Speakers from around the globe: Amy Thomson, Mathew Knowles, Elyanna, Lil Eazy, and Hardwell denoting XP’s pillars.

• Music professionals and fans can get their tickets here: mdlbeast.com.

•  “I’m very excited to be hosting my first-ever discussion at this year’s XP Music Futures. I want to share my journey in crossing-over Arabic music to a bigger, international stage, in hopes to strengthen the connection artists have to their Arabic identity” – Elyanna

MDLBEAST’s XP Music Futures unveils its first speaker lineup with headliners from around the world set to bring incredible conversations to Riyadh for this year’s music conference, taking place 28-30 November.

The one-of-a-kind industry event is confirmed to welcome five keynote speakers representing diverse backgrounds including musical talent, music executives, record labels, and music businesses. All sessions will fall under XP’s four main building blocks considered vital for the development of the Middle East’s music culture and economy: Talent, Impact, Scene, and Innovation.

Nada Alhelabi, Director of XP Music Conference, commented: “We are thrilled to be able to bring the greatest minds from the international music industry together, in the heart of the Kingdom, to connect with XP Music Future’s community. 

For a second year running, we will discuss and gain mission-critical insight into the opportunities and challenges of accelerating the regional creative music scene we have today. 

Insights from last year told us attendees enjoyed XP’s programming and speaker selection the most. This year we aim to build on our previous success, giving our attendees a line-up of visionary speakers reflective of the advances and changes our industry is seeing today.” 

Embracing her Palestinian roots by incorporating Arabic into her music, singer, songwriter, and performer of Palestinian-Chilean descent, Elyanna is one of the eclectic artists set to light up XP Music Futures this year.

In a session called ‘Pro Xperience’, Elyanna will speak candidly about her professional journey engaging with the audience in a more intimate manner. Ahead of the session, Elyanna said: “I’m very excited to be hosting my first-ever discussion at this year’s XP Music Futures. I want to share my journey in crossing-over Arabic music to a bigger, international stage, in hopes to strengthen the connection artists have to their Arabic identity”.

New to this year’s programming, the session will be in the format of a one-on-one conversation in Arabic, reinforcing authenticity and an unfiltered knowledge exchange discussion between speaker and audience.

With a magnitude of invaluable experience in the music industry, the architect of Destiny’s Child and his daughters Beyoncé and Solange Knowles’ early solo careers, Mathew Knowles will be welcomed to this year’s conference for a motivational keynote session.

Titled ‘Reinvention & Relevance: Building Longevity in Your Career with Mathew Knowles’, Mathew will be offering tips to Saudi and regional talent on how to breathe life into their music and entertainment career, and ensure a strong foundation is built for long-term success.

Globally recognized former manager of the Swedish House Mafia, Amy Thomson will be joining the speaker lineup this year at XP Music Futures. Regarded as one of the most forward-thinking and trustworthy characters in the business, Amy has fought tooth and nail for the representation of musicians and creators at Hipgnosis, the largest independent song fund in the world. Amy will be hosting a session titled ‘Fair Pay & Fair Play: Understanding Music Royalties’, in which she aims to educate up-and-coming musicians about their rights regarding streaming royalties.

Creating music for over a decade, Lil Eazy, a Jeddah-based rapper, and hip-hop musician have gained popularity across the region for his unique style, cutting through a dense market of Saudi-based rappers. The artist will host a session titled ‘Creating a Hit Song: Formula Vs.Trend with the intention of sharing his personal expertise and successes with young artists on how to create the perfect hit song.

Taking action to ensure a sustainable and healthy music industry, XP Music Futures will initiate conversations around mental health and wellbeing as important agents to be able to further nurture the growth of the regional music scene.

Amongst the speakers covering this important topic is Dutch superstar DJ and Revealed Recordings founder, Hardwell, who will host a session labeled ‘Wellness for the Constantly Creative Mind’.

The informal one-on-one conversation will invite Hardwell to shed light on his mental health struggles and how he’s managed his mental health since his return to the music industry. Looking forward to his session, Hardwell expressed: “Music is my biggest passion in life. I’m excited to share my experience and have meaningful discussions at XP Music Futures with Arab youth and upcoming talent around mental health in the music industry and its significance for the industry overall.”

XP Music Futures will be kickstarting the loudest week of Riyadh, taking place on November 28-30, ahead of the giant SOUNDSTORM festival, and beginning right after the event. Music professionals and fans can get their tickets here: mdlbeast.com starting September 24, 2022.