My Version chats to Kiwi stars and people of influence to give a glimpse into their time as a teen and see the things they are currently obsessed with!

This New Zealand Music Month, we are putting a focus on our country’s amazing up-and-comers.

Say hello to Gen-Z songstress, Sabreen Islam.

Obsessed RN.

Currently bingeing:

Shadow and Bone season 2 (won’t be sleeping until season 3 + the Six of Crows spin-off is announced).

Song on repeat:

Carousel by 5SOS. It accurately describes my life right now, and I swear they have never made a bad song. Every single track of theirs goes so hard, and if they come here on their tour, I will respectfully go absolutely feral.

Favourite Insta account to follow: 

@crazy_hippo_crochet who makes amazing little Taylor Swift crochets, or @hanna.bookpainting who turns books into literal pieces of art. Her Lord of the Rings book paintings are my favourites.

Must have beauty product:

Mango People Multistick in Fudge, this whole brand is just the coolest ever and was founded by a South Asian woman! We love to see it!

The item of clothing I’m definitely over wearing:

My Taylor Swift reputation hoodie (it’s literally fraying my mum keeps telling me to chuck it but absolutely not).

Currently reading:

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. Technically re-reading because I love pain, I guess.

Snacking on:

Leftover Eid food.

Can’t stop watching on TikTok:

People making their Eras Tour outfits, they all look so cool!

Dreaming of:

Financial stability.

Next place on the list to travel to:

Istanbul, Turkey. I really want to see the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, as well as all the cats!

I’m currently inspired by:

Swap Gomez, an amazing Bangladeshi drummer based here in Auckland. I met him recently when he very kindly played drums for my show at Big Fan, and he’s just the coolest guy ever. It’s incredible to see a fellow Bangladeshi go so far in the music industry, and he gave me a lot of advice that I really value. I feel really lucky to have met him.

My favourite way to relax is:

Reading with my cats, or recently, doing Diamond Dots hahah. Me and my friend who also does them are planning to decorate our flat with them one day.

I stay healthy by:

Going out into nature for walks or runs, and leaving my phone at home. I’ve found so much more peace by just turning it off. Also, by drinking lots of water!

When I was younger…

One thing I love about Gen-Z is:

I love how honest we are. More and more, we just don’t take crap from anybody. It’s amazing because it actually has mobilised real change in society. I think as a generation we’ve grown up staring down things like climate change and late-stage capitalism, so we know that there’s no other option other than to take matters into our own hands.

If I could give my teenage self one bit of advice, what would it be:

If someone is hurting you, leave. It’s not your job to fix or stay for anybody.

My dream job as a teen was:

Being a touring musician and author of a fantasy series. Working on both…we’ll see how they go.

My favourite part of being a teenager was:

Seeing my friends every day! Making plans as an adult is HARD.

Best piece of advice I ever received as a teen was:

No is a powerful word, and you should not be afraid to use it.

My first job was:

I worked at a movie theatre!

My biggest inspiration was:

My father. He’s such a joyous man who always finds something to be grateful for. As someone who got stuck in their own head a lot as a teen (and still does now), his balanced perspective always helped me to remember how fortunate I really am and that there’s always something to be grateful for.

My biggest fashion faux-pas was:

Oh lord. I’ve always had really thick hair, and I had no idea how to manage it when I was a teenager. I used to keep it really short, but since it was super thick, it would just poof into a triangle! Not a look at all! Thankfully, I’ve learned how to take care of my thick hair now and my triangular days are behind me.

Check out Sabreen’s new EP, Room Service, here.