Hala Al-Turk
‘Allo Ya Habibti’
The Bahraini pop star dropped her new single on Platinum Records last week and the accompanying video has already racked up over 1.3 million views on YouTube. The lively, danceable track is the first that Al-Turk has released in the Egyptian dialect, and the video plays on that country’s cinematic heritage with a glamorous old-school vibe.
Statues of Sinking Men
‘Al Sa’aa Al Oula’
Jeddah-based synthpop artist Statues of Sinking Men (real name Abdulmalik Zubailah) cites Depeche Mode and Arabic indie veterans Cairokee and Jadal among his influences. His latest single is, according to his label Wall of Sound, about the “inner struggle of an outcast, who seeks an impossible love, sinking in his despair not by choice, but because he is forced to.”
Sandmoon
‘Where Do We Go From Here’
The Lebanese indie outfit led by Sandra Arslanian have just released this second single from their upcoming album. It’s a subtle, evocative piece of melodic indie-pop which, Arslanian told Arab News, is “about seeking guidance from a trusted person. The person might have a mental health condition, such as Alzheimer’s, but it is her guidance within, her guidance to our hearts, that is sought.”
Rima Yussef
‘Anta’
The Lebanese singer and composer’s latest release on Universal Music is a collaboration with the popular Algerian producer ElJoee and introduces some North African raï melodies to Yussef’s repertoire in what the label describes as a “Maghreb electronic track.” ElJoee was surprised at how well the pair worked together: “I never thought a collaboration with a Middle Eastern voice would go this good,” the producer said in a press release.
