London-based alt-pop artist Nxdia dives into desire, identity, and fearless self-expression as they unpack “Body on Me,” a bold, flirty, and feverish anthem off their debut mixtape ‘I Promise No One’s Watching.’
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Stream: “Body on Me” – Nxdia
I’d rather feel loudly and a lot than go back to feeling numb.
* * *
Unfiltered and utterly uninhibited, there’s no holding back with “Body on Me.”
From its opening lyric to its final cry, Nxdia’s infectious new single is feverish, passionate, and fully alive – a flirtatious, seductive, in-your-face alt-pop anthem of desire and intimacy. It’s the kind of song that sticks to your skin as it seeps into your bones: You want to sing along, scream along, and say all those risky words you’d otherwise leave unsaid.
Fueled by raw vulnerability and cheeky confidence, “Body on Me” is sweaty, magnetic, and utterly unforgettable – just like the kind of love it was born from.
I want you like the pills
behind the counter that hit
I want you so bad,
my fingers shook with it
And we could have all of
the money in the world
But all the money in the world
couldn’t buy us this
You’re somebody else
lamma ehna fil beyt
Fahem allay? mish bittamly
maahum the same
Ma andesh maane’,
mumkin yekoun sir
El hagat elly
bina’milha de
they don’t know,
but we will
“‘Body on Me’ is my favourite track on my new mixtape,” the London-based Egyptian-Sudanese singer/songwriter tells Atwood Magazine. “It’s shameless, cheeky and flirty on the surface, but underneath it’s about being intensely obsessed with someone. When you want someone so much, it’s almost ridiculous, but also so real! A love when you can be truly yourself – your weirdest self – and you don’t give a f* who’s watching.”
I change my hair,
you change your clothes
My cheap tattoos, they feel like home
Kiss me ’til my lips are bruised
I promise no one’s watching you
It’s that wild devotion – messy, deep, all-consuming – that forms the emotional core of “Body on Me.” Written as part of Nxdia’s fearless debut mixtape I Promise No One’s Watching (June 13 vi Bxdger Records) and released as its ‘focus track,’ the song pulses with power and immediacy. “Honestly, I wanted to write about the moment when you realise that there’s so much more than physical attraction between you and someone else,” they explain. “When hooking up turns into staying over and your text conversations never seem to end… That need is the driving force and it supersedes everything.”
The chorus alone is worth the price of admission: “Not just a body, you’re somebody / What a body, you’re somebody to me.” It’s catchy, yes – but it’s also laced with aching honesty. “No more nonchalance!” Nxdia declares. “Feel loudly and proudly – it doesn’t matter if the other person feels the same. I’d much rather live with someone potentially not feeling the same way than with the regret of never actually opening up.”
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, you’re somebody to me
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, want your body on me
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, you’re somebody to me
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, want your body on me
“It was tricky because I wanted the song to be cheeky and flirty to reflect those initial stages, when you’re just trying to get a read on the person and you do this dance with them,” they explain. “It’s all nervous and fluttery, and every time I feel that with someone, I love how it translates and feels. There are lines like ‘it’s ironic and it might take you by surprise, my boxer shorts are superdry’ that make me laugh a bit every time I sing them live. Then the Arabic in it is meant to be a bit secretive but speaking of true feelings. ‘فاهمة ليه مش بتتعملي معاهم the same’ translates to ‘I understand why you don’t treat other people the same’ – it’s an acknowledgement that we both know something’s different about this, but whether the person is willing to address it is a whole other story. I understand that fear comes from caring and sometimes feeling like you care too much. It’s so scary to put yourself out there (in any context really), but I think we owe each other honesty and the transparency of not pretending that nothing’s happening.”
Like the rest of I Promise No One’s Watching, “Body on Me” blurs the line between the private and public self – between what we feel, and what we allow others to see. “The line ‘I promise no one’s watching you’ is literally in ‘Body on Me,’ and I think that’s pertinent to the bigger question I’m asking,” Nxdia says. “If you felt as if no one was watching, would you act differently? Would you feel differently?”
It’s ironic and it might take you by surprise
My boxer shorts are superdry
Benistakhabba, benekttib, bas mabsouteen
I want you like the gum between my teeth
I change my hair, you change your clothes
My cheap tattoos, they feel like home
Kiss me ’til my lips are bruised
I promise no one’s watching you
They continue: “I felt very in my body in the moments when these songs were born. I can’t hide how I feel, and I really don’t think I should, so f* it! I’d rather feel loudly and a lot than go back to feeling numb. I think it’s a blessing that we have all these worlds in our own minds and I think we should be kinder to ourselves about how that’s received. The people who get it, get it, and the people who hate you for it are either scared or were looking for a reason to hate you anyway. It doesn’t matter!”
That emotional clarity runs throughout the entire record.
From reflections on gender dysphoria, Arab identity, and top surgery to the thrill of queer love and the chaos of early desire, I Promise No One’s Watching is a bold, self-possessed portrait of a young artist baring it all. “These songs mean everything to me. The mixtape shows people how my brain works and the constant inner conflict that I’m trying to let go of,” Nxdia shares.
“It’s everything I went through when I thought no one was watching. There is a version of me that wants to not care what anyone thinks, and there’s the version of me that cares so deeply. It’s about being free to be who you want to be, having the freedom to express yourself, having a not-give-a-fk attitude, but at the same time being paranoid, analysing yourself every step of the way. There’s always a fear that someone’s watching you, judging you, but what’s scarier is finally watching yourself.” That duality – being seen vs. self-surveillance, desire vs. vulnerability – runs deep in “Body on Me.” It’s one of the most immediate and defining moments on a mixtape that dares to peel every layer back.
As Nxdia says, “It feels like a new chapter for me… like nudging the door open before blasting it ajar.”
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, you’re somebody to me
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, want your body on me
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, you’re somebody to me
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, want your body on me
“Body on Me” is the sound of that door crashing open. It’s fearless and honest, full of fire and feeling – a declaration of love, lust, and everything in between.
“I hope it emboldens people to be themselves and to talk to each other more,” Nxdia smiles. “I think we do owe each other respect and honesty and we owe it to ourselves to speak up for ourselves. I believe in love and moving with love, whatever the form that takes, and I know speaking up has made me feel so much more free. It’s not that deep to feel deeply, and to me that’s what life’s all about!”
“I love people, I love being around people and learning from people. With my music, I’m trying to understand the world around me and allow people in. If they feel like they have an inner world that’s similar or compatible, then we’re so much less alone than we feel.”
For those just tuning in, Nxdia has one last message: “I hope by being myself, my music helps people feel genuine personal freedom. The only person judging you that matters is you – and half the time, the negative voice in your head isn’t even your own. It’s your fear talking. Kill it! You’ll never know if you don’t try.” “Body on Me” channels that exact freedom: Shameless, sincere, and steeped in feeling, it’s a cathartic exhale wrapped in a singalong hook. Play it loud, sweat it out, and let yourself feel everything.
People talk, but I don’t care
So can you run your fingers through my hair?
People talk, I know they do
Let’s let them talk about me and you
Not a body, not a body (Not a body)
You’re somebody to me
(Not just a body, you’re somebody)
Not a body, not a body
You’re somebody to me
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, you’re somebody to me
Not just a body, you’re somebody
What a body, want your body on me
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:: stream/purchase .I Promise No One’s Watching here ::
:: connect with Nxdia here ::
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Stream: “Body on Me” – Nxdia
A CONVERSATION WITH NXDIA
Atwood Magazine: Nxdia, “Body on Me” is sweaty, it's intense, it's unapologetic and in-your-face. What's the story behind this song?
Nxdia: Honestly, I wanted to write about the moment when you realise that there’s so much more than physical attraction between you and someone else. When hooking up turns into staying over and your text conversations never seem to end. When you both know it’s more, but it started with no expectations. When you think “no pressure, I’ll also take this if this is all it’ll ever be.”
That need is the driving force and it supersedes everything, but you also have to be honest about how you see the person and just enjoy the time you have together. The lyric “not just a body, you’re somebody – what a body, you’re somebody to me” is the essence of it. In casual culture, you do have to stay nonchalant in some cases but acknowledging that there’s developing feelings there doesn’t have to be a scary or intense thing – it’s a fun and sometimes beautiful thing if you’re lucky!
What is this track in particular about, for you personally?
Nxdia: No more nonchalance! Feel loudly and proudly – it doesn’t matter if the other person feels the same. I just think we get so scared of rejection and assume what’s going to happen. In reality, I’d much rather live with someone potentially not feeling the same way than with the regret of never actually opening up or saying the things that are on your mind.
The song’s chorus is packed with meaning: “Not just a body, you're somebody, what a body, you're somebody to me…” Aside from being super catchy, there's tons of raw depth here. Can you talk about this refrain and what it means to you?
Nxdia: It was tricky because I wanted the song to be cheeky and flirty to reflect those initial stages, when you’re just trying to get a read on the person and you do this dance with them. It’s all nervous and fluttery, and every time I feel that with someone, I love how it translates and feels.
There are lines like “it’s ironic and it might take you by surprise, my boxer shorts are superdry” that make me laugh a bit every time I sing them live. Then the Arabic in it is meant to be a bit secretive but [speaking] of true feelings. “ فاهمة ليه مش بتتعملي معاهم the same” translates to “I understand why you don’t treat other people the same” – it’s an acknowledgement that we both know something’s different about this, but whether the person is willing to address it is a whole other story.
I understand that fear comes from caring and sometimes feeling like you care too much. It’s so scary to put yourself out there (in any context really), but I think we owe each other honesty and the transparency of not pretending that nothing’s happening.
I Promise No One’s Watching has been described as a “raw and riotous self-portrait.” Can you share more about your debut mixtape, what it's about, and what these songs mean to you?
Nxdia: I’m so glad that the mixtape’s out there, it feels like it’s been my little secret this year! I feel like a contradiction in so many ways – my feelings change all the time as I understand the world around me a little more – and I wanted to have a collection of songs that faced that head on. I feel so much all the time, so why not put that out into the world.
Songs like “Puppet” and “More!” explore that immediate need that comes with the earlier stages of meeting someone. “Boo, Nevermind” talks about sticking up for yourself and not taking sh*t from anyone who’s trying to intimidate you. “Tin Man” is me talking about being fearful avoidant and how it’s destroyed relationships in the past for me. “Nothing At All” is very sunny nihilism-coded – if nothing matters, that’s not the worst thing in the world! In a lot of ways, that gives us so much more freedom, by surrendering to the fact that life’s weird and we’re all learning!
These songs mean everything to me. The mixtape shows people how my brain works and the constant inner conflict that I’m trying to let go of. It feels like a new chapter for me in a lot of ways and I can’t wait to explore that further, like nudging the door open before blasting it ajar.
How does “Body on Me” fit into the overall narrative of I Promise No One’s Watching?
Nxdia: It’s a bit like “Puppet” and “More!” but further along in the relationship – if it gets to that point. The line “I promise no one’s watching you” is literally in “Body on Me” and I think that’s pertinent to the bigger question I’m asking: if you felt as if no one was watching, would you act differently? Would you feel differently? I think it’s a really important question to ask ourselves, and it’s important to consider the role outside opinions have in how we function day to day.
This isn't the only song on the record that talks about bodies – I'm namely thinking about “Jennifer's Body” here, but it certainly goes beyond that song alone. Can you talk about the theme of bodies on this mixtape, and the relationship between “Body on Me” and these other instances of “body”?
Nxdia: I felt very in my body in the moments when these songs were born. A million things were going on in my brain and it sometimes felt, because I’m so expressive and I wear my heart on my sleeve for the most part, that everyone knew what I was thinking all the time.
I can’t hide how I feel, and I really don’t think I should, so f**k it! I’d rather feel loudly and a lot than go back to feeling numb. I think it’s a blessing that we have all these worlds in our own minds and I think we should be kinder to ourselves about how that’s received. The people who get it, get it, and the people who hate you for it are either scared or were looking for a reason to hate you anyway. It doesn’t matter!
What do you hope listeners take away from “Body on Me,” and what have you taken away from creating it and now putting it out?
Nxdia: I hope it emboldens people to be themselves and to talk to each other more, I think we do owe each other respect and honesty and we owe it to ourselves to speak up for ourselves. I believe in love and moving with love, whatever the form that takes, and I know speaking up has made me feel so much more free. It’s not that deep to feel deeply, and to me that’s what life’s all about!
For those who are just discovering you today through this writeup, what do you want them to know about you and your music?
Nxdia: I love people, I love being around people and learning from people. With my music, I’m trying to understand the world around me and allow people in. If they feel like they have an inner world that’s similar or compatible, then we’re so much less alone than we feel.
I hope by being myself, my music helps people feel genuine personal freedom. The only person judging you that matters is you and half the time the negative voice in your head isn’t even your own – it’s your fear talking. Kill it! You’ll never know if you don’t f*ing try lil’ baby.
— —
:: stream/purchase .I Promise No One’s Watching here ::
:: connect with Nxdia here ::
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Stream: “Body on Me” – Nxdia
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© Ryan Jafarzadeh
© Ryan Jafarzadeh
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