Iconic Music Battle: Sevdaliza vs. Arca – Wax Doll vs. Sound Doll Showdown (5/5)

It would be naive to assume that social media spats are exclusive to big names like Drake, Madonna, or Liam Gallagher, who boast hundreds of millions of fans. Underground artists are also no strangers to such public squabbles. Recently, Arca and Sevdaliza have succumbed to the lure of scandal, turning their dispute into an instant cult classic.

Main figures involved

Arca, a 35-year-old Venezuelan, is a prominent trans icon and queen of experimental electronic music with eight albums featuring transformative sounds and a dedicated fanbase. On the other side is Sevdaliza, a 37-year-old Dutch-Iranian singer and a rising star in indie pop. She has long been a beloved figure on the alternative scene, especially following her second album Shabrang. Last year, she achieved her first commercial hit with the track Alibi, featuring Yseult and Pabllo Vittar.

Secondary characters

Pinpointing others involved in this feud is challenging as it remained confined to the internet. However, FKA Twigs is frequently mentioned in fan forums. In 2015, she reportedly advised Arca against collaborating with Sevdaliza, suspecting her of imitation. Arca stayed loyal, despite multiple requests and opportunities. Another secondary character in this drama is the internet itself, where the entire feud unfolded, leaving fans to reinterpret and escalate the clash.

Act I: The tale of the robot and the imitator

The feud was ignited by Arca. The release of Sevdaliza’s music video for Heroina was the final straw. Arca accused her of copying her musical universe and robotic, transhuman aesthetic, specifically the concept of a mechanical exoskeleton she had used on her album covers. Unable to hold back, she shared screenshots on Instagram in May from her conversations with Sevdaliza, who had previously reached out in 2016 with a simple message: “I’d love to write with you,” which went unanswered.

Seven years later, in 2022, Sevdaliza asked to collaborate on a remix of her song Ride or Die, describing it as her “literal fantasy.” Arca’s response was simply that she was “not doing remixes at the moment” before thanking her for the request. This was followed by a photo of Sevdaliza wearing the mechanical exoskeleton and another screenshot where Arca once again left the singer on read. In the caption, Arca simply wrote “tired,” implying her exhaustion with an artist privately expressing admiration only to publicly pilfer her visual and musical world.

On social media, the reaction was explosive. Arca’s devoted fans rallied behind her, criticizing Sevdaliza, who was already becoming less popular among underground scene enthusiasts following the commercial success of Alibi—admittedly not up to par with her earlier work. Public opinion seemed to side with Arca in this initial skirmish. She remained silent while the internet buzzed with comments. On TikTok, one user even recreated the dispute using… shampoo and perfume bottles, a surprisingly playful approach.

Interlude

Meanwhile, on Discord, Arca discussed FKA Twigs’s alleged involvement, explaining that Twigs had asked her not to collaborate with Sevdaliza due to similarities in their music. “I was loyal to Twigs and still am today,” she added. She also remarked that if someone does something great that you love, you shouldn’t just replicate it: “Try something different to impress them.”

Act II: The turnaround

Just when it seemed the drama might subside, Arca reignited it on July 1 with a new Instagram post featuring more screenshots of her conversation with Sevdaliza. This time, Arca bluntly accused her of trying to work with her closest collaborators: “Since you can’t work with me, you try with all my collaborators? You say ‘protect the doll’ [an anti-transphobia slogan] but you play the victim after stealing one. When will you stop? Your visuals are cheap imitations of my album cover for KiCK 1.”

Sevdaliza responded with unflappable calmness, almost weary: “Albert [one of the collaborators, ed.] and I have been talking for years / Darling I’m sorry but you are delusional / Darling I’m sorry but I don’t even know the cover of any album, I don’t study your work.”

In response, Sevdaliza opted for humor, the internet’s favorite reaction. She posted a trending GIF of a dumbfounded jelly-like monster staring blankly, as if confused by the situation.

The punchline

If there’s one line to remember from all these exchanges, it’s a message from Sevdaliza revealed in Arca’s first post. In a last-ditch attempt to collaborate, she wrote “Madre, how are you?” followed by “Doll,” accompanied by four heart emojis and one depicting praying hands. The term “doll,” often used by trans women to refer to themselves, coming from a cis woman like Sevdaliza in the context of the feud, brought laughter to social media. Accompanied by the row of emojis, the message seemed like a desperate, albeit clever, attempt to connect with Arca using jargon that would resonate with her. It was as if Sevdaliza, convinced she was an ally of the community, had a moment of inspiration thinking “I’ve finally got it!” before hurriedly trying to win over her much-sought-after target. The phrase has since echoed across X (formerly Twitter) countless times, proving its impact on digital lexicon.

Reconciliation?

Since then, there’s been no new development. Arca’s last Instagram post (she has since deleted both) simply stated, “Just so you know, I’m not feeling it. I’m done.” Sevdaliza offered a final response via a lengthy statement: “Jokes aside… Let’s support each other. […] I wish the best for all women. Self-love, sobriety, and self-control are my mantras.” Arca did not respond, and online chatter has quieted down. Some optimists still hope the two artists will make peace on a track, much like Charli XCX and Lorde did last year.