Single Saturdays: Nawal El Zoghbi – Bakalem Khayali

Lebanese singer Nawal El Zoghby has released a new single entitled Bakalem Khayali (My imagination speaks). The song is about heartbreak and uncertainty following a breakup/separation about the future. Salah Al Kurdi wrote and composed the tune.

The music is Arabic pop. The intensity of the violin reflects the mood of sadness and heartbreak. The rhythm is wavy to demonstrate the ups and downs of the end of a relationship. It has a bold sound that parallels beats from three of Ragheb Alama’s songs Habeeb Alby (The love of my heart), Fark Kebir (big difference), and Tawam Roohi (My soul’s twin). There’s a contemporary twist to the single. The composition has impressive transitions in tempo to express the pain and heartbreak the woman feels, even a sense of confusion. There’s an incredible richness to the music that has a mix of Tarab and Arabic pop. 

Nawal El Zoghby’s voice is deep and soulful. She expresses a relatable vulnerability and raw emotions. She sounds rhythmic and follows the music remarkably. 

The lyrics are profound and expressive. The sense of heartbreak and confusion is relatable. The ups and downs have a presence through freestyle writing to demonstrate the grief. The poetry of the song has multiple styles: AABB or rhyming within a line instead of one after the other. The pain is palpable in this song because, on the one hand, the woman remembers the good times but also recalls the heartache caused by her partner. She talks to her heart, telling it to move on and let go of memories, which is tricky; it could be hardest for some. The emotions are genuine and raw. The song is well-written, with a simplistic but straightforward way to express pain and heartbreak.

The single Bakalem Khayali is available.

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