Usually when I recommend music to people that’s sung in a language other than English, they don’t listen to it, and I can accept that. After all, what would tempt anyone to jam out to something they don’t even understand? Well, I can think of a few reasons. First, how many songs do you listen to for the lyrics anyway? I definitely do not think half of the popular songs are popular because of the moral message they’re trying to get across-they’re popular because of a catchy rhythm and beat. So trust me, if you think American songs have a good beat, wait until you hear Arabic music. Sometimes songs actually do have good lyrics and this is a bonus! If you look up a translated version, you’ll get the meaning of the song and that’s a good way to learn a little about the language and culture of the country the song was made in. By watching music videos from other countries, you can see how people there dress and speak. I got into Spanish music by listening to the Spanish stations with my sister when our regular radio stations were on commercial breaks, and I was exposed to Arabic music through some of my friends. (By foreign, I mean languages I don’t speak; I know that for us Texans, Spanish isn’t foreign, but I took French in high school so it is to me.) Here are a few songs that I’ve forgotten are foreign, because I somehow know every word.
1. Lm3allem
This song is always playing on my computer and it’s actually broken a few records: it’s the most-viewed Moroccan video, and was the first song to break 100M views in under three months in the region. Listen to it once and I promise you’ll see why this song has gotten so much attention!
2. Chayeb
This song has currently been on repeat for me...as in, it is the only song I listen to. I’m not kidding. I found it about a week ago but the interesting video and lyrics had me hooked from the first few seconds. From what I gather, this song is about child marriage-a pretty heavy topic for a song. The video is done really well and the cool dubstep-like element somehow works. This is definitely one of my favorite Arabic songs I’ve heard.
3. Flash Mich
German pop-What’s not to love? German is a harsh language but that makes it even more fun to sing along to.
4. Ai Se Eu Te Pego
When I first saw the amount of views on this video, I was shocked. I Shazamed it and when I looked it up later, I remembered why. It is still one of the catchiest songs I’ve ever heard, even though it came out years ago. All the Portuguese people I know are very annoyed of it, but as an American, I can’t get enough of it!
5. Yalli Naseeni
You will notice that most of these songs are Arabic (sorry about that)! I just cannot get enough of Arabic music. This song features Akon (yes, that Akon) and an Arabic artist, Melissa, and the odd combination makes for a great song.
6. Travesuras
I don’t know how I know this song but I feel like it’s just one of those songs everyone knows. It’s so catchy, and the millions of views on Youtube prove that.
7. Papaoutai
This list could not be complete without Stromae, one of my favorite artists; he’s Belgian and his songs are all in French but they are so catchy and also talk about important topics like in this song, which title translates to “Dad where are you?”
8. Alors On Danse
The lyrics in this song by Stromae roughly translate to “go dance to solve all your problems,” and I kind of love the idea. That combined with the beat make it one of my favorite Stromae songs.
9. Danza Kuduro
You didn't think I could leave this song off, did you? It’s played everywhere from school dances to weddings, which just proves you don’t have to know what a song is saying to enjoy it.
10. Tamally Maak
This is another song I just know without knowing how; Amr Diab is notorious for his pop songs and love songs, and this one is my favorite of his many songs. He’s the best selling Middle Eastern artist of all time, and hopefully this song elucidates why.
11. Saharouny El Leil
This song gives off good vibes from the first second and it has been on my playlist for years. Somehow, I still haven’t gotten tired of it.
I apologize for 5/11 of the songs being Arabic, but I can't help but be biased. I know some people have reserves about listening to foreign songs because they can’t understand it. I disagree, and I hope some of these songs will make you think differently and decide to expand your musical horizons a little further than you normally would.
