Dua Saleh goes ‘foraging for shrooms’ in exclusive playlist to accompany The Cover

NME’s latest star of The Cover, Dua Saleh, has compiled an exclusive playlist to accompany the story’s launch – check it out below.

• READ MORE: Dua Saleh is embodying the change they want to see in the world

The Sudanese-American artist and actor is on this week’s (January 13) edition of The Cover, a weekly manifestation of NME’s commitment to supporting emerging talent across the globe on a weekly basis. Every week, a rising artist will feature on The Cover – you can read the profile of Dua Saleh here, written by Aneesa Ahmed and featuring photography by Kristen Jan Wong.

To accompany The Cover, Dua Saleh has made an exclusive playlist for NME, titled ‘Foraging For Shrooms’. The playlist features artists including Kendrick Lamar, Clairo, Magdalena Bay, FKA twigs and Imogen Heap, among others. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify below and on Apple Music.

In this week’s Cover, Saleh reflects on their journey so far and how their heritage has influenced their artistry. “A lot of Islamic traditions are very routed in retelling of tales and archiving memories of what we know is the truth and what we understand is a poetic interpretation of the truth,” they explain. “I keep my music true to storytelling. Life is beautiful, and life deserves the beauty of the spoken word in a way that is glimmering.”

Elsewhere, the star also discussed their commitment to using their growing position in the public eye for good. When Saleh released the single ‘Daylight Falls’ in 2023, they asked listeners to consider supporting people in their home country of Sudan in light of the ongoing civil war there.

“I have a platform and I feel so passionately about using it the right way,” they say. “Some people in Sudan were met with guns at their door – like my uncle did. He was recently murdered by the RSF [Rapid Support Forces], so I couldn’t put that music out without bringing in the eyes that were following me creatively to also witness and proactively understand what horrors were occurring in Sudan.”

Find out more about Dua Saleh in the full Cover story here and see who else has been on The Cover here.