The Boss: The Arab world's answer to Gangnam Style?
The Boss: The Arab world's answer to Gangnam Style?
Saad Lamjarred's hit single Lm3allem has already clocked up more than 220 million views on YouTube and is predicted to be the next Arab hit to go viral.
2 min read
Saad Lamjarred at a press conference in Cairo [al-Araby al-Jadeed]
In the past six months, Saad Lamjarred's hit single Lm3allem (The Boss) has been watched 220 million times on YouTube.
That is over half the combined population of the 22 countries that make up the Arab world.
What might be coming next for the Moroccan singer's sinle is global success.
Lm3allem is rapidly attracting new fans outside the Arab world to its catchy rhythm and easy-to-remember lyrics.
Many musicologists believe Lamjarred could become the next Psy, the singer of Korean-language anthem Gangnam Style, which became a worldwide hit despite few people understanding the lyrics.
It has become YouTube's most popular Arabic-language video and he puts his success down to his love for "crazy singing".
Lm3allem's abstract lyrics put listeners in a "different state" of mind, he said.
Al-Araby al-Jadeed met with Lamjarred in Cairo, where he held his first concert in Egypt, he told us a little bit more about the single despite being "terrified"of the Egyptian audience due to the country's widely known renowned highly-developed artistic tastes.
He was slightly reassured that Lm3allem has enjoyed huge success in Egypt, he added.
I can't buy success
Lamjarred's big success led to some critics accusing him of buying virtual fans on YouTube.
This is a popular and relatively inexpensive practice utilised by many amateur musicians to brag about their YouTube views to friends, or to attract to attention of record labels.
"I can't buy success and deceive the public," Lamjarrad said, but believes his critics are "free to have their own opinions".
Despite this controversy surrounding his hit single, it hasn't stopped the Moroccan musician from becoming a national hero.
Lamjarred recently received a "National Distinction Badge" from King Mohammed VI on the ruler's birthday in August.
He has also been honoured a number of other times by the music industry.
Still, he said that despite his hard work he continues to make "good music, "good videos" and "the rest was in God's hands", according to a recent CNN Arabia interview.
That is over half the combined population of the 22 countries that make up the Arab world.
What might be coming next for the Moroccan singer's sinle is global success.
Lm3allem is rapidly attracting new fans outside the Arab world to its catchy rhythm and easy-to-remember lyrics.
Many musicologists believe Lamjarred could become the next Psy, the singer of Korean-language anthem Gangnam Style, which became a worldwide hit despite few people understanding the lyrics.
It has become YouTube's most popular Arabic-language video and he puts his success down to his love for "crazy singing".
Lm3allem's abstract lyrics put listeners in a "different state" of mind, he said.
Al-Araby al-Jadeed met with Lamjarred in Cairo, where he held his first concert in Egypt, he told us a little bit more about the single despite being "terrified"of the Egyptian audience due to the country's widely known renowned highly-developed artistic tastes.
|
|
|
He was slightly reassured that Lm3allem has enjoyed huge success in Egypt, he added.
I can't buy success
Lamjarred's big success led to some critics accusing him of buying virtual fans on YouTube.
This is a popular and relatively inexpensive practice utilised by many amateur musicians to brag about their YouTube views to friends, or to attract to attention of record labels.
"I can't buy success and deceive the public," Lamjarrad said, but believes his critics are "free to have their own opinions".
|
|
| Thank you mother of the world (Egypt) for your hospitality. I enjoyed singing for you |
Despite this controversy surrounding his hit single, it hasn't stopped the Moroccan musician from becoming a national hero.
Lamjarred recently received a "National Distinction Badge" from King Mohammed VI on the ruler's birthday in August.
He has also been honoured a number of other times by the music industry.
Still, he said that despite his hard work he continues to make "good music, "good videos" and "the rest was in God's hands", according to a recent CNN Arabia interview.
Follow the Middle East's top stories in English at The New Arab on Google News
