Spotify Editors’ Picks: Best Arabic Songs of the Year So Far

Rashad Iskandrni 

Halfway through 2026, the Arabic songs that have stayed with us are not necessarily the ones trying to be the loudest in the room. They are the ones with a clear emotional temperature: a comeback that does not need to overannounce itself, a rap record that turns pressure into texture, a pop song that knows the power of a raised eyebrow, and performances where feeling lives in the phrasing, the pause, and the restraint.

Spotify’s MENA editorial team has hand-selected five Arabic songs that stood out so far this year, not only as strong releases, but as songs that say something about where the region’s music conversations are moving.

These are the tracks that kept resurfacing in editorial conversations because each one captures a specific artist moment, mood, or shift. The selection is rooted in songwriting, musicality, distinctiveness, and the way each song holds its place within the wider Arabic music landscape.

For Spotify’s editors, the list is less about naming a definitive top five and more about reading the year through songs that reveal what artists are choosing to say, how they are choosing to say it, and why listeners are leaning in.

“This year, we have seen a wave of new sounds and creative ideas coming from artists listeners already know and love,” said Nadia Eldeghidi, Egypt Editor at Spotify.

“What stands out in Egypt this year is that familiar voices are not just returning with more of the same. They are finding new ways into emotion, pop drama, street language, and everyday feeling. Egyptian pop feels especially open right now.”

Across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, artists continue to bring a sharp and self-assured point of view to the wider Arabic music conversation.

“For Morocco, this has been a transformative year, with experimentation at the center of it,” said Mehdi Zim, Maghreb Editor at Spotify.

 “We are hearing new sounds, seeing more emerging artists come through, and watching artists build stronger creative identities. There is a confidence in the language, the production, and the delivery. The music keeps its accent, its edges, and its pace, and that is what gives it force.”

The selection also makes room for the quieter power of Khaleeji music and the melodic pull of the Levant, where vocal identity and emotional detail remain central to how songs connect.

“Across Saudi and Khaleeji music, emotion often lives in control,” said Salih Alzuhair, Saudi Arabia Editor at Spotify.

“A song does not always need to be dramatic to be heavy. Sometimes the weight is in the phrasing, the patience of the melody, and the way the vocal performance holds back before opening into full emotion. Levantine pop, meanwhile, continues to remind us how much character can sit inside lightness, whether it comes through sass, softness, or the kind of melody that feels like a first cup of coffee in the morning.”

Here are Spotify’s Editors’ Picks for the Best Arabic Songs of the Year So Far.

Sherine — “Tebaa’n Tebaa’n” / “تباعاً تباعاً”

In one of the most closely watched returns in Arabic pop right now, Sherine released “Tebaa’n Tebaa’n,” her second single this year following a long hiatus. The track does not try to reinvent her. It does something more powerful: it trusts the emotional language she has spent years making her own.

Her performance is warm, unhurried, and exposed in a way that feels lived-in rather than performed. “Tebaa’n Tebaa’n” reads like a slow exhale after a long silence — a reminder that Sherine’s voice has always carried its power through closeness. She does not need to push for feeling to land; the feeling is already there.

Dizzy DROS — “LAMERDE”

Thirteen years after his debut, Dizzy DROS makes a bold artistic statement with his second album, and “LAMERDE” stands out as one of its clearest moments of intent.

Built around electronic textures, the track captures a shared sense of pressure: the feeling of moving through noise while carrying something heavier underneath. What makes it work is that the risk does not feel decorative. The production pushes Dizzy DROS into a more charged space, but it does not dilute the tension and rawness that have long defined his voice. “LAMERDE” earns its place because it sounds like an artist refusing to repeat himself.

Haifa Wehbe — “Shou El Matloub?”

With “Shou El Matloub?”, Haifa Wehbe sounds completely at ease, turning everyday criticism into a playful pop statement.

The hook is cheeky, the lyrics are sharp, and the delivery lands with the kind of confidence that cannot be forced. It is a reminder of what Haifa does best: she understands tone. She knows when to wink, when to push, and when to let the attitude carry the record. The result is a song that feels light on the surface, but very deliberate in its construction — pop instinct dressed as effortlessness.

Abdulmajeed Abdullah — “كنت ماعرفك”

With “كنت ماعرفك,” Abdulmajeed Abdullah adds another song to the romantic world he has built over the years,  one defined by emotional control, melodic patience, and a voice that carries feeling without needing to overstate it.

The track sits comfortably within the Khaleeji songbook that Abdulmajeed has helped shape, but its strength is in how quietly it moves. The arrangement gives his voice room, allowing the emotion to sit in the phrasing, the pauses, and the softness of the delivery. It is a reminder that in Khaleeji music, restraint can be just as affecting as drama, and that Abdulmajeed remains one of its most trusted interpreters.

Saint Levant — “SABAH EL WARD”

With “SABAH EL WARD,” Saint Levant draws on the warmth and romance of classic Arabic music to create one of his most understated releases to date. Built around gentle melodies, nostalgic instrumentation, and vivid snapshots of everyday life, the song finds beauty in familiar rituals.

What makes the track stand out is its sense of place. From morning greetings and jasmine to neighbourhood markets and shared routines, “SABAH EL WARD” captures a kind of intimacy that feels deeply rooted in the region while remaining unmistakably contemporary. It is a reminder that some of the most memorable songs are the ones that slow things down, finding emotion in the ordinary and bringing timeless Arabic musical influences into the present.

Watch the extended editors’ picks here