Photo Credit: Lee Trigg
We are loving this ,’Maktoub’, the latest single to be taken from the new album ‘Zero’, out on the 26th of June.
Rooted in hypnotic Ethiopian-inspired rhythms, heavy percussion and kinetic intensity, “Maktoub” reveals another striking dimension of Alewya’s sonic world. Featuring a sample from legendary Ethiopian singer-songwriter Teddy Afro, the track moves fluidly between hard-hitting melodies and Alewya’s commanding, razor-sharp flows. Physical, rhythmic and uncompromising, “Maktoub” captures Alewya in one of her most direct and magnetic forms to date. The track received its premiere from Jamz Supernova at BBC 6Music. A video, shot in Ethiopia, will arrive next week.
The title, “Maktoub” – meaning ‘it is written’ or ‘destined’ in Arabic – reflects the recurring themes of faith, instinct and roots woven throughout ‘ZERO’. Led by feeling rather than formula, the track embodies Alewya’s intuitive creative process, where rhythm and emotion guide the music before words fully reveal themselves.
When speaking about “Maktoub”, Alewya said:
“Sometimes songs take time to reveal themselves, but Maktoub felt immediate and effortless from day one”
DeClunk 