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At 40, Dubai-based musician turns lifelong dream into hit song
The Dubai-based Syrian Canadian singer-songwriter celebrates his 40th birthday by premiering The Dream, a Dubai-made music video inspired by heartbreak that has already surpassed 95,000 Spotify streams
- PUBLISHED: Tue 21 Jul 2026, 11:31 AM
For years, Johnny Bassadi had a melody he couldn't let go of.
The Dubai-based Syrian Canadian musician had written the driving, 1980s-inspired rock riff long before it had lyrics, a title, or even a story. It sat unfinished for years until an unexpected moment changed everything.
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While scrolling through his phone, Bassadi came across a clip from a film in which a young man confessed his feelings to an older woman. She gently turned him down, prompting his quiet response: "There goes that dream."
The line stayed with him.
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"It wasn't just about heartbreak," Bassadi said. "Most people fall in love with a dream, not a reality. You build a whole vision of someone in your head, and when it falls apart, that is the dream you are actually grieving."
Those words became The Dream, an independently produced rock single that has now surpassed 95,000 streams on Spotify. Last week, on his 40th birthday, Bassadi celebrated the song's journey with the premiere of a Dubai-shot cinematic music video and a live performance at Oak Live Bar in Al Barsha, where around 90 guests filled the venue and sang the lyrics back to him.
For Bassadi, the milestone represented far more than a music release.
"I spent my whole life building stability for a family that does not exist yet," he said. "At 40, I decided to actually live, and to do the thing that is closest to who I really am."
The inspiration behind The Dream came during a difficult chapter in his life. Following the end of a turbulent relationship, Bassadi realised he had been mourning not only the relationship itself, but also the future he had imagined, one filled with marriage, children and family.
Rather than dwelling on heartbreak, the song gradually shifts towards hope, portraying someone standing at a crossroads and choosing to embrace a new future instead of remaining trapped by the past.
That emotional journey is reflected in the music video, which Bassadi describes as more of a short film than a traditional music video.
Directed by RJay Javier and co-edited by Javier, Bassadi and Miltiadis Kyvernitis, the production blends crisp 4K visuals with grainy, 1980s-style film sequences. The narrative pauses the music twice to feature fully acted scenes with dialogue, following a man caught between reality and memories of a lost love.
The project was created entirely in the UAE.
Bassadi wrote the song in Dubai before collaborating with producer Miltiadis "Milton" Kyvernitis at MNK Studios. The music video was filmed across the city using a Dubai-based cast and crew, with the entire project funded independently by the artist.
"Every note and every frame of this was made right here," Bassadi said. "I am a Dubai musician and this is a Dubai video. It is homegrown, through and through."
The premiere reflected that community spirit.
Guests watched a specially curated presentation featuring a behind-the-scenes interview, a retro-style countdown, the music video premiere and bloopers before Bassadi took to the stage with his band.
The evening then transformed into a live concert featuring six original songs, including Another You, which appeared in Hicham Hajji's 2025 film The Lost Princess, I Don't Know Who You Are, an unreleased track that made its live debut, and Runnin', the title track from his 2018 EP. The set concluded with covers of Bon Jovi's Runaway and You Give Love a Bad Name following an audience encore.
Because The Dream had already been available for four months, many in the audience knew every word.
"The single had been out for months, so people knew it," Bassadi said. "When the band kicked in and the whole room started singing the words back to me, the chorus turned into a chant. On paper the ending of that song looks like defeat. Live, with a room chanting it with you, it becomes an anthem."
Looking back, Bassadi believes turning 40 gave him the confidence to finally pursue the creative path he had long placed on hold while building a corporate career.
"This is me, at 40, done apologising for who I am," he said. "If you have got something real to offer, show it. Do not be shy."
With The Dream now approaching 100,000 Spotify streams and its music video released on YouTube, Bassadi says the project marks not the end of a journey, but the beginning of the one he had been putting off for years.
Waad Barakat is a senior reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment. From fine dining and fashion to exclusive premieres and celebrity interviews, she reports on the trends, people, and stories shaping culture in the UAE. With a keen eye for human interest and mental health stories, she aims to blend meaningful storytelling with a fresh Gen Z perspective.