Reviews (page 3 of 7)
I really liked all of the different styles of music on this album and it not being in English was a plus....but it was sooooo friggen long.
Sure! Why not. Best Song: C'eset La Nuit Rating: 6.0/10 Stars: 3
3.5. Cosas buenas, me gusta el influjo arábico. Medio falopa por lo demás, no podría escucharlo seguido.
Thank god, a break from all the crap British pop and rock of the late 1900s. I don't think I can handle another song from Lennon's solo career. Oh god
Not for me, but wasn't anything bad. Interesting cover of imagine
The John Lennon cover is a wildly arrogant thing to do, but the album itself is fairly listenable, if a bit repetitive, especially on vocals. Guy has one flow, and he stays there. The music itself is fairly varied- everything from reggae to mariachi, to polka and to more soft rock kind of sounds. “El Aadyene” is probably the best song on the album. It’s also oddly backloaded, the flow gets a lot better about halfway through. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This will sound like damning with faint praise but this album had an inherent listenablity that I really enjoyed. I didn't know any of the words that Khaled was singing but I enjoyed how they were sung. I probably won't revisit too often but I appreciated it. Could have been trimmed down though some. At 80 minutes it's a bit long.
The great thing about Music is it can transcend language. A song, or an album, can be enjoyed without understanding the lyrics, but by getting lost in the rhythms and melodies and the moods the music creates. Khaled manages to capture your attention and take you on a journey, without knowing where you’ve been, or where you’re going. Chuck it on in the background and see where it takes you.
Surprisingly fun album with a lot of unique and diverse songs. Even then, wouldn’t likely go out of my way to listen to this again but good to know about
I think, generally, this isn't an album or style for me. Mostly because there's a lot of boring music aspects to it that just don't keep me interested or intrigued. The flip side of that, though, is that the bass rips. Without having any other decent comparisons, I also think that his singing is really high quality. Even with all the sliding, his tones are really sharp and clear. I don't like the fake drums, though. This album would take a big jump up in rating for me with something more human played, than just generated. There's only so much of this that I can listen to without getting pretty tired of hearing it, though. Even with the good parts. I kind of wish I liked it more, honestly. It ends up being really poppy, which is a genre that gets really old pretty quickly. If you cut a few songs from the album (starting with Imagine) and got the run time down to 45 minutes or so, I would probably have enjoyed the whole album more. Favorite Song(s): Trigue Lycee
Very unique, I've never listened to anything like this. I don't know if I'll listen to it again, bit I'm glad I did at least once.
Interesting listen. Some good sounds. Solid 3.5
Has its moments, but not super cohesive and this feels like a very western choice for a world music album 6 / 10
This album is very enjoyable, an easy-listening one. Although I'm not much a fan of this sound, it's a funny record. So, I've liked it, but I don't find it much interesting or something I will be wanting to listen to again.
Probably a decent introduction to Algerian music. I liked it but I’ve heard rawer stuff. Yep, should be here.
Torn. I like the traditional vocal forms.. And music overall but can't call this album a 5. And yet there is so little world music on this often limp list. More north Africa. And Arabic. Algerian. Persian. Desert sounds. This was just ok.
It's a very diverse album but it feels a little too pop-esque and a little too watered down to be actually cool. Not bad at all, I liked it.
Muy buen album algo a lo que cero estoy acostumbrada pero me gusti
This is another one that is hard to rate, as, to me, it mostly felt like dated music that fans of the artist or those in Algeria would appreciate more than in a place like the US where things were in a different place, even in 1999. That being said, I was impressed by some of the hooks and the production and the modern sound, which I didn't expect based on the album cover. Overall, though, I don't feel it really does anything new. It's just a fine album that certain people will appreciate, especially those in his home country.
Vaikea sanoa koska vieraskielinen, niin ei ymmärrä sanoista mitään. Mutta hyvä viba ja tunnelma. Plussaa Imaginesta.
anything with a sitar is just MMMMMMMMM so good even tho he only used it on a few tracks. very very mixed but SO MUCH FUN what a vibe
Does exactly what it says on the can. Chest la nuit and Imagine were a bit of a surprise, with the former having a definite Sting vibe. But the rest is just not my scene man. But done well so better give it a 3.
What!? Hm. Well, I guess this is somewhat fitting, I just had an Arabic presentation. It was on how to make shakshuka. It was incredible and I did very well (for like one of the first times ever I actually understood what I was reading, which was really nice). But this is 78 minutes so why should I listen to it??? Well I do this every day. I’ll listen to some of it. Well I listened to a couple of songs and it’s really boring. I love this style of singing, but I much prefer it when it’s chanted, say, in the Qur’an or something similar. Not bad but not really my thing. However there are some good songs! “C’est la nuit” is quite nice, and there’s a lovely cover of Lennon’s “Imagine,” but like really at the end of the day it’s a 78-minute album with not much structure or complex artistic intent. It’s just not very interesting. 6.1/10
The random Imagine cover kinda threw me off otherwise kinda cool
Great to hear something different, even if I’m unlikely to go back
If you ignore the couple of ballads and the harebrained John Lennon cover, you’re left with an hour of very peppy, convincing pop music from a band who are perfectly in sync, led by Khaled, the ultimate hype man. It's a fresh fusion of sounds and they do well to keep the energy up over its 78 minutes. The length is an issue though with Khaled covering the same ground more than once across the tracklist - surely an hour would have been sufficient!
Today’s album gets a low 3 from me, didnt all grab and was too long but i had a great time with about half the tracks and found them v joyous
original and surprisingly good and listenable
I wasn’t familiar with Khaled, and his album “Kenza” was a nice change of pace from the other albums on this list. I didn’t delve too deeply into the cultural context because it didn’t seem necessary to me—to me, it’s just pop with a few North African influences. A well-produced pop album with a few unusual elements—after the rather disappointing past few weeks, that’s enough to earn it 3 stars.
p840. 1999. 3 stars. Schizophrenic Algerian pop. Veers between the brilliant and the mediocre - are those really 70s disco beats and string I hear? And the cover of "Imagine" is an abomination. He's got a decent voice, but he's let down by substandard material.
I have never heard of this person or heard Rai music before but I really liked it, the mix of Arabic and what feels like Cuban music with lovely sax sounds really goes down well. I actually liked the cover of Imagine. I took a star off as, exciting as it started off, it continued very much in the same vein towards the end and lost its innovation.
Not a bad listen, Steve Hillage having production credits provoked my interest to listen to it all. The imagine cover was truly terrible
This is another album where I wish I had more context. I am completely lost on what this type of music is and if this really is the best of the best, or just an album that sold well. I liked the sound of it as a whole, but it went on for way too long. I also think trying to cover Imagine was certainly a blunder. I’d consider listening to some of it again, but definitely not the whole thing.
The beats were sick, but it was a rollercoaster of bop to meh songs. Still good overall.
Very interesting to hear Arabic (and a little Indian?) music in a Western context like this. I'm into it! The reprise of 'C'est la Vie' in Arabic of was the perfect way to outro the album.
A bit too long, but not bad, lots going on, mix of Algerian and Western music.
Its a pretty good album overall not sure how famous this dude is in India but sounds fresh with great quality and Imagine song cover that was very good
Not bad for a foreign language album.
More enjoyable than I thought. 3.5
Solid but could use a trim. Imo.
Great recording/production value, and some of the music is decent, but not sure I enjoy the style of singing. Prefer the French songs. Why do we need a cover of Imagine? Overall it’s alright.
Man that's hard to rate. The instrumental part of this is mostly quiet enjoyable but I really can't handle arabic singing. My western ears will never be compatible to this. But i'll give it 3 stars to be fair
Fun, North African/French/Arabic album. Couldn’t understand a thing but catchy background music
I'm going to go with the old Duke Ellington thing that says "if it sounds good, it is good". I don't know a thing about rai music, but I kinda dug this.
interesting listen but way too long to be enjoyable
Generally a mixed bag but there are some songs that hit
Surprisingly eclectic. I really enjoyed this one. Not something I would have ever listened to otherwise, but quite pleased that it came up today. Pepped up my dreary, rainy Monday.
Surprisingly compelling despite my relative antipathy for the style.
Ik heb me beter vermaakt dan verwacht. Het begon erg sterk. Daarna kwam imagine. Verschrikkelijk. Daarna was het weer leuk. Vond het wel wat te lang worden. Door imagine en de langte krijgt het 3 ipv 4 sterren
6.5/10 - it’s hard to judge an album when you know nothing of its peers. It was nice to get an album that wasn’t from an American or a Brit. This is what I was hoping this list would be like. Trigue Lycee is my favorite song on the album. Enjoyable but too long.
Pretty cool, despite not understanding a word said. I do find the album to be a bit too long though. Standout Tracks: Imagine, Leili
As much as I appreciate the offer of some music with a less western background this is way too poppy and shallow for my taste. Also way too long.
big 3
I don't think I've heard the Arabic, French and English languages spoken all on one record before. This was surprisingly listenable.
Good music but some better than others
Could be singing the phone book for all I care. Still good music
Not my speed but slickly produced
Kinda fun. Imagine was funny and better than Gal Gadot.
--Aâlach Tloumouni...we thankfully get a reprieve from the barrage of Euro-American music. Some very interesting sounds here. I'm not a fan of the vocal technique; may prevent me from getting into it --El Harba Wine...we got a bass groove going. this humps --C'est la nuit...sugar --Imagine...well, I guess we got some British stuff. I prefer John's version --Trigue Lycee...this is fun. great bass and horns --E'dir E'sseba...we got some soul going! booty shaker --Ya Aâchkou...bass and horns. not fair, my two biggest weaknesses! --Melha...another nice groove but this album already feels long and we got a while to go --Raba-Raba...basically the first track. great musicianship but I don't vibe with the vocal stylings --El Bab...a little hip hop. this is fun --El Aâdyene...another fine groove but it's all blending together --Gouloulha-Dji...something with Latin flair. nice change of pace --Mele H'bibti...there's something for everyone on this album, but there are 15 tracks that average over five minutes. needs to be tightened up a little --Derwiche Tourneur...a night club feel to this one --Leïli...sweet closer. maybe too sweet but it's nice
I don't hate it but I doubt I'd listen to it again
Comme si, j’n’existais pas
^_^
I enjoy listening to foreign music but this wasn’t a good album
WE THE BEST MU— wait, wrong guy. Oops. For as much I love making fun of DJ Khaled for just kinda existing, that's not what we're here to do today, as he (understandably) is not on this list. Does that guy even have albums? I don't know. I know Khaled does though, as I had to listen to one today. So, how do I feel about Algerian pop music? Eh. Solely going by this album, I'm not into it, but I fear that this may not be the best representation of the raï music style. Khaled is one of the most famous raï artists, but this album feels a little... over-engineered. It's trying a little too hard to have major pop success, you know? What I'm trying to say is that the production isn't my favorite. Khaled's singing is good. He's got good control of his voice. That's something that I've noticed about many people who sing in Arabic. Their voices are always moving. It's definitely different, but not in a bad way at all. The writing seems to be pretty thoughtful from the translations that I found, though social consciousness seems to be a bigger part of the raï genre than this album makes it out to be judging by what Wikipedia says. I think the album's biggest issue is that it just drags on for too long. There's really not much more to say. Kenza is an interesting look into what Algeria has done musically and while I can't say that it's something that I love, it is something that I respect. I get why people like this, even if it's not for me. 3/5.
Doesn't really stick. Fine tho
Европеизированная арабская музыка, европейская музыка, эклектика. Но как-то сладко.
This didn’t seem special to me.
6/10
There must be better arabic-styled music out there that is better than this? Feels like a mediocre addition to a list crowded with western rock. Other than that, vibed with Khaled
Perfectly pleasant. At times a bit repetitive at times but when it shines it's really fun.
2.5
This was different than what I normally listen to. I appreciate the Lennon Imagine cover to place English listeners, but idk if it's necessary. The music is beautiful on its on.
Never heard and truly thought it was Khalid. Different Khaled. Not for me though I do respect it.
Vibe
Album #1,043 This is Raï music, something I've never heard of. The singing style is definitely middle eastern with its wavering pitch. The music sounded like a mix of middle eastern, latin, and other instruments. I liked the strings. C'est la nuit sounds like Napoleon Dynamite music. Once I got used to the vocals, it was OK to listen to, though that <hgka> throat clearing sound some languages have never sounds good in music. (I looked it up, and apparently it's called voiceless uvular fricative.) And the song Imagine is kind of insufferable in any language.
I am obsessed with the horns on this album. They're so buoyant and crisp. Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn't quite match up. Or at least, it's not to my taste - always an important distinction with non-Western music I guess. The vocal style is a little much, especially on an album that's almost 80 minutes long. Overall though, I'm glad to have experienced it.
The first half of this album was not good. Especially the song Imagine. Should I hold Khalid responsible for the sins of John Lennon and Gal Gadot? Probably not. In fact, Khaled’s version has a much better message and meaning. However, the tune of that song is like nails scratching a chalkboard for me at this point. The second half was redeeming. I liked songs like Raba-Raba. I was surprised when I suddenly heard Latin American sounds with the song Goulouha-Dji and it was fun. I wish the first half of this album didn’t exist! Otherwise, it would have gotten a 4.
im subtracting a point for the choice of covering imagine but anyway glad to see something other than uk pop rock on this list Would I listen again? no Deserves to be on this list? probably 3.4
It isnt in English, and it sounds like James Bond movie music. Kinda cool
I liked the first song a lot and was hoping the album would be follow suit with that kind of music, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. I enjoyed the medley of different sounding genres on here, but nothing really stood out as exceptional. I guess I prefer the more traditional-sounding middle eastern rather than a fusion with more Western tones. Aalach Tloumouni and Raba-Raba were my fav songs.
This is a LONG album! I don't normally listen Algerian music but it made a pleasant change to listen to this. Difficult to comment on lyrics as much of it is in French or Arabic. The music is good - lively. I was surprised to hear Imagine (John Lennon) on the album!
Well, combination of world music and pop music its what usually makes me sick. But not this time. Some of this turkish melodies really ignited me and dance rhythms rather hyped it, than destroyed its fun. Almost a win. But its rather a long collection of songs, than an album, so only 3, rather than 4.
I want to be open minded and be able to listen to any genre, but sometimes it is a real struggle to get through these albums. Can't really give out low scores based on persenal preference however, and it sure sounds well made.
No se ni en cuantos ni a veces cuales idiomas han cantado, pero pec. Mencion espcial a la version de Imagine.
Not sure what he is singing about but he does it really well. The guy is obviously very talented and the music is great with some excellent beats and a wide variety of music and sounds. It's a really good album and I'm glad I listened to it but it's not something that I would listen to on my own.
5/10
Ca change mais c'est pas trop mon style de prédilection, mais ça reste assez varié en rythmes donc c'était sympa quand même à écouter
3/5
this was actually pretty fun! Really enjoyed some of the tracks with a horn section. really good instrumentals but the vocals got a little annoying after a while. Also really long album when theres like a solid 4-5 that sound exactly the same. Solid 6/10.
Very diverse and fun, just not entirely my thing. Cover of imagine was incredible, though.
Funky but I don’t know the words
Okay, enjoyable listen different, but probs won't listen to again
Algerian singer/songwriter - it's got some funk in those baselines. It has an interesting cover of "Imagine" that switches between languages.
Out of my ballpark but not bad!
Ik had zo veel zin om Arabische muziek te luisteren want I love Arabische muziek, maar meestal is het heel slecht opgenomen. Dit album is goed opgenomen, dus dat is geweldig. Aan het begin vond ik het jammer dat het toch een beetje cookie cutter popmuziek was, maar het was wel zo catchy dat ik dat heb genegeerd. Zeker het tweede deel van het album was leuk! Erg verrast door de Hebreeuwse/Arabische/Engelse versie van Imagine, maar world peace i guess.
El Harba wine >> ElBab >>> Mele H'bibti > Leile >> There's some really cool and interesting-sounding tracks on this album, and then there's an Imagine jumpscare. El Bab, El Harba Wine, and Leile were my favourite tracks. Besides the obvious, C'est la Nuit (in French) was probably my least favourite—which makes for a fun contrast
puntje aftrek voor de imagine of it all, maar een erg lekker en mij volledig onbekend album. duurde wel wat lang
It's important not to pay too much attention to reviews before listening to an album, as many would have you believe this is an affront to music. As it stands, this is a perfectly fine, if a little underwhelming, album I'd never have listened to if not for this project; and that's okay.
I enjoy the sound of this album, it sounds similar enough to latin music that it's not completely new, but is still different enough that it's a new experience for me. I am an especially big fan of some of the trumpet parts on this album. My biggest complaint is that it lasts way too long, and the songs do kind of start sounding the same after a while. At least I have Africa on my RYM music map now.
Wasn't sure on the first few tracks, couldn't sit through Imagine, but then got properly into it and had a great time grooving along to the rest.
don't really listen to Arabic music. its not bad, if I understood the lyrics I could see liking it quite a bit more.
Enjoy albums on the list from massive artists in other parts of the world I've never heard of. This sounded a lot like the music the distant Egyptian relatives I have go mad for when it comes on at weddings. Melha was the best song, the melody on this was good. Otherwise I'd struggle to say it was good rather than novel, liked it well enough bar the dodgy imagine cover but not to the point of a repeat listen. 2.5.
Normally this would not be a 3/5 but there were some good vibes here
OK, this is pretty rad, exactly the reason I even started the challenge to hear something new and fresh to me. I liked the first song, surprised by the cover of "Imagine" which was quite interesting. Might go for 3 stars, does get a bit samesy and I feel like this western instrumentation does not always serve to make the music better here, but indeed a very interesting discovery. OK, so I gave a dead average of 2.5/5.0 for RYM but I will round to 3 stars. Interesting start of the year, today is January 1st 2026.
Great beats!
The album seems to pick up from “El Bab” on, but the western pop infusion from more than a decade earlier does nothing to enhance the album’s sound.
Pretty good, even if relatively similar throughout. 3.5*
5/10
What I enjoyed most was probably the flowery string accompaniments that first stood out to me on "El Harba Wine". I see a lot of people rolling their eyes at the "Imagine" cover and I'd like to think it isn't as corny as one might think. I'm sure Imagine was one of the just dozens of English speaking songs to reach and be understood in Algeria and all sorts of primarily-not-english-speaking countries. So, is the cover great? No. But it's not abhorrent. I was a huge fan of "Tigue Lycee" that came on right after anyways, I could look right over it. "E'Dir E'Sseba" wasn't amazing, but did have an instrumental that reminded me of like half the videogame menu theme's I heard as a kid growing up on the PS2. Other solid tracks include "Raba-Raba" and "El Aadyene". The detractor is that I get bored of listening to something I know nothing about and have limited ability to interpret after about an hour in. Soft 3/5 I'm glad this wasn't from America/UK
Not bad.
This was a nice change of pace after bad, plain albums and some stuff that I knew was good already. Off the beaten path, but well produced and had a nice amount of variety. Still too long. I didn’t even mind the “Imagine” cover! It was arranged well and the voices sounded lovely.
Interesting record. Not at all what I thought id every listen to to be honest. As an american its just not on my radar at all. Middle Eastern like music isnt even something I consider. Its not really even that. North Africa actually. But the same kind of hallmarks of a desserty type thing. Maybe im just ignorant and I wouldn't be all the surprised to hear that. But I had a decent time. Not amazing but the long runtime didnt get to me. I was floored when we got an imagine cover. That was wild. El bab and El harba wine were my saves here. Didn't expect to get any. Pleasantly surprised at any at all. The rest were enjoyable enough but not too stand out. A decent bit of what I would like to 70s style ballads. Not my favorite thing in the world to begin with. Too long at the end of the day but still worth the listen
I wish I could find translations for the lyrics.
Lots of different types of pop represented here which I liked. A bit long though.
3.4 / 5 First things first, this kind of music isn't what I'm usually listening to, but I'm open for new impressions. Makes me think like I'm a bit of a hypocrat trying to judge this album without understanding a single word 😅 But I'll try my best. Both the singing and the music sound very atmospheric like you're being catapulted straight into another culture. Especially "Aalach Tloumouni" is pretty dynamic, other titles sound well executed, too. Now to the elephant in the room: the "Imagine" cover is two-sided for me. I honestly appreciate the multi-language approach to it, but I'm also part of the "John Lennon Hate Club". The album doesn't gain or lose anything by keeping or losing this song honestly. Apart from that, the musical execution is really good, the songs don't sound all the same which is already more than Bob Dylan can do. One thing I see a bit more critical is the song length with none being shorter than 3:55 minutes, but that might just be me being used to western music. All in all, "Kenza" is pretty solid. It sounds pretty intriguing, even with the language barrier in mind. Using different translators helped a bit though.
Not sure how to evaluate this album but half seems organic, half seems poppy and one is a John Lennon cover. Nice to discover a new genre of music (in this case rai which is Algerian). I will explore more.
What a unique album this was! I'm not at all familiar with the genre "rai" that this album fits into, but Wikipedia describes it as "Algerian folk music". It defies fitting into any "Western world" genre, but if I had to try, I'd say this is some kind of cross between folk, jazz, and pop. In addition to not knowing this genre, I didn't know the language either, but I didn't care -- I enjoyed this all the same!
50/100. At times charming, but often grating. It’s an interesting and culturally rich release, but ultimately not one I see myself returning to.
Given how much variety there is and how fresh it feels at the start, its amazing how fatigued I feel by the end. Could've been a banging 40 mins, especially if they cut Imagine.
Okay some of this is actually pretty nifty! However it's only some, and it really is just too long imo. Also shout out to Mele H'Bibti diving into drum n bass
This is my first time hearing any Algerian raï music, and it was a fun listen! I was expecting it to drag on me across its nearly hour and 20 minutes of runtime, but I found myself bopping along to it throughout. Definitely a worthwhile stop on this list!
I enjoyed a lot more of this than I thought I would! Like a lot of it sounded like songs that would be playing when movie protagonists get off a plane in a middle eastern desert town, but then a lot of it was fun pop vibes.
interesting
I remember this from when it was recently released. Holds up.
Yes?
The cover of imagine really threw me off
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Imagine I don't necessarily feel like this is bad per se, but it is incredibly hard to relate to. The musical style is not something I have more than a passing experience with, and even then, it would be confined to movies or other forms of visual media. Combine this with the fact that I have no experience with Arabic or French or French-Arabic (if this is even what Khaled is speaking), and so with the exception of one song (Imagine), I do not understand what is being sung. So, my review is exclusively based on the music. I do not know if Khaled is just singing, or if he's also playing instruments, or if the artist is part of a band, or even if the apparent instruments are even actual instruments (as opposed to purely digital, electronic music). Again, what I've heard so far isn't like, terrible. There's brass instruments, accordion (maybe), decent percussion, probably string/guitar, possibly wind instruments on some tracks and there's an (obvious) general Mediterranean vibe, which I like in some of the electronica music I do listen to (like Thievery Corporation and Morcheeba and Bitter:Sweet). What I could do without is an 1:18:00 runtime. Yea, this could easily be only 45 minutes and that would be more than enough.
Enjoyed it. Surprisingly poppy and it zips along with hardly a dud track apart from the Imagine cover.... Not sure i will return but glad I listened.
Not bad, I liked some of this. Imagine... no comment.
I am not used to this type of music but for a first I really liked it. Quite weird to add a cover of Imagine here 3/5
Good world/Arabic/French music. I wouldn't mind having this on on the background.
Kind of bangra sounding but apparently algerian folk, I didnt hate it. Highlight was the imagine cover
Þetta kom mér hressilega á óvart. Í upphafi bjóst ég við að ég myndi ekki þola svona söng sem jarmar en svo vann hann á og lögin voru bara hreint ekki slæm þótt hljóðfæraleikurinn sé pínulítið næntís með skemmtara en samt í bland við fleira.
3/5
At this point my criticism goes toward Dimery and his curation rather than Khaled. How is it possible this was the best he could include? It’s a 75-minute mishmash of different variations of what counts as “world music”. For Khaled, it’s perfectly fine: there’s some good material here, especially for sampling. It's nothing to write home about though. So why is this classified as a “must listen”? How did this make the cut, when there's so many glaring omissions across the different editions? Its inclusion really only shows Dimery’s limited knowledge of “world music,” which is also evident from several other "world music" picks that feel stereotypical or even performative in how "diverse" they are (see Ananda Shankar, Shalimar, etc.), often including subpar covers of Western hits. I feel that Dimery’s selections imply this is the best the “rest of the world” has to offer, yet it would be easy to pick 10 records that are not only better than this, but also that represent much better the diversity of cultures and sounds that exist beyond the UK/US music scene. Regarding the album, E’dir E’sseba and Gouloulha-Dji were great. The Imagine cover wasn’t good. The rest is a mixed bag, sometimes interesting but most of the songs tend to be overlong and repetitive. The funky moments are what worked best for me. It's upbeat and kinda fun, but way too long.
interesting album. this is the exact thing i love this project for. an artist i've never heard of singing a genre of music i am unfamiliar with in a language i can't speak. so fascinating. this one is fun to listen to for most of its runtime, and definitely pays deference to a lot of western music in the process. there are even musical nods to western songs (did i hear a reference to funkadelic at one point?). but because the album has a wide swatch of influence, it unfortunately is a bit of a mixed bag. sometimes it ends up working really well, and sometimes it sounds a bit awkward. khaled's cover of john lennon's imagine is a bit laughable. it's interesting and it's certainly not bad, but i almost wish it was more on its face algerian than it actually is.
pretty good easy listening
I want some hummus.
I didn't know what he was saying most of the time, but it was still fun.
This was fun, a left step from what we’ve had and, in a sense, been building up to this week. This type of music always amuses me, the fact that it’s (I believe) microtonal and so there’s notes that you don’t normally hear in western music is so cool. We never get those ones!! Lots of fun genres covered with some really cool grooves and just good music, the cover of imagine gave me a jolt. The album itself did drag on a bit, started feeling a bit bored towards the end. 3.8/5.0 Best Song: El Bab
It was a pretty fun album, I think it gets old pretty quickly, but it’s been a bit of a breath of fresh air and pretty different compared to most of the stuff we have listened to so far. He also looks hard as fuck on the album cover. El Harba Wine was my favourite
The first song was a banger. The cover of Imagine by John Lennon was pretty good. Despite having a language barrier, I didn’t hate this album.
Pretty fun. I like when random non-english stuff comes up I've never heard of though
Imagine by John Habibi Lebanon. "Aalach Tloumouni" kicks things off with a fun pop edge. The cover does its job. The photo is simple but the colours and typeface give it character. The Imagine theme fits the peace message, even if people love to hate on it. "Trigue Lycee" and "Ya Aachkou" were the surprise. A funky bassline under Arabic vocals should not work this well but it does. Then "E'Dir E'Seeba" drops in with a full disco pulse that is just flat out fun. The album drags a little at the end. That might be from not understanding the lyrics or some songs blending into each other. Still, it is an underrated record and the bias by some does not help. 7.5/10.
This was not a group that I had heard of before. Other than an oddly placed cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” it was Middle Eastern house music.
Just throwing up a mid review since I can't go off of anything
Wrote this one off before even pressing play. So glad I decided to give it a chance. Didn’t understand a word (besides the small amount of English), but bopped along. Catchy songs.
Okay, not my usual go to, so let’s see how I relate to this and how broad my spectrum really is! Didn’t give it the same attention I usually would. Quite poppy and similar throughout. Good groove and feel, but nothing mind blowing for me. For those not finding this on Spotify, it feels a good time to sing the praises of QOBUZ. A muso’s paradise - made for music lovers, by music lovers. Leave Spotify and its investment in AI weapons and find your home! Most these albums are within their Ideal Discography AND they have great recommendations and playlists. Okay, back to the album…got a bit bored by C’est La Nuit, but this was followed by Imagine and not quite sure how to sum that up. It’s….different? I can see it closing Arabic X factor as the credits roll… nice use of duet though. Maybe I’m not cultured enough to particularly value this. It’s good but it’s nothing special and something I would have never otherwise heard. So fair play. Personal bio pretty interesting too.
It was a fun listen. Very unique. I liked the rendition of Imagine.
This sounded pretty nice. I don’t think I’ll be getting too deeply into Algerian pop music, but Khaled has a great voice and this was a fine horizon expanding listen.
Hadn’t listened to a lot of Algerian music before, but there is a lot to like on this album, although not sure it is something I will return to often. Pretty good cover of “Imagine” Highlights: “C’est la nuit” and “Melha”
Great to hear something a little different, and I really liked this in places. However, some of the production is super dated and cheesy - there are bits that sound like a late-90s Spice Girls B-side. It's also way too long, and did we really need another version of 'Imagine'?
The language barrier is the most obvious problem I have with this album. It’s my own fault for not being able to understand it, but it limits how I can appreciate the songs and makes my criticisms one dimensional. That being said, the music was very uplifting. I found myself moving to the beat with a smile on my face on a number of the songs. The cover of Imagine threw me for a loop, for sure. Overall, it has a funky beat and I can really bug out it.
How can the inclusion of this album be anything other than cultural tokenism? Let’s put in a middle eastern album to make the list more global? Distasteful at best. Who am I to say if this is any good? What do I know about music of this culture? I may as well be ranking Mongolian Throat Singing or a Scottish Bagpipe album. If I knew anything at all, I’d chime in. But I’m just a tourist in these parts and I’m not going to apply my musical standards and tastes to a something from a place with completely different expectations, styles or standards. I’ll stay in my lane here, keeping right down the middle because I don’t know any better and neither do you, if you’re being honest. I also won’t award points, overpraise or grade on a curve because it “sounds different”. I doubt that this is an album I needed to hear before I died. At least it’s not another Nico album.
Never thought I'd listen to an Arabic album, let alone actually enjoy it....yet here i sit. This was great, many of the songs felt like they had a Latin vibe with middle Eastern flair. Very different (to me), and very cool. Coolest of all is the great version of Imagine, fitting rendition of a song about a world where we all live in harmony. Will I ever listen to this again? Maybe, good background music, but likely not. Nevertheless I enjoyed this quite a bit.
Some catchy songs and a surprising variety of genres
A strong 3. Oke baiiii
Rating: 6/10 A lot of very catchy songs, too long though.
Cool style, but the choice of songs to cover was weak.
Must have been a blast live. Too long though.
Listenable for something a bit different.
Can’t help but enjoy it by the end
This is pretty cool. It's not something I'm going to listen to all the time, but it's pretty damn good, if not overlong. The songs are interesting compositionally, and though I do think it starts to drag a bit, I found myself engaged throughout. I think it's strongest when it leans into the traditional sounds, and less effective when it strays into a poppy, almost merengue style. Three well deserved stars, I'd give this 3.5 if I could, but it just doesn't quite meet the standards of 4 stars.
Lively beat and very different style of music than I have ever listened to before. I enjoyed how different this was from everything else I have heard through this project.
3 - pretty good
honestly the beats are kinda unmatched lol favorite song from the album: Aalach Tloumouni
Not my type but its not bad
Algerian, Ali baba 1999, has it all, biggest arab El harba wine Imagine
Well that’s North African music meeting western pop. And it isn’t half bad. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to it this morning. With no preconceptions it was just a fun listen. 3.5 Stars
I had no idea what to expect from this but I enjoyed listening to this one. Kind of poppy, kind of funky...nice.
This was a good palate cleanser. Although I understand none of lyrics the vibes do not lie. The production on this was gas. There are few iffies on here no doubt but I enjoyed listening to this. 3.50/5
The cover of "Imagine" was a disgrace to my ears, but the rest wasn't bad.
I'm not going to pretend I know anything about Khaled, how he has sold as many records as UB40, is basically king of Middle Eastern pop music, and uhhhhhh yeah that's all I could find out about him. Glad to see this list isn't just euro/american-centric. I love hearing music from countries that most of us fellow American cannot find on a map (I can find Algeria on a map though, it has a distinct shape). Let's hear it: It's interesting to hear a lot of western influence on this record, while still maintaining the Rai identity: at points on this album you can hear R&B, blues, latin, even some 90s electronic touches on it. There's like maybe one line in English, on the Imagine cover, while most of the songs are in Arabic save for one or two in French. Khaled is definitely a very good, powerful singer. I think it's important to hear from artists like Khaled to truly understand music as a global art form, rather than our skewed perspective on it from Western Culture (which in turn, was influenced from Eastern Culture a very long time ago, I digress). Is it truly "must hear before you die?", I mean I don't know his other records, and whether or not they were more influential perhaps if they were in Algeria or among the Arab-French community, but this is at least a good example of Rai and Middle Eastern pop music for us Western, typically English speaking folk to get a grasp of his music. It's good to step outside your comfort zone in music, it's something I don't see enough when people listen to music. Did I enjoy this album? Kind of. I'm very appreciative to hear it, it partially matches my own music sensibilities, but a record like this goes to more of the curious music hobbyists. You might not be let down to hear this.
I found myself tapping my toes to the music. No, that Imagine cover is like an odd karaoke thing. Seems like a well constructed pop album for 1999. His voice doesn't seem that strong.
Musica araba, orecchiabile
Parts of this were super interesting, but some were also very meh
That was a pretty cool. I heard a bunch of Proto drum and bass and other influences they wouldn't normally expect when they composer of that era in that language.
This was very fun for the first two songs and C'Est La Nuit was incredibly sweet and wistful. Things took a downturn with his version of Imagine (inevitably, as I don't like the song itself) and the rest were quite samey for the most part, but Raba-Raba and Derwiche Tourneur were great.
I wish I had taken the time to look up lyric translations as that might have affected the rating, but oh well.
I found myself quite enjoying the vibe, but the Imagine cover version should never have happened. There are some songs you just don't touch.
The first track on this album was a BANGER. I really love the rhythms of this genre, definitely moving my head to the beat on a lot of tracks. Others felt well-executed by extraordinary generic in their approach.
I had fun listening to this. Not something I would have found on my own which is what I hope for every time. The album is at its best when it is indulging its funky, soulful tendencies, or embracing its North African heritage. The cover of Imagine is just bad, sorry. Lennon barely made that song work. He primarily got away with it simply because he was John Lennon. Anyone else who sings that song will always call more attention to its faults. The "Raï" sound is pretty cool, for the periods where it's not smothered by cheesy 90s style production and instrumentation. Khaled has a really nice voice but he is straying into boyband territory with too great a regularity for me to want to listen to this again. This is more of a problem with the front half of the album but it is such a big turn off that it spoils the whole thing for me a little bit. The whole thing runs on slightly too long as well. Overall, I'm glad I heard it but I doubt I will be returning or seeking out any more of Khaled's albums.
Bastante graciosete
Pretty enjoyable! Until imagine lol Dug the Arabic singing
My ignorant opinion is that it sounds like a Bollywood soundtrack with a varied mix of influences. Western and otherwise. The truth is I'm probably only noticing the eccentric similarities between the Indian ragas and the middle eastern maqamat. Music nerds will appreciate that rabbit hole. This is my first time listening to the genre with intent, and I felt a little bit let down by the incredibly broad influence. I was hoping for something with more of its own culture, but ended up with a LOT of '90s technology advancement production techniques, influences from all over the world, a lot of western culture, but a lot of latin influence as well. A bit of digging, and that's a recent standard for the genre. I felt moments where the influence was stronger than the talent or the understanding of the base, just to really pull it off. I can appreciate the Algerian people can be exposed to these other influences, but I'm not sure it was a necessary listen for me with my general knowledge of music. OR, maybe this is one of the most solid renditions of the genre in modern times. We need some contrast to understand better. There's a couple of really good songs that stand firm on their own. There's a lot I could do without. The "Imagine" cover is something I can appreciate being reinvented in any language, but only for the benefit of others, you know? I'm not the one needing it. 2.7/5
It's pretty good. I couldn't understand anything, but it was different. Favourite Track(s): E'Dir E'Sseba Least Favourite Track(s): Imagine
I'm glad I was exposed to the style. I probably won't listen to it again, but it was worth doing once. And unlike everyone else here, I actually liked the cover of Imagine
I always enjoy hearing more world music. This was fun.
This is probably the furthest out of my musical realm of 99 albums so far. I've never heard, or heard of Rai music. The Imagine cover surprised me. I will almost certainly never listen to this again but that doesn't mean it wasn't somewhat enjoyable!
Enjoyed it. Surprisingly poppy and it zips along with hardly a dud track apart from the Imagine cover.... Not sure i will return but glad I listened.
Kenza He’s sold 80 million albums! Shows how anglo-centric my music knowledge is. I’m not sure what to make of it. I know nothing of Raï, but reading about it apparently this is an ‘accessible’ album with elements of western pop, reggae, funk etc. Without knowing his back catalogue or the context I don’t know how accurate that is, but it does feel like those western elements are pretty generic and with the production and playing feeling very very professional polished session musician the whole thing feels like it has been pulled in a very MOR direction - the wah on Trigue Lycee, the bad funk of E’dir E’sseba, the salsa of Gouloulha-Dji - and feels much the worse for it. And let’s not speak of the cover of Imagine (although it's certainly not the worst version I’ve heard) I assume the intention was to make a crossover album and it may not be a reflection of Raï and his other records, but that polished, cheesy sound does take away from the best bits; the vocal melodies, the North African strings and the traditional instruments, as on Aâlach Tioumini or Ya Aâchkou, that sneak their way in amongst the 5 string basses and keyboards. And it works best for me on what I assume is the most traditional sounding song, Mele H’bibti. I’m glad this came up as it's a genre I’d never heard of and I’m interested in finding out a bit more about it and Khaled too, but I’m uncertain how to rate it. I’m reluctant to give it a 2 due to ignorance of him and the genre, but the cheesiness of the western elements, and its length does put it in that area. However I think there’s enough in the good bits to make me think about listening again, so I think I’ll just sneak it to a low 3. 💎💎💎 Playlist submission: Mele H’bibti
This is a 3+ for me. I can't really get past the Arabic (and French, and ?) lyrics, but the music is really interesting.
Nice to have some variation from all the rock music. I mean Imagine was a surprise but in general this was reasonable
Cool vibe. Not something I'd seek out often but enjoyed it.
Pretty eclectic album, some good funky moments. Worst part: cheesy Imagine cover. Overall, a good listen.
The beats and instruments are very good. Unfortunately I don’t speak the language that the songs are written in, so I’m sure I’m missing a lot, but pleasant to listen to. The cover of Imagine was quite good
Exposure to something new! C'est la Nuit and El Bab went right onto the 1001 Keepers playlist. Some songs just went buy without grabbing much interest. This is a three for me, but really glad I heard it.
Not bad
There's just something about Middle Eastern music that brightens my mood. I don't know what it is, but I like it.
I just couldn’t get into the style but appreciated the complexity of the compositions.
I love northern African music, the mesmerizing rhythms of the desert. According to Wikipedia, this genre is “rai.” Khaled (not to be confused with the current DJ Khaled, which I was guilty of,) Khaled is Algerian and sings in Arabic and French. Some numbers had me swaying my hips and shaking my shoulders, channeling some sort of long-ago heritage that knows these sounds. Unfortunately, Khaled went a little too crossover for my taste here on a number of tracks, most egregiously on a terrible cover of “Imagine.” His dancefloor numbers are infectious; the rest didn’t distinguish itself to me.
It's fun. I like fun. However, a cover of "Imagine" automatically drops this album a bit. Would buy on CD though
I enjoyed this. Lots of great funky grooves. Like a lot of albums from the CD era it's probably about 15-20 minutes too long, though. Throw this on at your next family function to piss off your MAGA relatives.
My mom used to have C'est la nuit and Aicha on a CD which she took on every road trip. This sounds like being 6 years old to me. The imagine cover was silly, but some of these I like. They all blend and can be a bit cheesy and repetitive. However, it's good mood music on the post part. El Bab was my favourite. Not good for every mood but I liked it. 2.5/3
Impossible to give this any other score. It's all over the bloody place. It's way too long and incoherent but has a lot of interesting tracks most of which I can't remember apart from Trigue Lycee and El. Aadyene. The Imagine cover was a particular low point and made no bloody sense.
Not my usual genre but enjoyable. I liked “Imagine”.
On one hand, I appreciated this record, and the tunes are good. On the other, it was way too long.
Don't have enought background in arab world pop to know where this stands, but certainly is pretty to listen to, with some tight oud? breaks and other nice scalar touches with that wild half steppy singing these folks are so good at.
Not a fan
Nice pop songs.
moderately enjoyable 👍 prob won’t become a khaled stan or anything but it was a fun listen
Not bad but nothing stood out to me
There's something I like about music where I don't know what they are saying (well, the French I know hehe). It feels nice to break away from all the English stuff And anybody who covers Imagine is cool in my books. I really love that song
I was not a fan of the covers. Perhaps a cultural bias.
Really fun! But I know I won't seek this out again 3
Nice music but not something I would probably listen to again
I really like African music.
It's ok, but honestly it just feels like mid pop with an Algerian twang
Good
Interesting album! Fun to hear something oriental to break the tedium. There are definitely some gems in here. I particularly liked the two few opening tracks, and especially ’Melha’ which was the top song of the album. Between the highs it definitely turned quite low at some times, with the absolute low point being the Imagine cover. Talk about meme material. Overall I was excited at first, but in the end it didn’t really continue to deliver like it set out to in the beginning.
Hard to judge a style of music you are very unfamiliar with. I enjoyed this though! Felt funky and fun. The electronic influences on "Derwiche Tourneur" stood out at something special, a bit rave-like. Strong 3.
Had zero expectations but was still surprised by the pop sensibilities and big horns on many of the songs - mixing with what seems like more traditional elements. A bit cheesy in parts but a nice mix up from the usual.
3-
Bra men kanske inte himlastormande. Mest minnesvärd är covern på Imagine och det säger väl något. Trea
Good 70s Middle Eastern music, but with some unnecessary covers.
I was so ready to rate this low but dammit if it didn't have me bouncing and vibing. Certainly not an everyday type of music for me but today it worked well enough to gain a star.
This is my first step into bodega/quik mart music. And I have to say, I liked it. Im not sure Ill reach for this anytime soon because as of lately for world music Im fixated on French standards. But, when the time is right Ill delve and explore. That being said, the imagine cover wasnt that bad. Its the song right before imagine. "C'est la nuit". Totally creepy sex pest vibes. In TWO languages. Yuck.
This album was surprisingly catchy. I was expecting something that sounded very regional and traditional, but it's actually a mixture of pop, chanson, and northern african music. Pretty good. Key tracks: Aâlach Tloumouni El Harba Wine C'est la Nuit
Upbeat music that is good to work to. Would listen to some songs again. Lame I couldn't find it on any streaming platforms.
Hieman erikoinen sekoitus covereita länkkäribiiseistä sekä algerialaisia kappaleita. 3/5
Arabiaaan nightsss. Плюс вайб за то, что песни на арабском, а не на инглише, меня скоро начнёт от него тошнить. Культурное разнообразие эт хорошо. А чего, вторая песня вроде даже качает. Ну такое,на троечку, ибо мне пока что не дано проникнуться арабскими песнями
2 good songs, the rest I wouldn’t want to listen to again
This was a fine record. I've never heard of Khaled before but I've heard his more traditional Rai stuff is great so I'll spin that sometime. He's a great singer and there's a good mix of languages and styles here. The biggest issue was the implementation of more western pop elements that come off cheesy more than anything. This is obviously from a more american perspective so it might work for some folks. I know France is guilty of this too. But yeah, I'd like to look into more Rai so I can have a better informed opinion. But cool stuff!
Too long. I was done with it halfway through. And I could do without the extra-sappy cover of Imagine. Otherwise ok. 2.5
This wasn't available on Spotify.
I liked it. Not the easiest of the international albums to listen too. It never seemed to flow right. But, there are some fun songs on here and I appreciated it being included. 3/5 Might listen again
Había escuchado algunas bandas sonoras argelinas pero nunca me había acercado al pop de este país, el Raï. Me he llevado una sorpresa tremenda con este disco, que está plagado de funk e, incluso, toques de música latina. Además, tiene una versión en árabe de Imagine. Tremendo carisma. 3'5/5
There must be better arabic-styled music out there that is better than this? Feels like a mediocre addition to a list crowded with western rock. Other than that, vibed with Khaled
It's refreshing to hear an album from the non-Anglo world. I think it is the first Arabic album on this challenge and I liked the sound and the mix of Algerian and French singing. It is interesting to know what pop music sounds like in the other part of the world. The album is too long, however, which is almost 80 minutes long (it was typical in the late 90s/early 00s CD era).
5/10… average pop / world music
𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘻𝘢 is an enjoyable listen, filled with Khaled’s warm voice and infectious melodies. The album blends traditional raï with pop and global sounds, creating a smooth and accessible vibe. However, without deeper knowledge of raï or other Maghreb pop artists, it’s hard for me to fully place this album in context or appreciate its impact within the genre. It sounds good, but I don’t yet have the comparisons to say how special it really is. A solid introduction — nothing more, nothing less.
It's really fascinating that that's what pop music sounds on the other side of the ocean. I loved the guy's voice and the instrumentation. Some songs had some really kickass strings and others had some kickass synths. The one major problem that brings it down for me is how bloated it is. This album could've been 30 minutes long and be near perfect. Instead it's 78 and drags towards the end. Don't be me, listen to this in two sittings.
ngl didn’t see that arabic “imagine” cover coming
This was fun as hell. I was about to give it a 2 after the first couple of melodramatic tracks but then he dropped an english cover of Imagine and I was on board. Maybe if I looked at the lyrics it would rate higher, but the vibes were great. 3 Stars.
Interesting to listen to
Probably good. I have no point of reference really. He seems like an Algerian Marc Anthony maybe? It started out as a good enough dance album. Then he did an awful cover of Imagine. And then some songs got crooner-y and sentimental. I have some Indian friends who love him.
It was alright. Background music for a döner shop
This is the grooviest world music I have heard so far on the 1001 list. I am not sure what specific aspects of the album make it great, but I enjoyed the overall vibe. It seemed like a late 70's soundtrack in a good way. Quite fun.
Couldn't find it to rate it.
Couldn't find the album but liked the songs i could find
Kenza not available on Spotify, so this rating is for a general playlist of Khaled's music.
Not my normal listening fair, but it was alright, kinda catchy. I especially like the song "C'est la nuit"
Actually quite nice. Very cultural. Idk what language it is but i assume arabic. Sometimes they sing in French or a bit of English here and there. Impressive vocals and an interesting listen. The cover of imagine is a nice touch. 3/5
I thought it was pretty interesting at first, but that faded as it went. I also thought it was longer than necessary. A fun listen, though! 3.5
124/1089 - Neat! I'm completely unfamiliar with this, excited to listen. After listening, it's pretty westernized (drum beats mostly except for one of the last songs) and kinda doesn't go anywhere. Good voice though.
I liked the groove of this one, except for the Imagine cover, as others have mentioned. Maybe not something I'd listen to regularly, but I enjoyed it.
Couldn’t get this album but liked his other stuff
Unfortunately do not understand Arabic but there was range shown in the music on the different tracks and this guy seems pretty talented. Won’t re-listen, but was a good once through and was definitely different than anything I have had yet
I love the variation on this record in terms of content, tone, and language. The Arabic stuff still hits the hardest. Did not care for his John Lennon cover. I’ll come back to it. Rai is a cool genre I wasn’t aware of beforehand.
Interesting album , at least what I heard on YouTube since it wasn’t on Spotify. The version of Imagine was great.
This sounds good, I like it even though obviously I don't understand the lyrics as I don't speak arabic. Fuck "Imagine" though, this may have been 4 stars if not for that. With this not on Spotify, I'm not sure if I listened to it 100%, but definitely got enough of the songs to count it in my book.
I generally don't listen to any Middle Eastern music, it reminds me too much of the background music in M.E. restaurant. The first time through I wasn't too focused on the songs and rode it off as something I didn't care for, but I listened to it a second time (usually if I can't figure out an opinion) and it was better. It's a fun listen for what it is and there was much to like, or at least, it was enjoyable enough to listen to it all. Still not my style, but this could be worth exploring more, in a proper state of mind.
Favorite Track: Aalach Tloumouni
3.5
The fact that this is on here is so funny puts it up to a 2, the imagine cover makes it a 3 but I couldn’t finish the album because it’s an hour twenty long so who knows it could’ve been a 5 star
This album isn’t on Spotify. But since I don’t speak Arabic what’s it matter? I listened to another one. He’s like the Algerian Bad Bunny.
ekki fyrir mig, vakti þó upp skemmtileg hugrenningartengsl. er blanda af norður-afrískri/miðjarðarhafstónlist og raftónlistartrommutöktum tímabilsins. ábyggilega gott til síns brúks en lítill heimstónlistarmaður.
It’s fair to say I didn’t have high hopes for this - nearly an hour and twenty minutes of Algerian pop, with an average rating of around 2.5 on the site. However, it comfortably exceeded those hopes. It’s not great by any stretch, but it’s also not bad at all. I suppose the 2.5 score is probably about right, as it is very ok, but I’m going on the high side of it.
Pretty cool, the mix was very interesting. Glad to be exposed to it.
I think I tend to rate things too high when they're in genres I'm unfamiliar with. I read a couple of the other reviews and one referred to it as "standard issue for all cab drivers" which is hilarious and very accurate. Very enjoyable listen but not something that I'd regularly come back to.
Reminds me of when I spent too much time hanging in my friend's uncle's Moroccan bar. They loved Cheb Khaled there.
Fun songs with a neat middle east flavor, however the style of singing isn't something I've really been exposed to and feels like a taste I haven't acquired
Pretty chill honestly. Why did he do imagine though hahaha
Definitely a genre of heard in various kebab or middle eastern sweet shops. Like a few other people, I preferred it when it went less euro pop, although that's not what Khaled and presumably his audience wanted, and raises lots of questions about authenticity and who values it. Anyway, interesting enough and had a few good songs, do gets a 3.
It’s alright, and I like that it’s different from the others on the list. I still don’t get that much out of it, though, and it’s only on YouTube, which doesn’t lower my rating but still.
Another album not on Apple Music. Listened on YouTube and I’ll never listen to it voluntarily again but I did enjoy it. “Imagine” was a surprise and as most “Imagine” covers, well done.
2.5/5 Pleasantly surprised by this album. Not an album I would buy or listen to in my free time, but it does put a smile on my face. First Arabic album I ever listened to. It has a lot of variety, from more classic Arabic to pop and almost electronic music. I forgive him for ruining imagine, because the rest of the album was good. Favourite song: - Ya Aachkou
Vet hoor. Niet helemaal mijn ding. Maar wel top
Very chill album, though it was very long. Wish I knew more of why this was chosen to be on this list. It sold well enough, but I wouldn't consider this an unknown gem or anything.
Pre-listening thoughts: once again always skeptical of the world submissions on this list. But hey, if nothing else, they’re a starting point since this is a genre I never really seek out. Post/during listening thoughts: well this isn’t on Spotify and I can’t even really find a good version on YouTube but the few tracks I was able to find are lowkey really gas. Actually bummed this isn’t on Spotify. Why the fuck is there an imagine cover shoehorned into this album. 6.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: prolly not Fav tracks: see idk if I’ve even got the right track names on these janky ass YouTube videos bro 😭 whatever Least fav tracks:
Every now and then, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die throws in a record from outside the usual focal points, i.e. America, the UK, Europe. Sometimes these selections turn out to be hidden gems that expand your musical worldview. Other times, they feel like obligatory inclusions, as if someone flipped through an atlas and thought, We need more from [insert region here]. Khaled’s Kenza, released in 1999, lands somewhere in the middle. It didn’t feel like a revelation, the kind of album that reshaped my listening habits, but it had enough compelling moments to make it worth the time at leas t once. The opener, Aâlach Tloumouni, immediately stands out, Trigue Lycee is a highlight, and Mele H’bibti is genuinely thrilling. The album’s most criticized moment is the cover of Imagine, and while the song itself is forgettable, the linguistic mix—sung in Hebrew and Algerian—is the more interesting takeaway. In 1999, a more optimistic time, this must have felt like a symbolic gesture. But in hindsight, it’s hard to see how either artist benefited beyond reinforcing their existing audiences. What ultimately holds Kenza back is its balancing act between authenticity and accessibility. Raï, a genre born in Algeria that blends Arabic, French, and Berber influences with jazz, funk, and rock, has always thrived on fusion. But here, the pop and funk elements feel more like a play for Western attention than a natural evolution of the sound. There’s still plenty to enjoy, but it’s not the landmark Raï album I need to be listening to. Still infinitely better than DJ Khaled.
The first track set the standard so high, then this went on sounding like early 90s “adult contemporary” pop and never recovered.
Could not find
Good overall. Didn’t know a word that was said. Sounds like a turn of the century album. Difficult to find the tracklist on YouTube.
This album was a nice surprise. A little long and a bit cheesy in some spots. I'd listen to it again. Loved the voice and intonation.
Tricky to rate! There were some bits I really enjoyed, and I liked the overall vibe - but some bits were pretty ordinary and felt dated. Mele Hebibti was my favourite. Imagine was a cover I never knew I didn't need! From the perspective of needing to listen to it before I die - I'm happy I heard it.
Couldn’t really find a whole lot of this one, but I liked what I heard! The second song especially was great. But I’m not really sure how to rate it, not having been able to listen to the whole thing, so I guess I’m just gonna go with 3/5? It’s definitely not something I’d listen to often, but fun every now and then? Sooo…
Interesting album, not really something that I would want to listen to regularly, but the production was very good.
Just too long and too poppy. But not bad, the songs with more maghrebi instrumentation being the best here. Just feels like peak CD era with that bonus track.
Good album with tons of strings and different instruments and some catchy rhythms.
Tässä oli paikoin upea meno! Juhlat! Hieman sillisalaatti, esim. Imagine-coveria en ihan tajunnut, mutta toisaalt aloin odottaa, mitä tulee seuraavaksi. B-puolella pidot parani. Jopa 4?
Artisti kokee itsensä pop-tähdeksi. Hyvä niin: biisit ovat hallittuja, päämäärätietoisia ja tarttuvia. Mikä tärkeintä: ne hymyilyttävät. Kakkosraidan duetto voittaa puolelleen, ja esimerkiksi Melha-kappaletta hyräilee mukana jo kuuntelun aikana. Levyn negatiiviset puolet ovat siloiteltu tuotanto sekä artistille ominainen makeilevuus (sinkkubiisi.., Imagine..??). Ihan kaikki raidat eivät uppoa. LP on silti kaiken kaikkiaan kokonaisuus, joka kannattaa kuunnella, ja jonka kuuntelen joskus uudelleen. 3,5
Kenza wasn't on Spotify so I listed go Khaled instead. Honestly a fun little album. I enjoyed it.
there is a lot of good here, but also just a lot period. It runs long. but it makes up for that runtime with enough good tracks. At the end of the day its just not for me, although that Imagine cover was pretty good.
If this would have been a tight 40 it would have been a 5. But the longer it went on the less I enjoyed it and at an hour 18 I’ll never return to it. Which is a shame because there’s good stuff all over the album but holy shit dude someone needs to tell you No every once in a while
Maybe not the most cohesive album - the Imagine cover threw me - but a good listen nonetheless!!
I thought this was a cool new genre that I haven't explored before but Imagine is a bad song
Hard to find but cool when I did
Wow what a whirlwind! Did not see the Beatles cover coming. What an array of styles. A bit of fun. Would I go back for more? No probably not. But it was impressively energetic and varied
I enjoyed this. I found it a bit cheesy in places, wasn't a fan of the Imagine cover, it was too much. But overall it was enjoyable.