抖阴短视频

RIYADH: From Algerian singer Cheb Mami鈥檚 feature on Sting鈥檚 鈥淒esert Rose鈥� in 1999 to Marshmello鈥檚 2022 collaboration with Lebanese songstress Nancy Ajram, Arab nuances have been slowly weaving their way into the fabric of Western music.

However, Arab women remain on the sidelines of the industry, with only a handful of prominent acts making waves.

In 抖阴短视频, Spotify鈥檚 annual Wrapped campaign revealed that no female musicians from the Kingdom made it onto the country鈥檚 top 10 streaming artists鈥� list, and only three Khaleeji tracks, two of them by Syrian artist Assala Nasri, were most streamed.

But with the regional music scene predicted to become the fastest growing in the world, Arab women are aiming to buck the trend through authenticity.

At the recent XP Music Futures conference, industry experts and artists shared their thoughts on projecting women on a global stage.

Palestinian Chilean singer Elyanna has quickly made a name for herself globally, and has captivated audiences with her mane of dark blonde curls and piercing green eyes.

Supported and discovered by Lebanese Canadian musician Massari and The Weeknd鈥檚 manager Wassim 鈥淪al鈥� Slaiby, she now has more than 400,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

Her sensual vocals and contemporary lyrics appeal to the masses as she bridges cultures in a way that is authentic yet mainstream and she is quickly becoming the voice of a multicultural generation.

As opposed to many other upcoming artists, Elyanna remains distinctly an Arabic lyricist, incorporating her Palestinian roots into creating a unique genre of her own.

She told Arab News: 鈥淲hen I work on my music, I don鈥檛 think of it like, 鈥榦h, let鈥檚 do something crazy.鈥� I think of it as me. I鈥檓 20 years old, and I just do what feels right to me.

鈥淪o of course, the generation is going to get that, because they鈥檙e going to connect with how a 20-year-old girl feels.鈥�

The beauty about songs is they don鈥檛 look at if you鈥檙e male or female. Songs are songs. It starts with great songs.

Matthew Knowles

While she noted that she was too young to give advice on navigating the challenges that come with being a woman in the industry, she highlighted the word try within all her aspirations.

Elyanna said: 鈥淲hen you care, and you鈥檙e passionate, that鈥檚 all you need. I believe that Arab music is going to have an impact one day. It鈥檚 not going to be easy, obviously, nothing comes really easy. I do think our culture is so beautiful, there鈥檚 so much that the world did not see about our culture.

鈥淚magine we show them our dancers, the way they dance; so authentic, so beautiful. And look at the instruments we have, the melodies we have, the beats. You see a lot of Americans; they take them and make them hip hop beats. This says so much. This is such a start,鈥� she added.

Mathew Knowles, the visionary manager behind the careers of Destiny鈥檚 Child, Beyonce, and Solange, the latter two to whom he is the father, spoke about how to be a successful female act in the global market. He said that while 75 percent of his clients over the years had been women, image was key in the music industry.

鈥淭he beauty about songs is they don鈥檛 look at if you鈥檙e male or female. Songs are songs. It starts with great songs.

鈥淚 wanted to also understand that with the culture, will the youth be able to look contemporary in their dress and can women be contemporary in their dress? Because if you鈥檙e going to compete against the world, that鈥檚 what you鈥檙e competing against, right?鈥�

He added that language was also something to take into consideration; would an artist be singing solely in Arabic, English, or both?

Knowles said: 鈥淗ow are you going to approach the language barrier if you鈥檙e going to grow?鈥�

Hailing from the region鈥檚 biggest rap scene, Egyptian musician Felukah has been flipping the concept of Arabic hip hop.

Inspired by global prose and poetry from the likes of poet Nayyirah Waheed and Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, her intriguing lyrics find a way to adapt to the nature of rap and hip hop music by mixing Arabic and English lyrics.

Felukah told Arab News: 鈥淲hat I鈥檓 really trying to do is represent myself in the most authentic way possible. And when people find that relatable, they like the music.鈥�

She recently released Coca Cola鈥檚 2022 FIFA World Cup anthem, an all-girl collaboration with Saudi musician Tamtam and Mexican singer Danna Paola, remaking Queen鈥檚 1986 hit 鈥淎 Kind of Magic,鈥� and gave a captivating performance at XP Music Futures in November.

On her experience being a woman in the industry, Felukah said: 鈥淚 get hate from men, and I get hate from women. A lot of the time I hear, 鈥業 don鈥檛 like women rapping, I like male voices.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 not a critique. You need to expand your range. You need to listen; there鈥檚 so many women rappers, there鈥檚 so many women singers, and the fact that a person is not familiar enough with women鈥檚 voices and hasn鈥檛 found at least one that they like is wild. So, I don鈥檛 accept that,鈥� she added.

She noted that authentic Arabic music will not rise to the top in one song, but contemporary artists today, including herself, were working toward representation in a brighter future.