Jannat - Hob Emtelak (2009)

Artist: Jannat 

Nationality: Moroccan

Album: Hob Emtelak (2009)

Label: Good News 4 Music

As this is my first review of an Arabic-language album, I would like to explicitly state some things:

• I am not an Arab speaker nor do I understand any of the lyrics - a song might have top-rate lyrics, but I may reject it due to my own lack of awareness.
• I have become familiar with the Arabic music industry since two years ago; I am not a pro, but I am proficient
• I LOVE Arabic music; it is second only to Bollywood :)

So let's start with some first impressions:

I must admit that I had never listened to even a single song by Jannat before the release of "Hob Emtelak." Through browsing Al Bawaba's entertainment section, I came across an article which read like an advertisement for the album, claiming Jannat's sophomore album a "master-piece." 

Secondly, I must also admit that I have a strong pro-Rotana bias. I seem, either consciously or subcosciously, to overlook a non-Rotana album unless the artist is very well known. Had I not read the stellar review by Al Bawaba, I might have ignored Jannat's Good News 4 Music-produced album. Fortunately...I didn't.

What about Jannat?

Another bias that I have is my feeling that all Egyptian male songs start sounding repetitive - same with the females. For this reason, I am not a great fan of megastars such as Amr Diab and Tamer Hosny. I seem to enjoy albums with a mix of Egyptian, Lebanese, and Khaleeji songs; I admire diversity. I also seem to disregard Egyptian-style singers because of their very

 soft voices. For example, Angham, Amr, and Tamer, and ZeeZee Adel all possess this quality. I found Jannat's voice to also seem extremely soft, but her songs in "Hob Emtelak" are NOT repetitive. And due to this, I've listened to her album at least 5 times since its release. 

Certain songs in the album definitely stick out to my ear:

Essmaa Kalami - This ballad style really suits Jannat. I really prefer her voice without all the digital alteration. The low-key instrumentals allow Jannat's voice to shine. The soft flow of strings and the saxophone (especially at the end) is effective.

Al Teflah Al Bareah - This is another ballad, except with a more pronounced background beat and piano. I was also charmed by the song's introduction using percussion (maybe a type of xylophone) that reminded me of a lullabye or a fairy tale. 

Ana Donyetoh - This dance/electronica style isn't one of my favorites, but I really appreciated the Oriental orchestration in combination with the synthesized beats. "Ana Donyetoh" is a great lounge track. 

Ashan Khatrouh - This is a full on pop song. The beats are very strong, but unlike some other singers, Jannat doesn't allow the music to overpower her voice. Very upbeat and fast, "Ashan Khatrouh" demonstrates that Jannat can do justice to both sensitive Elissa-style ballads and coquettish Haifa-style pop.

CONCLUSION: 

After less than a week with this album, I am not sure whether "Hob Emtelak" can be considered a masterpiece, but the album is definitely worth $10. Considering the popularity of her debut album "Elli Benni Wa Benak" and the variety of songs on this album, "Hob Emtelak" deserves the success that it will surely meet.

(3.75/5)