Exclusive: Mohammed Assaf’s second album due out next month

Mohammed Assaf on his much-anticipated second album - dedicated to Egyptian pop - is due out as early as next month.

Mohammed Assaf’s second album will come out next month. Satish Kumar / The National

Mohammed Assaf fans are set to rejoice with the announcement of a swift follow-up to his self-titled debut album. Speaking exclusively before an Eid Abu Dhabi performance on Monday, the 25-year-old Palestinian said he has wrapped up the recording for his second release and it will be in stores and online as early as next month.

The as-yet untitled album will be solely dedicated to Egyptian pop, with Assaf adopting the country’s accent for all tracks.

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More on our exclusive chat with Mohammed Assaf

■ Arab Idol winner on his upcoming biopic: 'I cried'

■ Eid gig in Abu Dhabi provides rare glimpse of the star

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“It’s done and ready to to go and it should be out next month,” he said.

“I worked with some great Egyptian songwriters, people like Amir Ta’ema, Bahjat Amer and Tamer Hussein.”

The album would have been out for Eid, Assaf admits, if it wasn’t for a heavy workload that included recording songs to appear on the soundtrack for his upcoming biopic, which is also due out this year — and so-far untitled.

“There was a fair bit of pressure surrounding the recording, because I initially wanted to complete the album during Ramadan to have it out quicker,” he explains. “But I was also recording songs for the Assaf says he chose the genre to pay tribute to the country’s musical heritage as well as stretch himself musically.

“Egypt is acknowledged as the most important country when it comes to arts and culture and I have always loved the music and artists that came from there,” he explains. “I also admired artists who are available to sing in different styles, so it is from that perspective that I wanted to do an album that is purely in the Egyptian dialect.”

As a taste of what is perhaps to come, Assaf is readying the release of his new and final single from his first album over the weekend.

Aywa Haghani (Yes, I Will Sing) is also sung in the Egyptian pop style. The video clip, which will be released online Sunday, features the singer walking Cairo's streets.

“It is a beautiful place and the clip is not just showing the glamorous area,” he says. “We head to the traditional neighbourhoods and you can see the people are generous and passionate.”