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Nancy 9, also known as Hassa Beek (Arabic: حاسّة بيك, English: I Feel You), is the ninth studio album by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. It was released on April 21, 2017, through In2Musica. Ajram began planning the album in 2014. Nancy 9 was made available for digital download on April 21 through iTunes. This album most notably features Nancy’s chart topping hit “Aam Bet’alla Feek”.
| Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek) حاسّة بيك | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 21, 2017 | |||
| Recorded | July 2015 – February 2017 | |||
| Studio | Various
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 54:51 | |||
| Label | In2Musica | |||
| Producer |
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| Nancy Ajram chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Nancy 9 | ||||
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As executive producers, Nancy and her manager, Jiji Lamara, enlisted previous collaborators Tarek Madkour, Walid Saad, Samir Sfeir, Mohammed Rifai, Ahmed Ibrahim and Hadi Sharara to work alongside new collaborators such as Khaled Tag Eldeen, Salim Assaf, Tamer Hussein and Hicham Boulos. After a middling album in 2014, Nancy 8, this new album was expected to be a great come back for the Lebanese singer. The album was released to positive reviews from music critics and numerous publications included it on their lists of the best albums of 2017.
Promotion and release
editOn March 26, 2017, Ajram announced the album on her social media accounts, revealing the cover art and pre-order release date.[2] Two days later, she posted the official teaser video previewing 10 second snippets of each track.[3] On March 30, the album was listed for pre-order and the songs were to be available on April 21. The songs "El Hob Zay El Watar" and "Keefak Bel Hob" were released as promotional singles. The first was released digitally on March 31, then was sent to radio one day later. It debuted at number one on Anghami's Top Anghami chart.[4] Billboards featuring the album cover filled the streets of Lebanese and Egyptian cities in early April. The album was digitally released worldwide on April 21, followed by physical CD release two days later in the Arab world.
Style and composition
edit
Nancy 9 is built around a Mediterranean and South American theme that incorporates pop styles with elements of dance-pop and pop rock. The title track "Hassa Beek" relies on Latin guitar and beat, composed by Egyptian musician Khaled Ezz, whom Ajram collaborates with for the first time. The following track "Helm El Banat" is a folk-pop song, which contains anthemic chorus and Lebanese dabka rhythm. "Khamsa Farfasha" reminds of Ajram's Egyptian pop hits "Ah W Noss" and "Ya Tabtab", just as "Keefak Bel Hob" does.[5]
One of the rhythmic songs in the album, "Albi Biyes'al Einy", is full of violins in a disco way, characterized by its western dance style. "Kharab Byoot" returns Ajram to the Khaleeji folk sound she presented in "La Teloum", which was released in Ah W Noss album. "El Hob Zay El Watar", a romantic sensual style mixed with a Tarab spirit, composed by Egyptian well-known musician Walid Saad, whom Ajram constantly works with. "W Maak" is a house-disco track, in which Ajram presents a completely new genre of the Middle Eastern music.
Another fast-Egyptian track is "Zabbat W Khattat", written by Tamer Hussein, whom Ajram also works with for the first time. "Bel Sodfa" and "Mesh Enta" are deep emotional sad tracks, speaking about a heartbroken woman who finds out her lover is cheating. The other Gulf song in the album is "Ayi Hob W Ayi Gheera", characterized by its rhythmic melody, showing a new side of Ajram's vocal abilities. "Aam Betaala' Feek" was selected as the album's lead single and is a romantic song about the beginning of love feelings. The reggaeton beat in "Rooh Ya Shater", composed by Samir Sfeir and produced by Boudy Naoum, reminds of some best 2000's songs.[6]
Singles
editThe album's lead single, "Aam Betaala' Feek", was released on December 16, 2016, exclusively through Anghami, which broke a new record as the fastest song to reach one Million streams in the App history.[7] The song also received commercial success, topping several Arabic music charts and radio stations for consecutive weeks.[8] A lyric video of the song was released two weeks later, on January 1, 2017.
"Hassa Beek", the title track, was released as the second single on April 6. The song peaked at number one on Anghami's Top Anghami chart[9] and other music charts in several Arab countries. The official music video, which premiered on the same day, was viewed 1 million times on YouTube in its first 24 hours.[10] The theatrics come alive in "Hassa Beek"'s video, which sees Ajram play the radiant role of an old Hollywood movie star in the midst of a steamy love affair. The almost six-minute video was directed by Leila Kanaan, as a comeback after a 5-year absence.
"W Maak" was released on March 29, 2018, as the album's third official single. The song went to radio stations in the Middle East in April 2017, it peaked at number one on Agmad 7 chart on Nogoum FM seven months prior to its single release.[11] The official music video, also directed by Leila Kanaan, premiered at the same day of the single release, featuring Ajram in an old-school American-style diner, dressed in a metallic baseball jacket and denim shorts and getting weirdly over-familiar with the venue's jukebox.[12] Later on, the video received four international awards and recognition, it was selected at Clipped Music Video Festival's International Top 30 chart, nominated for "Best Music Video" at the International Music Video Underground Festival,[13] won "Merit Special Mention" at the Accolade Global Film Competition[14][15] and "Best Music Video" at Queen Palm International Festival.[16]
"El Hob Zay El Watar" was originally released as a promotional single for the album on March 31, 2017.[17] Its official release as the fourth single took place on February 12, 2019, the same date its music video was released, marking her third collaboration with director Leila Kanaan in the album.[18]
Commercial performance
editNancy 9 debuted at number one on the HitMarker's Best-Selling Albums Chart[19] and remained atop for 16 continuous weeks since its release.[20] The record topped Virgin Megastores sales in Lebanon for 4 continuous months, while in Egypt it remained atop for 15 continuous weeks, as well as in KSA, UAE and Bahrain for continuous weeks.[21][22]
Track listing
editThe track list was announced via iTunes on March 30, 2017.[23]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hassa Beek" (I Feel You) | Khaled Tag Eldeen | Khaled Ezz | Tarek Madkour | 3:46 |
| 2. | "Helm El Banat" (Charming Prince) | Salim Assaf | Salim Assaf | Bassem Rizk | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Khamsa Farfasha" (Farfasha Overload) | Ayman Bahgat Amar | Walid Saad | Tarek Madkour | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Albi Biyes'al Einy" (My Heart Asks My Eye) | Amir Teima | Khaled Ezz | Tarek Madkour | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Kharab Byoot" (Torment) | Ziad Bourji | Ziad Bourji | Hadi Sharara | 3:29 |
| 6. | "El Hob Zay El Watar" (Love Is Music to The Soul) | Mohammed Rifai | Walid Saad | Ahmed Ibrahim | 4:23 |
| 7. | "Keefak Bel Hob" (Tell Me About Your Love) | Mounir Bou Assaf | Hicham Boulos | Bassem Rizk | 3:42 |
| 8. | "W Maak" (When I'm With You) | Mohammed Rifai | Mohammed Yehia | Hadi Sharara | 3:41 |
| 9. | "Mesh Enta" (Is It You?) | Mounir Bou Assaf | Hicham Boulos | Bassem Rizk | 3:36 |
| 10. | "Zabbat W Khattat" (I've Planned It) | Tamer Hussein | Walid Saad | Ahmed Ibrahim | 3:17 |
| 11. | "Bel Sodfa" (By Chance) | Bahaa Aldin Mohammed | Walid Saad | Ahmed Ibrahim | 4:18 |
| 12. | "Ayi Hob W Ayi Gheera" (Love and Jealousy) | Khaled Al Marikhi | Talal | Hussam Kamil | 4:36 |
| 13. | "Aam Betaala' Feek" (I Am Getting Attached to You) | Ziad Bourji | Ziad Bourji | Hadi Sharara | 3:36 |
| 14. | "Rooh Ya Shater" (Come On Darling) | Safouh Shaghala | Samir Sfeir | Boudy Naoum | 3:59 |
| Total length: | 54:51 | ||||
Personnel
editAdapted from the album liner notes.[24]
- Ahmed Ragab – bass (tracks 1,3)
- Mostafa Aslan – guitar (tracks 1,3,4,5,10)
- Ehab Farouk – percussion (track 1)
- Yehia EL Mougy – studio choir conducting (tracks 1,4)
- Yehia Zakaria – executive production (tracks 1,3,4)
- Tarek Madkour – producer; mixing; (tracks 1,3,4)
- Elie Barbar – mastering mixing (tracks 2,5,7,8,9,13)
- Farouk Mohammed Hasan – accordion (track 3)
- Reda Bedair – ney (track 3)
- Maged Souror – qanun (tracks 3,10)
- Hisham El Arabi – riq (track 3)
- Ahmed Ayadi – tabla (track 3)
- Mohammed Sakr – mixing (tracks 6,10)
- Ahmed Ibrahim – producer; strings writing (track 6); mixing (track 11); piano (track 11)
- Tamer Ghonim – strings conducting (track 6)
- Wael El Naggar – accordion (track 10)
- Said Kamal – violin (track 11)
- Sherif Fahmy – guitar (track 11)
- Hussam Kamil – producer; mixing (track 12)
- Khaled Abu Munther – general supervision (track 12)
- Boudy Naoum – producer; mixing (track 14)
- Mohamad Seifeedine AKA mSeif – photography
- Jad Aoun – graphic design
- Caroline Cassia Mokbel – styling
- Fady Kataya – make-up
- Mohamad Edelbi – hair dressing
- Elie Saab – dressing
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Edition(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | April 21, 2017 | Digital Download | Standard | In2Musica | [25][26] |
| Middle East | April 23, 2017 |
|
[27] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Nancy Ajram | Most Streamed Artist | Won |
| Aam Betaala' Feek | Most Streamed Song | Won | |
| Nancy 9 | Most Streamed Album | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Nancy Ajram | Best Female Lebanese Singer | Won |
| Nancy 9 | Best Album | Won | |
| Best Music Video | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Nancy Ajram | Best Arabic Female Singer of 2017 | Won |
| Aam Betaala' Feek | Best Levant Song of 2017 | Won | |
| Most Streamed and Downloaded Song of 2017 | Won | ||
| Song of the Year 2017 | Nominated | ||
| Nancy 9 | Best Levant Song of 2017 | Nominated | |
| Best album of 2017 | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Nancy Ajram (2017). Hassa Beek (Booklet). In2Musica. 6222004448815.
- ^ Nancy Ajram Reveals Cover for Ninth Album, Hassa Beek! – SheBOPS
- ^ "Nancy Ajram – Nancy 9 – Official Teaser". Youtube.
- ^ @anghami (3 April 2017). "الأغاني الأكثر إستماعاً لهذا الأسبوع!١)#الحب_زي_الوتر٢)#تركني_لحالي٣)#وبتسأليني٤)#يا_بتكون_لئلي٥)#كده_يا_قلبي" (Tweet) (in Arabic) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Nancy Ajram : Nancy 9 – Hassa Beek". lone-reviewer.com.
- ^ "نانسي عجرم تذهب لأبعد حدود التجديد في ألبوم مفعم بالمفاجآت الفنيّة". beljaw.net (in Arabic).
- ^ Anghami on Twitter: "الفنانة @NancyAjram تكسر رقما قياسيا جديدا بأغنية #عم_بتعلق_فيك كونها الأغنية الأسرع وصولا إلى #المليون استماع"
- ^ Nancy Ajram tops the Arabic music charts with her new hit single | Al Bawaba
- ^ Anghami on Twitter: "توب الأغاني العربية"
- ^ "نجاحاً سريعاً لكليب نانسي عجرم الجديد "حاسة بيك"!". Music Nation (in Arabic).
- ^ @NogoumFM (21 August 2017). "اجمد اغنية النهاردة هي نانسي عجرم: ومعاك نفسك مين يبقي نمرة 1؟#اجمد7@NancyAjram #نانسي_عجرم" (Tweet) (in Arabic) – via Twitter.
- ^ "فيديو.. نانسى عجرم تطرح كليب "ومعاك" مع المخرجة ليلى كنعان". Al Youm Al Sabe3 (in Arabic).
- ^ "May 2018 – Music Video Underground Festival". Music Video Underground Festival. 30 April 2018.
- ^ "First International awards and recognition for "W Maak" music video". Facebook.
- ^ "كليب "ومعاك" للمخرجة ليلى كنعان يحصد باقة من الجوائز العالمية". Bisara7a (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2018-08-01. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
- ^ @queenpalmfest (10 August 2018). "#QPIFF August #GoldWinner #BestMusicVideo #WhenImWithYouBy @NancyAjram Written & Directed by #LeilaKanaan…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "نانسي عجرم تطرح أولى أغاني البومها كاملة وتعزف على وتر الحب". Elfann (in Arabic).
- ^ "نانسي عجرم تطرح كليب أغنيتها (الحب زي الوتر) تزامنا مع (عيد الحب)". Albawaba (in Arabic).
- ^ Stars Cafe on Twitter: "@NancyAjram's #HassaBeek Debuts at #1 on The Official Best-Selling Albums Chart"
- ^ Stars Cafe on Twitter: "بعد أن احتلّتها لستة عشر أسبوع، #نانسي_عجرم تسلّم المرتبة الأولى لوائل كفوري: https://t.co/eOMTomnuYb @NancyAjram @waelkfoury https://t.co/DX7e0zflo6"
- ^ "ألبوم نانسي عجرم "حاسة بيك" يواصل تصدُّره ونفاذ الطبعة الثالثة". Almada (in Arabic).
- ^ "نفاذ الطبعة الرابعة من ألبوم نانسي عجرم الجديد". Bitajarod (in Arabic).
- ^ "Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek) by Nancy Ajram".
- ^ Nancy Ajram (2017). Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek) (Media notes). In2Musica. 62891200 133054.
- ^ "iTunes – Music – Hassa Beek by Nancy Ajram". Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "Amazon.com: Hassa Beek – Nancy Ajram (Audio cd): Nancy: Music". Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "نانسي عجرم تطرح ألبوم "حاسة بيك" في الأسواق". elCinema (in Arabic).
- ^ "Top Arab artist of 2017 - Anghami". Archived from the original on 2018-04-21. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ "نانسي عجرم تحصد جائزتين بحفل الـ"Murex D'or"". Music Nation (in Arabic).
- ^ @OfficialANMA (6 June 2018). "ألف مبروك للنجمة #نانسي_عجرم #جائزة_الموسيقى_العربية @nancyajram" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "خاص - إليكم نتائج "جائزة الموسيقى العربية" للعام 2017!". Aghani Aghani (in Arabic).