Album Review: Salma Hindy, Born on 9/11

As the title of Salma Hindy’s debut album, Born On 9/11 suggests, Hindy was indeed born on the infamous date of September 11th. The album features 13 tracks, the final one “9/11” delving into the comical happenstance that is her birthday.  

Hindy’s relaying of events – so funny they could be scripted – thankfully feel less like a traditional joke setup, and more reminiscent of a juicy conversation one has happily happened to stumble upon. Wittingly and with effortless flair, she plays with the audience’s expectations and preconceived notions in a way that both amuses and intrigues.

Recurring throughout the album is how avidly Hindy engages the audience with the way in which she neutralizes and breaks down the stereotypes she encounters as a Muslim woman. Born On 9/11 cleverly weaves the listener through each track, touching on various aspects of her identity and hilarious occurrences as a first-generation Egyptian-Canadian: her strict upbringing, navigating dating expectations and anxieties (including unintentionally finding herself in a polygamous relationship), religion, blind dates accompanied by her father, LimeWire mix ups (track 3’s “Growing Up”), marvelling at the consistency of protestors, re-discovering herself during the pandemic, difficultly choosing to forgo wearing the hijab that she donned for years and more. 

If you’ve yet to experience Hindy’s comedy, this album will surely have you drawn in, wanting to know more about this comic who is living out her dream of being comedy’s Muslim Mindy Kaling. For those who are already familiar with Hindy’s work, you undoubtedly know that Born On 9/11 is a well-deserved milestone, emblematic of her upward trajectory of continued success.

Born on 9/11 was released on March 25, 2022 on Comedy Records.
Listen to it here.