Mohammed Assaf has recently finished recording his highly anticipated, soon-to-be-released sophomore album, in which he sings entirely with an Egyptian accent.
“It’s done and ready to to go and it should be out next month,” the Palestinian singer told The National.
"Egypt is acknowledged as the most important country when it comes to arts and culture, and I have always loved the music and artists that came from there. I also admired artists who are available to sing in different styles, so it is from that perspective that I wanted to do an album that is purely in the Egyptian dialect."
Originally the new album was expected to be released before Eid. Assaf has however been under extra pressure to finish both the album and new tracks specially recorded for the upcoming biopic film about his meteoric rise to fame. The new film, as of yet untitled, is directed by Oscar-nominated Palestinian director Hany Abu Assad.
Speaking about the film which is slated to release at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, Assaf said, "It is not a 100 percent true story of Mohammed Assaf. This is another reason why I didn’t get directly involved in making the film."
"On the music sense I am involved in that I have been recording songs specifically for the movie. … On the acting front I am not part of it all," he explained.
"I would say that it is a drama and like most dramas there are certain things that are bit further away from what really took place. The film discusses my achievements and the challenges that I faced but in a different way."
Assaf entered the international limelight in 2013 when he won Arab Idol, propelling him toward the completion of his debut album, an MTV European Music Award, and large concerts throughout the Middle East and internationally. The singer also became the United Nation's Youth Ambassador for Palestine.
Although his debut hits focused attention on his Palestinian heritage and culture, Assaf's shift to Egypt marks a new direction for the singer. His latest single "Away Haghani" or "Yes, I Will Sing" is set to be released this weekend along with a video clip of the singer walking in Cairo's streets.
“It is a beautiful place and the clip is not just showing the glamorous area,” he said.
“We head to the traditional neighborhoods and you can see the people are generous and passionate.”
Look for the new music video this Sunday. As for us, we're going all fangirl on the edge of our seats.