Best North African Songs of 2025 So Far — Mid-Year Roundup

It also speaks to the geopolitical reality of instability and the ongoing genocide in Palestine, which makes it difficult for artists to create and take up space in the face of atrocities happening at their doorstep. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that spirituality and prayer are resounding widely through North African music, as many of the best releases respond to the world artists are navigating, whether that be patriarchy, migration, or loss.

North African rappers are seeking new sounds to merge with and explore through their art form, which many believe has not been at its best in recent years. "I think people will become more competitive in the next few months. The action is going to come back," Egyptian rapperMarwan Moussa told OkayAfrica in May. "I think we'll see some battles and hear music that feels like more time has been spent making it. I can feel it and am excited to be a part of it."

Similarly, Moroccan powerhouseSmall Xtold OkayAfrica that for his EP NAFIDA, he was searching for a new sound. "We talked about the sound frequency the hip-hop scene in Morocco needs," he said. "Not what people need from us. Most young artists create what is mainstream; if it's trap, they do trap. If it's drill, they do drill. Everybody sounds like everybody. We don't need that right now."

With this in mind, it's notable how both Sudanese rapper Bas, Small X, and, to a lesser extent, Marwan Moussa are drawn to more lo-fi, atmospheric synth melodies that help them express the manifold personal and collective challenges of our time.

Here are the best North African songs of 2025 so far.

Lella Fadda - "Tarat Tarat Tat" (Egypt)

Egypt's most-streamed female artist of 2024, Lella Fadda, rang in the new year with Magnün, an experimental rap album that had been highly anticipated since "Fokak Meni." Keeping up her unapologetically confident air, the album's standout track, "Tarat Tarat Tat," produced by her longtime collaborator Abyusif, showcases Fadda's versatility as a rapper and singer who is done accepting patriarchal double standards. She performed "Tarat Tarat Tat" at COLORSxSTUDIOS and has only been soaring since.

Ahmed Ben Ali - Jara (Libya)

You're sleeping on Libyan Reggae, aren't you? Don't worry; there's much more from where Ahmed Ben Ali's "Jara" came from! Habibi Funk Records' upcoming compilation is dedicated to the cassette tape scene in Libya from the late 80s to the early 2000s, featuring a diverse range of genres, from disco to reggae to pop. One of its tracks, "Jara," is a classic Libyan reggae jam that tells the story of a man who is in love with his neighbor, who is unaware of his existence. The beat of Libyan shaabi rhythms is quite similar to reggae. Put together, it became its own syncretic genre, which still has thousands of listeners in Libya and, hopefully, will soon reach listeners outside its borders.

Small X, Saib - "Albi" (Morocco)

Marking his debut at NYC hip-hop label Mass Appeal, Moroccan powerhouse Small X teamed up with Moroccan lo-fi legend Saib for their joint EP NAFIDA. On the EP's lead single, "Albi," atmospheric synths and a simple drum beat underpin Small X's observations about the pressure social media puts on young people. NAFIDA taps into the calm, minimal sound frequency that Small X and Saib feel is absent from the Moroccan hip-hop scene and which resonates through this music list as well.

Bas, The Hics, Saba - "Erehwon" (Sudan/U.S.)

Multi-Grammy nominated Sudanese American rapper Bas teams up with The Hics for their album Melanchronica, drawing inspiration from 70s prog, 80s pop, and 90s hip-hop and R&B. "Erehwon" with Saba was the third track published ahead of its release, another beautiful song born of their unreal chemistry. The Hics pull you in with their catchy hook over string and guitar arrangements before Saba and Bas take over with spirited rap verses.

Marwan Moussa, Lege-cy - "Kalemeny Belel" (Egypt)

"Kalemeny Belel" is a collaboration between Egyptian musicians Lege-cy and Marwan Moussa. It is one of the many standout tracks of Moussa's well-received masterpiece,The Man That Lost His Heart, a 23-track journey through the five stages of grief after losing his mother. "Kalemeny Belel" is about denial - you don't need to understand the lyrics to feel it. Over a simple, syncopated beat and dream-like synth chords, Moussa and Lege-cy sing to a woman they wish called them at night. Lege-cy's voice is at times distorted, making it sound like he's pleading for the impossible.

KasbaH, Musque du Fëte, ROU-H - “Wahran” (Algeria, Tunisia)

When it comes to North African dance music, no one does it better than Algerians and Tunisians! Nowadays Records and producer KasbaH founded the Musique de Fête collective to showcase the electronic Eastern scene through a series of mixtapes and parties in Europe and the Maghreb. "Wahran," from their fourth volume, is an adventurous electronic dance track that features the raï sounds of an electric keyboard and the heavily autotuned vocals of Tunisian artist ROU-H.

Ammar 808 - "Aman Aman" (Tunisia)

Tunisian producer Sofyann Ben Youssef, aka AMMAR 808, released his third album, Club Tounsi, which blends Mezoued rhythms and instrumentation with bass-heavy futurism. Track three, "Aman Aman," is a Tunisian folk song infused with TR-808 drum machine rhythm and bass. Performed by Mariem Bettouhami, it narrates the story of heartbreak after a lover is torn away, leaving behind the scent of jasmine.

Maman, Ninjaon249 - “Al7amdullilah“ (Sudan)

Sudan's MaMan offers listeners his very own syncopated vocal sound, never hitting the notes you'd expect him to sing next. In his own rhythm and bilingual blend, his songs are more like stories than structures. "Al7amdulilah" opens his EP Garmboza, which he released at an underground party in Cairo in February, becoming a testament to a thriving Sudanese music scene in exile. The track is dominated by eerie voices and synth pianos, carried by syncopated drums that evoke the rhythms of Sufi rituals, a visual and sound that is gaining widespread attention in the region and becoming a popular aesthetic in music videos.

Soulja - “Argeen” (Sudan)

Sudanese rapper Soulja's "Argeen," named after the Sudanese-Egyptian border crossing, reflects on his (and, by extension, a whole group of displaced Sudanese) life between the two countries. Produced by 77, the track uses traditional North African instrumentals as a sonic connector. At the same time, Soulja narrates the stark difference between his life in Sudan and Egypt, tapping into a theme of duality in identity that many pondered during Ramadan, the Holy Month of Fasting, during which the track was released. Again, we see the Sufi aesthetic that inspires him and so many others, pointing to a general acknowledgment and discussion of the importance of spirituality in North African, and especially Sudanese, music making.

Rhita Nattah - "N'dawa" (Morocco)

Rising independent Moroccan musician Rhita Nattah started the year with "N'dawa," which in the Arabic Darija dialect means "to heal." A meditative track rich with vocal layers and harmonies over a syncopated synth beat, Nattah shared on her social media that she wrote this song as a healing offering to her listeners. Nattah appears on Small X's NAFIDA; in an interview with OkayAfrica, he called her "One of the best Moroccan artists of all time."

Nadah El Shazly - “Laini Tani” (Egypt)

Egyptian musician Nadah El Shazly holds a unique position in the indie music scene. She has been rolling out her new project, Laini Tani, with a string of standout releases, one of them being its title track. Hypnotic qanun strings set a melodic theme, conversing with nothing but her haunting voice for the majority of the song. This call-and-response structure is broken by heavy percussive elements in a maqsum-like rhythm that you can feel reverberate in your chest, even through the tiniest earphones. While it often feels that musicians incorporate their region's instruments to fit into the trend of merging "Eastern and Western sounds," El Shazly's music is a masterclass in letting Arab instruments and rhythms shine.

KTYB, Nordo - "Ghazali" (Tunisia)

There's no North African song list without a heartfelt duet or ballad. This time, it doesn't come from a woman (men can also be emotional, especially in North Africa) but from Tunisian musicians KTYB and Nordo. They teamed up for their slow-paced duet "Ghazali," letting their introspective, thoughtful vocal lines interweave with the minimalist instrumentation and percussion as they ask God for guidance.

DJ Habibeats, Felukah - "Hayati" (Egypt, Palestine, US)

Taking us back to the early 2000s, Palestinian American DJ Habibeats and Egyptian rapper and singer Felukah throw a garage party on "Hayati," a dance track that prepared us early for a great summer. Over Habibeats' trap rhythms and R&B textures, Felukah delivers her trademark bilingual Arabic and English vocals, which explore diasporic identity, a theme relevant to both US-based artists. The mood switch halfway through the track makes me want to hit repeat every time it ends.

KVMPA - "I Can Do" (Tunisia)

If there were a list of the best music videos, KVMPA would be on it every time. In this music video, which marked his introduction to the regional music scene, Tunisian musician, DJ, and dancer Hatem Daabek, aka KVMPA, performs "I Can Do" in the unique aesthetic magic of Tunis. The percussion-heavy, playful, feel-good track teases an upcoming EP that blends the Tunisian Arabic accent with global hip-hop elements that influence him as a dancer.

Stormy - "Pirate" (Morocco)

One year after his widely celebrated debut album,Iceberg, Morocco's king of rap, Stormy, followed up with his multi-genre EP, Omega, a six-track project accompanied by music videos for each song. "Pirate" is reminiscent of some Iceberg tracks, characterized by energy-packed, fast-paced Afrobeats drums and a simple vocal line. The production uses breathy vocals and various percussive elements to keep listeners bouncing throughout the track, which, like many of Stormy's tracks, manages to transcend the language barrier that many have with Darija, the Moroccan Arabic dialect.

DJ Snake - "Patience" (Algeria, France)

Algerian French DJ and record producer DJ Snake pays homage toAmadou & Mariam's 2008 classic, "Sabali," on his track "Patience." Snake toldOkayAfrica that he has loved "Sabali" for years. "I used to listen to it on repeat. One day, I played a loop from an edit I had been working on for my team, and everyone felt the same thing: this was something special," he says. "But I didn't want to just release a song. I felt the urge to give it depth and purpose. The migrant crisis is often reduced to numbers and headlines, but behind it are stories of hope, loss, and courage." The seven-minute cinematic music video for "Patience" was shot in Senegal, telling the story of a young man navigating the emotional and physical terrain of departure as he leaves home in search of something better.