Photographed by Michael Schwartz
With no prior alert, Lebanese pop star Nancy Ajram dropped “Hobbak Bi Ye’wa” last week, the first single from her soon-to-be-released and highly anticipated album Nancy 10. Keeping the album’s release date a nail-biting mystery, Ajram casually acknowledged the song on Twitter hours after she surprised fans with its release on May 28, enabling the Nancy 10 hashtag to trend regionally on Twitter.
We are just getting started 😉 #Nancy10 #Øبك_بيقوى pic.twitter.com/4sPuW7NXGE
— Nancy Ajram (@NancyAjram) May 28, 2021
Although the exact date of release is untold, members of Ajram’s camp stated that the album will be out within the first 10 days of June, with some more peppy music video precedents.
The track, garnering one million views on YouTube within the first 24 hours and about two million as of today, is a fun medley of Egyptian pop and folk, the former defined by the dialect and compressed harmonies characteristic of the genre, and the latter evident from percussions commanding the song’s catchy beat. Composed by Walid Saad and lyrics penned by Khaled Tajeldine, the song is a refreshing diversion, yet stylistic of and familiar with, the singer’s most popular hits.
Ajram trialed Nancy 10 with a short promotional video earlier this month. Featuring themes of introspection and adventure, the 42-second clip shows Ajram sauntering through beaches, parks, and empty rooftops, and looking out of a car window.
“How many times did you leave and found yourself in the arms of people you love? How many times while running did you find sounds you’ve never heard before?” she narrates in the dreamlike montage.
Ajram stated that the album was repeatedly delayed because her fans will not enjoy the launch of new work amidst the circumstances of the pandemic. With concerts and festivals coming to a standstill, various singers, such as Billie Eilish, have yet to unveil their albums, and Nancy 10 will be met with extra perusal from fans looking for references to the tumultuous period the star has experienced over the last 18 months.
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