still at university, I had never done any signing ever, and I was leaving for Italy in a couple of months – I had a real plan for my life. But then I thought about it again; and 4 Cats meant I could stay in Beirut, stay with my friends and family, and it would be tough to go to Milan on my own, and then come back here some day and start all over again. So, I said yes…

 

Nesrin: No, not really! I mean, I was okay, and we did some training with the group, but not much. When you’re in a band with three others, it’s perhaps easier to get away with that, but now the sole focus is on me so I do a lot more coaching. I protect my voice, and that means a lot of early nights, no smoking, no going out so much… I now hate it!

 

Nesrin: honestly, I don’t recall too many problems. Nothing major, at any rate. We travelled, we lived together, we had fun… we liked each other. And one of my friends was in the band with me, so there was nothing. I think a lot of the gossip came from the fact that people came and went quite quickly, that there was a high turnover and the press wanted to find a reason… 

 

Nesrin: Well, I had an offer from Rotana TV to present a new show for them, and they said that I couldn’t do both 4 Cats and this – they wanted a lot of time and energy. And I thought that I had gone as far as I could with 4 Cats, and after two years it was a good time to go. I wanted to both, but as it came to a straight choice. And the TV was appealing.

Nesrin: I think so. I have gained a lot of experience along the way, and I think I am in a better position to make the right decisions. I have learned to trust my instinct a lot more. I think in the past, you would listen too much to other people – sing this song, wear that outfit, perform in this place. I think I’m better informed about what is best for me. You’re taught to believe what they have to say, despite what they thought.

 

Nesrin: A good spirit, a sense of humour… sensitive, but not too much. I don’t care what they look like, really…

 

Nesrin: Excellent! Let’s go… I just have to persuade my manager to give me the time off!

 

For the full version of this article, see NOX11.