Lebanese singer Elissa has a new album entitled Sahbit Raey (the owner of my opinion). The overall themes are love and heartbreak, along with solidarity.
The music is Arabic Pop. The musical styles combine the old and the new, including a fusion of Arabic music and Western sounds. The old-style sound parallels to the works of Lebanese artists Ragheb Alama and the late Sabah. Aghanina (Our Songs) is an example of East meets West, with a combination of Arabic music and Spanish vibes. Jazz also has a presence in the record. The compositions are impressive and magnificent.
Elissa’s voice is rich in rhythm and tempo. She captures the emotion(s) felt in every song. She switches from low to high notes smoothly. She impressively sang in French the cover of Mourir Sur Scène from the late Dalida.
The lyrics are poetic, as well as romantic in covering the themes of love and heartbreak. The songs are well-written in the different dialects (including Lebanese and Egyptian dialects). The words are full of confidence, assertiveness and passion. Sahbit Raey and Azima are about going through life with resilience, confidence after hard times, including a breakup/separation. It’s refreshing to hear the subject of the life of an independent woman. Love songs include Aghanina, Wafi (Loyal), Ala Hess Hekaytna, Haatebrak Mot, W Inta Osadi (You’re in front of me) and Benheb Al-Hayat. The album covers songs heartbreak in detail, such as Moubaha Lik, Habbit Ehtimam, Ghaltet Waet (The mistake of time), Ana Chebh Nsitak, Smaany (Listen to me) and Ahwet Al Madi (The coffee of the past). Hanghani Kaman w Kaman (We will continue to sing) is a song about solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The record covers a range of emotions, from joy to sadness to resilience.
My favourite songs are Sahbit Raey, Hanghani Kaman w Kaman, and W Inta Osadi.
