The Best North African Songs Right Now

The new year in North Africa was ushered in with a flood of music releases. After being snubbed in several end-of-year music lists across the region’s media outlets, it’s fair to say that January 2026 belongs to Sudanese musicians. 

From established voices like Elmiene and Soulja to newcomer Safa, Sudanese artists in the diaspora and on the continent remain undeterred in showcasing their talent; this could easily have been a Sudanese-only list.

However, it also features great releases from Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, spanning old-school R&B, desert blues, Arab pop, and rap. Enjoy!

Elmiene - “Reclusive” (Sudan) 

British Sudanese powerhouse Elmiene is unstoppable, releasing album after album and never missing once. On “Reclusive,” which teases his upcoming EP sounds for someone, he sings about his tendency to withdraw into his safe space, more than is sometimes healthy. Over simple piano chords, trumpets, and a repetitive drum beat, his voice shines in a heartfelt, upbeat vocal line across several octaves.

TUL8TE - “Seneen” (Egypt)

Following up on last year’s Narein, one of the region’s most popular releases, Egyptian pop sensation TUL8TE releases “Seneen,” yet another (great) breakup song. Over syncopated Egyptian percussion like the daf and the tabla, TUL8TE delivers emotional, introspective lyrics in a somber yet urgent vocal line. The dreamy, echoing background vocals remind one of older Egyptian greats like Mohamed Mounir. 

Tinariwen, Sulafa Elyas - “Sagherat Assani” (Algeria, Sudan) 

With “Sagherat Assani,” the Grammy-award-winning inventors of the desert blues announce the upcoming release of their tenth studio album, Hoggar. Teaming up with Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas, Tinariwen perform this traditional song that Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and his band member Japonais (who passed away in 2021) first encountered in the Libyan-Sudanese border town Al Kufrah in 1989. “We loved it so much that Japonais learned it, then played it again and again, allowing it to travel and endure,” says Alhousseyni.

Liamsi, 7liwa - “Batman” (Morocco)

On his debut album LUCID, Moroccan rapper Liamsi tells a familiar story: the artist achieves everything he could dream of - fame, money, and global recognition - only to discover that reality is much different from fantasy. On standout track “BATMAN” with Moroccan rage rapper 7liwa, Liamsi wakes from his lucid dream for a moment, leaning into hard trap over aggressive synths and fast-paced beats. 

Soulja - “Dayman” (Sudan) 

Sudanese rapper Soulja continues playing with Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Sudanese mergers on his light-hearted, rhythmic release “Dayman.” The melodic Sudanese synth-keys over the quick claps (the ones that get your shoulders moving East-African style) give the song a distinct Sudanese flavor as he sings to a beautiful girl he loves.

Donia Wael, 5mstashr - “A7san 7al” (Egypt)

Egyptian singer Donia Wael teams up with underground rap producer 5mstashr for the familiar recipe that always proves to work in Wael’s collaborations: emotionally charged lyrics with an energetic electronic production that gives tension to Wael’s soft, but confident vocal delivery. She wrote “A7san 7al” for the new Egyptian TV series Batal Al Alam.

Danyl - “BOOM BOOM“ (Algeria, France)

French Algerian Danyl is another singer with an angelic voice who consistently delivers a diverse range of music that is nonetheless easily recognizable as his. His debut album ZMIG delves into themes of multiculturalism, migration, and social cohesion, reflecting the artist’s upbringing between two cultures: France and Algeria. On “BOOM BOOM,” Danyl sings about his love for a woman in comparison to his love for music. 

Montiyago, Khayyat - “Mosalsal” (Sudan, Palestine) 

Sudanese rapper Montiyago starts 2026 with Palestinian longtime collaborator Khayyat. On “Mosalsal,” a simple and dreamy electronic production of synth keys helps Montiyago share his sadness about a girl he’s hoping to live a life like in the movies with. 

Actra - “I BE CLIMBING” (Tunisia)

Emerging Tunisian rapper, vocalist, and multidisciplinary artist Actra blends rap, electronic, and lo-fi into dreamy and ambitious songs that journey into unexpected directions. It sounds like he’s having a lot of fun experimenting, which is refreshing in the current scramble to cater to the taste of labels. “I BE CLIMBING” starts slow with guitar chords and Actra singing over analog sounds before evolving into an impressive bilingual rap performance, moving back and forth, bridging different vibes. Actra is criminally overlooked. 

Imarhan - “Tamiditin“ (Algeria)

“Tamiditin” is a love song on Algerian Tuareg band Imarhan’s fourth studio album Essam, a successful blend of their nostalgic Assouf music and French electronic production by collaborators Maxime Kosinetz and Emile Papandreou. Over looped, pulsing electronic sounds that remind one of a quickly beating heart, and playful guitar chords, a man is thinking about the relationship with his far-away wife. It’s a visceral song that will put a smile on your face, whether you understand its lyrics or not. There’s a lightness in the guitar chords that opens up the chest. There’s a sincerity and softness in lead vocalist Sadam’s voice that makes the world stand still for six precious minutes.

Ahmed Bahaa, Lege-Cy - “Sahran Belel” (Egypt) 

Ahmed Bahaa, co-founder and frontman of the award-winning Egyptian indie-pop band Sharmoofers, begins his solo career with “Sahran Belel,” a collaboration with soaring producer Lege-Cy. The track teases a solo EP that’s set to be released this year, seeing the artist venture out of his comfort zone. A mix of electronic production and oriental instrumentation that invokes nostalgia, the Egyptian syncopated beat falls in line with Bahaa’s vocal line, which flows between high-pitched singing and well-delivered rap-like recital. 

Safa - “2ndchances” (Sudan, US)

NYC-based Sudanese American singer and songwriter Safa came to people’s attention when she appeared in Sudanese folk singer Mustafa’s Tiny Desk concert last year. Her new single “2ndchances” is a classic R&B/soul bop; delivered by her beautiful voice, reflecting on a deep intellectual connection she has with someone that she’s willing to give a second chance to, it hits the nostalgia spot.