To say that Saint Levant has helped propel Arabic music to new audiences over the last few years would be an understatement. With over 30 million views on YouTube, over 150 million streams on Spotify, and global virality on TikTok, the 24-year-old Palestinian-Algerian artist has already become a household name in the emerging wave of Arabic music.

Known for his trilingual prowess — combining English, French and Arabic in most of his songs — Saint Levant's success is perhaps most attributed to his passion for representing Palestinian culture. The artist has captivated listeners worldwide through his authenticity, as well as his willingness to be both vulnerable about his emotions, and steadfast in wanting Palestine to be at the forefront of music globally — and his latest project furthers his mission.

Titled Love Letters, the six-song double-disc EP creatively explores a range of feelings and emotions that center Palestinian and Arab identity. Saint Levant sonically incorporates elements of Arab melodies and instruments on songs like "DALOONA" and "WAZIRA," along with nods to early '00s R&B on "EXILE" and "DIVA."

Fittingly, Love Letters is an Arab-led effort, featuring collaborations with prominent and influential Palestinian group 47Soul, production from Tunisian powerhouse Ratchopper, co-writing by fellow Palestinian artist Lina Makhoul, and video direction by Algerian-French filmmaker Lyna Zerrouk — just to name a few who have been integral in executing Saint Levant's vision.

It's an effort that's particularly important now, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza that has killed thousands of Palestinians. Saint Levant stresses that it is his duty to speak up for his people.

"You can't claim Palestine and not talk," he emphasizes to GRAMMY.com from his home in Jordan. "You can't claim to be Arab and not talk. You can't claim to be human and not talk. For me, what else am I supposed to do? We were raised in Gaza and we've seen it firsthand and experienced it firsthand, and then we experienced the exile firsthand."

Born in Jerusalem to a French-Algerian mother and a Palestinian-Serbian father, Saint Levant (whose birth name is Marwan Abdelhamid) spent much of his early childhood in Gaza before moving to Jordan. He has remained outspoken throughout his career about his native Palestine.

Earlier songs in Saint Levant's career, like 2020's "Jerusalem Freestyle" and 2021's "Haifa in a Tesla," show glimpses of the advocate he would become. Both feature Saint Levant melodically rapping of a free Palestine and what that life could be for his people.

While his trilingual 2022 hit "Very Few Friends" wasn't as directly tied to his culture, it became a viral sensation on TikTok and hinted at Saint Levant's global appeal. Notably, the success of the song was driven by those who may not understand Arabic or French; it marked a turning point in his career, opening him up to new audiences beyond those in the Middle East, North Africa and the diaspora. To date, it is still his most viewed song on YouTube and his most streamed song across platforms.

Saint Levant further expanded his reach with his album Deira, an homage to Palestine as it's named after a hotel along the coast of Gaza that his father built in the '90s. It marked the first time he tapped into his Algerian roots, featuring traditional Algerian shaabi rhythms and raï influences throughout the album — further cementing the importance of his identity and culture in his artistry.

"I just love the shaabi Algerian mixed with Palestinian because of the histories of these two countries — my two countries — the shared struggle in the context of colonialism," Saint Levant says. "Algeria has given me a lot of hope for Palestine's future."

As his music alludes, everything Saint Levant does is in service to Palestine, and he remains adamant to pursue change beyond his career as an artist. He launched the 2048 Foundation in 2022, dedicated to helping fund Palestinian entrepreneurs and bringing their ideas to life. As he perks up in his seat when the foundation comes up in conversation, it's clear that 2048 is a major passion project for him.

"We're doing a feasibility study, an ecosystem-mapping study to see what the Palestinian creative ecosystem needs," he excitedly explains. "What do the people actually need? Where are the organizations that already exist and what are they doing? Let's map it and see what our role is. There's so much potential there, but it needs to be unified. There needs to be proper funding, and it should be through an economic development lens."

While his culture has always been integral to who he is, Saint Levant credits his father for sparking his interest in music; as he recalls, his dad played everything from Lenny Kravitz and Timbaland to Serbian composer Goran Bregovic and Algerian raï icon Cheb Mami. His father now plays an integral role in his career, serving as a constant source of support as the singer navigates his growing success.

Saint Levant's love of music quickly resulted in a penchant for performing — beginning as early as third grade, when he and a few friends reenacted the dance routine to Michael Jackson's" Smooth Criminal." He first began releasing and performing his original music while attending the University of California Santa Barbara, earning an invite to showcase his music (alongside Egyptian singer Bayou) for the University of Arizona's Arab Student Association during his senior year.

The singer beams sharing this story, which serves as a reminder of his grassroots beginnings. But it also reminds Saint Levant of the role his upbringing has played into his career, emphasizing that performing Palestinian and Arab music for audiences at a community level is "how you make an impact" in changing societal perceptions.

As Saint Levant's success continues to grow, he's also faced criticism for his approach from Arab listeners in particular. On one hand, many applaud the sensuality and the different side of Arab masculinity not typically seen at this level in Arabic music, where he feels incredibly comfortable in his skin and is willing to show it. Yet some don't respect his musical talents and see Saint Levant as too controversial, or even too forced, at times.

Even so, Saint Levant insists that he feels more love than hate — particularly when he's on stage — and that naysayers won't slow him down. In fact, the artist welcomes any polarization, citing artists like Bad Bunny and Peso Pluma who he says similarly get hate but "don't take it to heart."

"[People] have this idea of what you should do, what you shouldn't do, and I've never been like that," he adds. "I'm a straight Arab man who used to paint his nails. I'm just going to do what I want to do. I'm not going to apologize for who I am."

Though he's a mere five years in, Saint Levant is already sure he doesn't want to do music for the rest of his life ("I don't want to be an old head," he jokes). As his career has indicated so far, his ultimate goal is to aid the liberation of Palestine — whether through music or other means.

"The world needs more Palestinian ideas," he says with a smile.