Tag: Manal

Spotify Ushers in a New Era of Moroccan Pop With 6 Artists Influencing the Scene

June 10, 2025

A new generation of artists is redefining Morocco’s pop music scene, blending their deep-rooted heritage with contemporary influences to create sounds that are both authentic and globally relevant. These are the voices of POPSTARS*, a fresh and energetic rebrand of Spotify’s Top Maghreb Pop playlist, designed to amplify Moroccan pop around the world.

This new campaign features exclusive interviews with six artists who are shaping Moroccan pop in strikingly different ways: Manal, Zouhair Bahaoui, Nouaman Belaiachi, DYSTINCT, Douaa Lahyaoui, and RYM. Hit play on the video below to hear from these rising stars:

“It was really important for us to connect with the pop audience and create a space where listeners from all over the world can experience the best of Moroccan pop,” said Mehdi Zim, Spotify’s Senior Editor for the Maghreb. “Our goal is to support today’s Moroccan pop artists and make sure the playlist keeps evolving—telling the story of a genre that’s growing, changing, and going global.”

Manal is known for her hyper-stylized visuals and feminist edge, weaving traditional motifs into futuristic soundscapes, while Zouhair Bahaoui and Nouaman Belaiachi each ground their sound in unmistakably Moroccan local textures. DYSTINCT, who grew up in Belgium, is making music in Darija (Moroccan Arabic), aiming to position Moroccan pop on the global stage alongside Afrobeats and Latin pop. Douaa Lahyaoui and RYM, meanwhile, are carving out new narratives—penning vulnerable lyrics, fusing genres, and giving voice to a new kind of Moroccan pop star.

Meet Manal, the Moroccan Artist Changing the Game

April 20, 2020

Spend a half hour with Manal, and you get the impression of an artist far more experienced than her 26 years would suggest. The Moroccan singer—who speaks three languages and commands multiple music genres including Maghreb hip-hop, Afro pop, and Afro house—is making a splash in both the local and global music scenes.

Her debut single, “Denia,” earned her the title of Best Female Artist, North Africa, at the African Music Awards in 2015, but it was her first rap song, “Taj,” that put her on most people’s radars as she tackled the region’s historically male-dominated genre.

Manal’s already having a very busy year: she’s in the middle of recording her first album, 360, pursuing a PhD, and growing the record label that she launched with her husband in 2019. For the Record recently caught up with Manal over the phone from her home in Marrakech. Read on for the full interview.