'We shall sing again': Elissa and Haifa Wehbe team up for new music video shot at their homes

The Lebanese singer has also donated the production budget for the video to charity

Elissa recorded her new music video from home. Elissa / YouTube

Elissa has released a song for the times.

After teasing fans last week by announcing a new single was on the way, the Lebanese singer dropped her latest track, Hanaghani Kaman Wa Kaman, on YouTube on Saturday, April 11.

Translated as “we shall sing again and again", the song acts as both a message of encouragement as well as a plea for people to stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Presented in the style of a video conference by Lebanese filmmaker and visual artist Eli Rezkallah, the accompanying music video begins with Elissa at home – complete in pink pyjamas – reaching out to friend and fellow pop star Haifa Wehbe, who is also isolating at home.

Concerned at her bored state, Elissa consoles her by singing the song. As the track develops, the screen splits into video-conference mode with family members and fans tuning in and dancing along from their respective homes.

While Elissa has yet to comment on whether the track was inspired by the present pandemic, the lyrics act as a rallying cry for fans to stay the course during these challenging times.

The resonant lines are found in the soothing chorus, where she declares: “We shall live under any circumstances / We'll live and see / We will live, let's go and live.”

With the pandemic forcing Elissa to adopt a virtual option of creating her music video, she said the allotted budget for production was given to charity.

"We hope it will put a smile on your faces during these times as we get through it together," she said on Instagram. "All the allocated budget for this project was donated to charity. Stay home and stay safe."

The song confirms new pop direction

Hanaghani Kaman Wa Kaman also confirms Elissa's previous assertion that her upcoming album will have a decidedly Egyptian pop flavour.

In addition to being sung in the country’s dialect, the track also features the work of a top Egyptian songwriting trio: composer Mohammed Yeyha, lyricist Shady Nour and arranger Elhamy Dheima.

It was the latter, in an interview with Egyptian newspaper Al Watan, who confirmed Hanaghani Kaman Wa Kaman is the first single from Elissa's upcoming album.

In addition to its release later in the year, what we do know about the new project is that it will comprise 20 songs and feature the work of Egyptian composers Mohammed Rahim and Nader Abdullah, as well as lyricist Amir Teima.

However, Elissa’s fans are keen to know if she intends to commit to an earlier statement that the new album would be her last.

Elissa shocked fans last year by stating her next project would be her final album, due to the creative constraints placed upon her by a regional music industry she described as a "mafia".

Elissa’s songs are on point

Whatever the case may be, Hanaghani Kaman Wa Kaman continues Elissa's streak of releasing topical songs and videos.

In 2018 she opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis through the release of the single Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni (To Those Who Love Me), with an accompanying music video re-enacting the scene where she received the news from the doctor.

In 2015 she released the powerful Ye Meryati (My Mirror) which tackles under-reported cases of domestic violence in Lebanese homes, and in 2017's A'aks Elli Shayfenya (The Opposite of What We See), she details the life of Lebanese dancer Dany Bustros, who committed suicide in 1998 after the death of her only son.

"I have never been concerned about discussing tough subjects. The key is finding the best way to talk about them," she told The National last year. "While I am glad people enjoy my songs, I try to make sure that each one of them has a purpose."