The Best North African Songs Right Now
January's best North African music list features tracks from Egypt’s Lella Fadda and Marwan Pablo, Tunisia’s Nordo and Morocco’s Stormy.
Musically, the new year is slowly rolling in North Africa. Many releases across genres and countries feel like a warm-up to 2025 rather than confident moves into decisive artistic directions. As we wait to hear what else the region is cooking up, some of the industry's most established names have kept the heat coming.
From LellaFadda's debut album to ABIR's comeback, here are the best new tracks in North Africa this month.Lella Fadda - “Tarat Tarat Tat” (Egypt)
Egypt's most streamed female artist of 2024, Lella Fadda, released Magnün, an experimental rap album that has been highly-anticipated since "Fokak Meni." Keeping up her unapologetically confident air, the album's standout track, "Tarat Tarat Tat," produced by her long-time collaborator Abyusif, showcases Fadda's versatility as a rapper and a singer who is done accepting patriarchal double standards.
Stormy - "Pirate" (Morocco)
One year after his widely celebrated debut album,Iceberg, Morocco's king of rap Stormy follows up with his multi-genre EP Omega, a six-track project with accompanying music videos for each song. "Pirate" is reminiscent of some Iceberg tracks: energy-packed, fast-paced Afrobeats drums and a simple vocal line. The production uses breathy vocals and various percussive elements to keep listeners bouncing throughout the whole track.
KTYB, Nordo - “Ghazali” (Tunisia)
Tunisian musicians KTYB and Nordo team up for their slow-paced duet "Ghazali," letting their introspective, thoughtful vocal lines interweave with the minimalist instrumentation and percussions as they ask God for guidance.
Massar Egbari - “Wahashni Sotek” (Egypt)
Alexandrian indie Arabic band Massar Egbari came out with their long-awaited (it's been seven years!) fourth album, Mabaetsh Akhaf. "Wahashni Sotek," a song about heartbreak and loss, blends the traditional instruments of a Western rock band with the maqsum rhythm and atmospheric production.
Hyper249, Warchieff - “Asfar” (Sudan, Saudi Arabia)
Sudanese rapper Hyper249, who gained recognition after his Rap Shar3 debut, works with Saudi Arabian producer Warchieff, who, as his name suggests, produces a military-sounding beat that utilizes autotuned vocals reminiscent of Timbaland and Kanye's background vocal effects. Hyper249 effortlessly adds his lyrical flows.
Ash, Felukah - "On My Mind" (Egypt)
Egyptian musician Ash released "On My Mind" with songstress and rapper Felukah, who initially debuted at his iconic concert at the Great Pyramids of Giza. This track incorporates everything you'd expect from an Ash x Felukah collab: Ash's signature saxophone, mixed with the Oud, is enmeshed in electronic sounds and oriental scales. Felukah adds her bilingual, melodic vocal lines.
Rhita Nattah - "N'dawa" (Morocco)
Independent Moroccan musician Rhita Nattah starts the year with "N'dawa," which in the Arabic Darija dialect means "to heal." A meditative track rich with vocal layers and harmonies over a syncopated synth beat, Nattahshared on her social media that she wrote this song as a healing offering to her listeners.
Switch - “Zenzana” (Libya)
Rap Shar3, the Egyptian YouTube channel platforming underground rap across the region, landed in Libya this month. The first part of their tour was filmed in Tripoli and features an eclectic range of performances. Switch's "Zenzana" stands out as a melodic, thoughtful track with a sincere and powerful message of endurance.
ABIR - "Butterflies" (Morocco)
Moroccan-born, Los Angeles-based singer ABIR returns after a four-year hiatus with "Butterflies," a dreamy fusion of modern pop and R&B. Subtle Arabic vocal runs showcase her impressive vocal range as she sings about the excitement and vulnerability of new love.
Marwan Pablo, Abyusif, Symphonic Orchestra - “Karma” (Egypt)
Egyptian rap icon MarwanPablo performed a live set with a full symphonic orchestra led by Egyptian maestro NayerNagy. For his highly successful track "Karma," Pablo was joined on stage by Abyusif, who transformed an experimental industrial beat into a classical experience with a far more emotional feel. Note that the choir in the background is his elated fanbase, who rap along to every word.
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