It’s release day. “Yelba’li El Abyad,” the surprise duet between our national diva Haifa Wehbe and Palestinian sensation Saint Levant, dropped on July 10 — and the announcement alone set social media ablaze.
Last weekend, the two artists paraded through the streets of Cairo on a flower-lined float worthy of a wedding procession: Haifa, in a lavish bridal gown, and Saint Levant (real name Marwan Abdelhamid), in a crisp white suit. On the side of the vehicle, a mysterious date: July 10. Fans did their detective work, and the verdict came in: this wasn’t a wedding, it was a single announcement. The title, which roughly translates to “white suits me,” fits the staging perfectly.
The chemistry didn’t come out of nowhere. Back in February, a video of the pair singing “Nari Nari Nari,” Saint Levant’s hit, went viral — followed by a bouquet of roses from the young singer, which Haifa acknowledged with a thank-you on her Instagram story. Enough to fuel months of speculation.
On paper, everything separates them: she, the Lebanese icon who has ruled the scene since “Houwa El-Zaman” in 2002; he, the rising voice of alternative Arab music, known for blending R&B, hip-hop, and Arabic rhythms — and for wearing his Palestinian identity proudly. It’s precisely this clash of generations and worlds that makes the project irresistible.
Unlikely duo or stroke of genius? One thing is certain: this July 10, the whole Arab world will press play at the same time. Us first.
