AySay release new single and announce upcoming album and tour

AySay, the Copenhagen-based trio that blends Anatolian folk, Kurdish tradition, and Nordic electronica, return with their new single ‘Malala’ and announce their upcoming album.

‘Malala’ is a reflection on activism, survival, and the imbalance of who gets to live and who does not. The song draws inspiration from Luna’s reading of the biography ‘I Am Malala’ about the Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban and survived. “Reading Malala’s story in her own words changed how I understood activism” vocalist Luna shares. “She didn’t suddenly become an activist; it was a lifelong commitment to bettering her world. Malala survived. Her Kurdish sister in Iran, Jina Mahsa Amini, didn’t. I carry that contradiction with me.” The lyrics suggests that none of us are separate from these narratives, the struggles of women and indigenous peoples against oppression are shared beyond borders.

And the title holds a deeper meaning. In Kurdish, ‘Mal’ means home. With ‘Malala’, AySay not only pay tribute to two young women but point toward a collective home of resilience, grief, memory, and continuation.

Alongside the new single, AySay announce their third studio album, also titled ‘Malala’. The release is set for spring 2026 and the album will be released via V2 Records. The album continues the band’s exploration of identity, movement, and the emotional landscapes that shape belonging. To celebrate the album release, the band will be touring through Europe and Turkey in 2026, bringing their multilingual, cross-cultural sound to stages across the continent.

Led by vocalist Luna Ersahin, the band continues to explore the intimate space between softness and resistance, where personal stories intertwine with global struggles.