After unprecedented worldwide success on his
debut single “Hadal Ahbek,” breakout Jordanian pop phenomenon Issam Alnajjar teams up
with Palestinian-Chilean songstress, and the latest Universal Arabic Music artist signing,
Elyanna on his new single “Hada Ghareeb”—listen HERE and watch the video HERE! The
single will be featured on Issam’s debut album, Baree? [Innocent in English], set for release on
October 1 st
"Hada Ghareeb," which translates to "Stranger (To Me)" in English, is a bouncy, up-tempo song
about having deeper feelings but being afraid of sharing them because of the possibility of
ruining the friendship. Issam's and Elyanna's voices are undeniable together, as they sing, "I
wish you could say it instead. And rid me of my anxieties. I'm scared that if it all comes out, I'd
become a stranger to you. A stranger to you."
On working with Elyanna, Issam says, "I've been wanting to work on a song with Elyanna for a
long time. And 'Hada Ghareeb' is the fruit of friendship, hard work, and the same vision we both
share."
Elyanna chimes in saying, "Issam and I both represent the young generation, and I'm so glad
we were able to connect and create a song that people can relate to. With Issam being a very
good friend of mine, the whole process of recording and shooting the music video was very fun."
"Hada Ghareeb" follows Issam's latest single, "Mn Gheirik Enti," which Ones To Watch praised
as "a song whose emphatic emotional expression and ensuing sense of turmoil transcends
language barriers". Over the course of the past year, Issam's global viral hit "Hadal Ahbek" has
amassed over 46 million Spotify streams and 3 billion sound views on TikTok, and the
official video has garnered 13 million views on YouTube-watch HERE. The live performance
video also has over 88 million views and counting. Earlier this spring, Issam teamed up with
Loud Luxury and Ali Gatie on their collaboration "Turning Me Up (Hadal Ahbek)," which has
21 million-plus Spotify streams to date. The song peaked on the Billboard Dance/Mix Show
Airplay Chart and Billboard Canada CHR/Top 40 Chart at #27 and #11, respectively. Not to
mention, he joined forces with R3HAB for "Hadal Ahbek" (R3HAB Club Remix)-listen
HERE.
The 18-year-old singer, songwriter, and guitarist Issam Alnajjar has made history with "Hadal
Ahbek," as it is the first Arabic song to explode worldwide as a viral #1 hit. Upon release, the
track peaked at #1 on Spotify's US and Global Viral 50 Charts and Shazam's Top 200
Global Chart, as well as reached Top 20 spots on Apple Music's Global Hits and Viral Hits
Playlists. On the international stage, it hit #1 on Spotify's Viral Chart in 25 local markets,
including UK, Canada, Germany, France, and Mexico, and #1 on Shazam's Top 200 Chart in
24 local markets. The irresistible bop has arrived as a cross-continental anthem and cements
Issam Alnajjar as an international artist to watch in 2021. You can learn more about Issam's
story HERE.
Palestinian-born, Los-Angeles based singer and songwriter Elyanna's breakout release "Ana
Lahale" feat. Massari marked the beginning of a new generation of disruptive music arriving
from the MENA region for artists and fans around the world. Amassing over 50 million music
video views, 35 million Spotify streams, and 17 million TikTok views to date and receiving
critical acclaim from Vogue Arabia, GQ Middle East, and more, Elyanna has all eyes on her as
she gears up to drop her debut release under Universal Arabic Music later this year.
ABOUT ISSAM ALNAJJAR
Issam Alnajjar is leading the way for a new generation of artists from the Middle East and North
Africa to take over the global music scene. An 18-year-old musician from Amman, Jordan, he
had been creating music for a couple of years, studying the songwriting of pop artists like
Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran and admiring the creativity of iconic artists like Queen and The
Weeknd, when he got some inspiration for his breakout hit "Hadal Ahbek." After dropping a
preview video for the song on Instagram, anticipation from his fans grew larger and larger. By
the time he finally released “Hadal Ahbek,” with Issam’s silky voice and infectious lyrics and
melody, the popularity of it exceeded his expectations. Issam says he had only expected 10k
views total for his song. That was shattered in one day, and eventually it grew to 100k views a
week. And on TikTok, the song only grew bigger and now currently sits atop dozens of music
charts on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. For any artist to have a top song is an
accomplishment. But what makes Issam’s feat more incredible is that he achieved this with a
song sung in Arabic.
