Nancy 8 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 21, 2014 | |||
Recorded | 2011–2013 | |||
Studio | Various
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Genre | ||||
Length | 61:02 | |||
Label | In2Musica | |||
Producer | Various
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Nancy Ajram chronology | ||||
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Singles from Nancy 8 | ||||
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Nancy 8 (also stylized as N #8) is the eighth studio album by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. It was released on March 21, 2014, by In2Musica nearly four years after the release and international success of her seventh studio album Nancy 7. Like her previous albums, Ajram collaborated with several producers, including Tarek Madkour, Hadi Sharara and Ahmed Ibrahim, along with new collaborations with Hussam Kamil, Khaled Nabil and Muhannad Khoder. The music of 8 features R&B, ballad, pop rock and dance-pop styles in order to emphasize the singer's vocal abilities.
8 received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Commercially, it became Ajram's eighth album to reach number one in the Arab World. In order to promote the record, "Ma Tegi Hena" was released as the album's lead single on March 9, 2014, going number one all over the Middle East.
In mid 2013, Ajram announced via social media that her eighth studio album would be released sometime during the year, serving as the follow-up to her seventh studio album Nancy 7 (2010). However, the album was later scheduled for November. [1] In January 2014, 10-second snippets of the album tracks were leaked online. After a long wait, Ajram finally revealed via social media the new album title and its artwork on February 5, saying: "Happy to reveal to you the album cover..be ready for the songs' samples in a few". [2] One week later, the video teaser of the long-awaited "Ma Tegi Hena" was released. [3] On March 9, the new album was listed for pre-order to be available on March 21. Lebanese streets were filled with the album billboards in early March. After three and a half long years, the wait is finally over, Nancy 8 was digitally released worldwide on March 21, simultaneously with the physical release in MENA region.
The opening track and lead single, "Ma Tegi Hena" returns Ajram to her original Egyptian folk sound she became popular with in the early 2000s with her worldwide phenomena "Akhasmak Ah." Ajram later based most of her career's successes on that of the latter hit, taking on its sound as her signature style with later hits like "Ah W Nos" and "Ya Tabtab". "Mouch Far'a Kteer" is a breakup ballad featuring a Pop rock beat and empowering lyrics thematically referring to rising up from heartbreak and agony. "Men El Yawm" was described as "the wedding song" and is sung in Lebanese dialect very reminiscent of 2004 hit "Lawn Ouyounak." The song is about marriage and unity in love. "Yalla", a standout party track, is an encouraging anthem about falling in love which incorporates foreign Pop sounds. "Tisabeg El Rih" is a traditional love song inspired from Khaliji singing gatherings, in which Nancy has taken part of in collaboration with MBC Group. "Rahent Aleik" is a breakup ballad with elements of R&B. "Shou Hal Ossa" is an EDM-inspired love song, which may be Ajram's most experimental song to date, featuring elements of pop and techno, merged with Arabian instruments and sounds. "Nam Bi Albi" speaks of love, while "Etnen Souhab" is an attempt of healing after heartbreak. "Ma Awedak" is a moody traditional Khaliji song with heavier instrumentation from the Persian Gulf. "Ba'a Kol Da" is a deeply regretful song about the inability of life without the presence of a lover who is away. "Fakra Zaman" is a cheerful youth anthem with a hint of sadness for the old days of childhood and teenage and how they were spent, and the effect of this concept of Ajram's way of thinking in the present. [4]
The music video for "Ma Tegi Hena" was directed by Joe Bou Eid. It was filmed on September 30 and October 1, 2013, between Sin El Fil, Jezzine and Sidon in Lebanon. [9] The video premiered on March 21, 2014, at 12:00 a.m. on Arabica TV. The video opens with Ajram, the watermelon merchant, performing Arabic freestyle oriental dance moves to her customers and rubs her body against that of Mister Lebanon winner Ayman Moussa, who plays a police officer, causing a commotion in the market. The next scene shows Ajram coming across an accident, which causes a road traffic, then the policeman comes and arrests her and eventually she somehow manages to escape. [10]
The video generated controversy and criticized for its sexual imagery, presenting Ajram's old seductive public image, eliminating her "girl next door" image. Many critics compared the video to her breakthrough hit, "Akhasmak Ah". The conservative crew also have cast a very critical opinion on the provocative piece. Ajram, however, refused to admit her music video is scandalous in the least, defending in a radio interview:
I don't see what I presented as being seductive, and at the end of the day each person is entitled to their own opinion. There are people who watched the clip and did not understand its story and only concentrated on my appearance.
According to Laha Magazine, she added:
The clip really makes me laugh because it is like a short film about a character that is only concerned with selling watermelons to make a living. I always make it a point that any clip I film tells a story, I don't fool people with clips that are merely lipsing and a show of new looks, hair and makeup. [11]
Despite the criticism for Ajram's return to a seductive and sexual appeal, the video broke YouTube records as the fastest viewed Arabic music video of all time, collecting over a million views in less than 24 hours. [12]
Nancy 8 debuted at number one on the Best-Selling Albums Chart of HitSorter and stayed atop for continuous weeks. [13] It also debuted at number 10 on the Billboard World Albums chart . [14] The album was 2014's highest debut for a female album in the Middle East. As a result, Ajram received World Music Award as the best-selling Middle Eastern Live Act. [15] Nancy 8 topped Virgin Megastores sales in the Arab world for 9 continuous weeks, then remained among the Top 10 highest-selling albums for non-continuous weeks. [16]
The reception to Nancy 8 was mixed to positive.
Bitajarod website gave the album a positive review, saying Ajram "created, excelled, won and refreshed the music scene with an artistic bomb with which she rebelled with performance and emotion". [17]
Lone Reviewer website gave a mixed review to the album, saying "Overall just above-average album from Nancy, some good songs but I expected better." The website criticized the lack of coherence and of inspiration in this album. [18]
The track list was announced via iTunes on March 9, 2014. [19]
Standard edition
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Producer | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ma Tegi Hena" (Come Here) | Ayman Bahgat Amar | Walid Saad | Tarek Madkour | 4:12 |
2. | "Mouch Far'a Ktir" (It Doesn't Matter) | Amir Teima | Rami Gamal | Tarek Madkour | 5:00 |
3. | "Men el Yawm (Shrek Beomry)" (From Now (My Life Partner)) | Marcel Mdawar | Rawad Raad | Bassem Rizk | 3:40 |
4. | "Yalla" (Come on) | Ayman Bahgat Amar | Mohammed Yehia | Tarek Madkour | 3:53 |
5. | "Tesabeg El Rih" (Racing the Wind) | Al Wissam | Samir Sfeir | Hussam Kamil | 3:21 |
6. | "Rahent Aleik" (I Bet On You) | Mohammed Rifai |
| Ahmed Ibrahim | 4:07 |
7. | "Shou Hal Ossa" (What a Story) | Nizar Francis | Samir Sfeir | Hadi Sharara | 4:17 |
8. | "Nam Bi Albi" (Sleep in My Heart) | Samir Nakhleh | Nabil Ajram | Hadi Sharara | 3:57 |
9. | "Etnen Souhab" (Two Friends) | Mohammed El Bougha | Mahmoud Khiyami | Khaled Nabil | 4:11 |
10. | "Ma Awedak" (I Can't Promise) | Mubarak el Houdebi | Talal | Tarek Aakef | 4:45 |
11. | "W Bkoun Jayi Wadeak" (I Come to Say Goodbye) | Kamal Kubaissy | Yehia El Hassan | Bassem Rizk | 3:35 |
12. | "Ba'a Kol Da" (After All That) | Ehab Abdou | Ghazi El Ayadi | Bassem Rizk | 3:53 |
13. | "Fakra Zaman" (I Still Remember) | Mohammed Waziri | Mohammed Waziri | Mohammed El Shaer | 4:05 |
14. | "Ya Khayen" (Traitor) | Marcel Mdawar | Ghazi El Ayadi | Bassem Rizk | 3:34 |
15. | "Bel Raha" (Easy On Me) | Ahmad Alawi | Issam Kamal | Muhannad Khoder | 3:56 |
Total length: | 61:02 |
Notes:
Adapted from the album liner notes. [20]
Region | Date | Format(s) | Edition(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Worldwide | March 21, 2014 | Digital Download | Standard | In2Musica | [21] [22] |
Middle East |
| [23] |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | Nancy Ajram | Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist (Nancy 8) [24] [25] | Won |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | Nancy Ajram | Best Lebanese Female Singer [26] | Won |
2015 [27] | "Ma Awedak" | Best Music Video | Won |
"Yalla" | Best Music Video | Nominated | |
"Ma Tegi Hena" | Most Popular Music Video | Won |
Angham Mohamed Ali Suleiman, known by the mononym Angham, is an Egyptian singer, recording artist, and actress. Her debut was in 1987 under the guidance of her father, Mohammad Suleiman. Following her divorce from Magdy Aref in 2000, Angham took much more control over her image and musical style after that Leih Sebtaha record established her into a strong position amid the constant emerge of new voices in the Middle East music scene. After a highly publicized feud between Alam El Phan Music Records' president Mohsen Gaber and the artist, She moved to another record company, Rotana.
Nancy Nabil Ajram is a Lebanese singer, television personality and businesswoman. Dubbed by Spotify as the "Queen of Arab Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of Arabic pop music in the 21st century. With the support of her father, she began performing as a child and appeared on several television shows in her early years. By the age of 15, Ajram signed a recording contract with EMI and released her debut studio album Mihtagalak (1998). In spite of being under the legal age, Ajram was exceptionally accepted to the Syndicate of Professional Artists in Lebanon. The following year, she released her second album Sheel Oyoonak Anni (2001).
Ah W Noss is the fourth studio album by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. It was released on April 14, 2004 by Relax-In and Megastar Records. This was the follow-up project to 2003's Ya Salam. In 2003, the album launched Ajram to the heights of music, thanks to a string of Egyptian flavoured hit singles which have become part of pop culture today. The Egyptian flavoured album received a massive commercial success in Egypt, especially the Egyptian hit song "Ah W Noss". Serving as executive producer, Ajram's manager, Jiji Lamara enlisted a wide range of producers including Tarek Madkour, Jean-Marie Riachi, Tony Saba, and Adel Ayash. Recording sessions for the album began in mid 2003 and took place at several recording studios throughout Lebanon and Egypt. Musically, the album represents a continuity for her previous effort Ya Salam, which contained Egyptian bellydance songs, pop rock, ballad. The album also explores other genres, such as khaliji.
Ya Salam is the third studio album by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. It was released on February 24, 2003 by Relax-In and Megastar. Ajram worked with all new collaborations, including Tarek Madkour, Adel Ayesh, Samir Sfeir, Salim Salameh and Tony Saba. Described as a turning point in Ajram's career, it represents a departure from the classical sound of her previous releases, Mihtagalak (1998) and Sheel Oyounak Anni (2001). Apart from the sound, she also endorsed a new image for the release going from an innocent girl to an edgier and more sexual look.
Ya Tabtab...Wa Dallaa is the fifth studio album by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. It was released on February 21, 2006, through Art Line Music. Ajram worked with various producers on the album, including Tarek Madkour, Hadi Sharara, Omar Abdel Aziz, Mohammed Mustafa, Karim Abdel Wahab and Bassem Rizk. Inspired by a humorous Egyptian traditional vib, Ya Tabtab was a remarkable turn in Ajram's career. Its lead single and title track was released as a response for critics who had accused Ajram of singing "with her body". She appeared in the lead single's video fully dressed as a clown, showing no skin and wearing baggy clothes.
Shakhbat Shakhabit is the first children's album by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. It was released on June 11, 2007 by EWE Productions. Ajram has always wanted to dedicate a work for children, and indeed, the album and video came as an important step in her career. The music video was directed by Said El Marouk after "Ehsas Jdeed"'s success with Ajram, was the biggest budget out of all of her clips. It included four songs, "Shakhbat Shakhabit", "Katkouta", "Shater", and "Eid Milad" in the credits. The production of the album created a buzz in the Arab music industry, as several producing companies fell into exclusive-rights arguments with each other for its production.
Sheel Oyoonak Anni is the second studio Album by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. It was released on July 1, 2001, through EMI Music Arabia.
Mihtagalak is the debut studio Album by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. It was released on October 2, 1998, by EMI Music Arabia.
Leila Kanaan is a Lebanese music video director and filmmaker. She has worked with famous Arab singers such as Nancy Ajram, Cheb Khaled, Rashed el Majed, Haifa Wehbe, Yara, Diana Haddad, Khaled and Myriam Fares.
Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram has released 8 video albums and 40 music videos, appeared in numerous television programs and 24 television commercials. In 1998, Ajram signed a recording contract with EMI and released her debut single "Mihtagalak", taken from her first studio album Mihtagalak (1998). It was directed by Lebanese director Elie Feghali. Like the debut album, only one music video was directed for her second album, Sheel Oyoonak Anni. Ajram generated much attention in 2003 following the release of the music video for "Akhasmak Ah", her third studio album Ya Salam's lead single, which was found controversial owing to the depiction of overtly sexual activities. However, she later received praise in mid-2003 for the visual for the album's second single and title track "Ya Salam", which received a Murex d'Or Award for its positive portrayal of a star with a sad life inspired from the 1960s. The video was directed by Nadine Labaki as a second collaboration with Ajram.
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Nancy 7 is the seventh studio album by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. It was released on September 6, 2010, by In2Musica to wide commercial and critical success, to follow the footsteps of Ajram's previous sets. The album explores a new set of sounds and genres including Dance, Techno and R&B on one hand, but still keeps the musical style that Nancy had created over the years, that is the Egyptian and Lebanese dance-folk sound, on the other. The latter has given Nancy her biggest hits ever, including "Ah W Noss", "Ya Tabtab" and "Lawn Oyounak."
Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram has released twelve studio albums, four live albums, one compilation album, two reissues and 51 singles. As of 2007, she has sold 30 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling Middle Eastern music artists. Numerous of Ajram's singles have reached number one on several Arabic music charts, including Hit Marker and The Official Lebanese Top 20. By 2010, Ajram was announced the best-selling Middle Eastern female singer of the decade (2000–2009).
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