Zeyne’s “AWDA”: A Sonic Homecoming Rooted in Resistance and Rebirth

There’s something magnetic about Zeyne. Her debut album, AWDA, isn’t just music — it’s an unraveling, a way back to self. The word itself means return in Arabic, and that’s what the record does best: it circles back to the raw, the real, the roots.

Across 13 tracks, Zeyne moves through emotions like chapters — from chaos to calm, from loss to light. It’s R&B that breathes in Arabic soul, intimate but never small. On “7arrir 3aqlak (Asli Ana)”, she frees the mind; “Yamma” aches with tenderness; and “Yom wara yom (ocd)” captures the unease of a restless heart. Each song feels lived-in, like something pulled from a diary and wrapped in melody. Are we biased, are we not, but our favourite track is definitely..."JDEED".

Produced by Nasir Al Bashir, with Khalil Cherradi, Ratchopper, and Sofian Grillo shaping the album’s universe, AWDA sounds both grounded and celestial. Guest moments — a saxophone line by Saint Levant, a verse from Bayou on “6 il Sobh” — slip in gently, expanding the story without disturbing its pulse.

The final track, “Kollo Lena”, lands like sunlight after a long night — joyful, unafraid, alive. It’s Zeyne at her freest, reminding us that return isn’t always about going back; sometimes, it’s about arriving somewhere new, softer, and truer.

With AWDA, Zeyne doesn’t just debut — she declares. It’s the sound of coming home, even when home has always been a feeling.

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