Zeyne joins Quartertones after her performance at XP Air and discusses her journey from being too shy to share her voice to becoming an artist who finds empowerment in letting her art out. She reflects on the influences of her family who instilled in her a love for music, Arab culture, and the Palestinian cause. Growing up taking vocal and piano lessons Zeyne shares that she only recently started writing lyrics, having previously focused on composing. The conversation delves into the unique power and cultural significance of Dabke, which she considers underrated. She asserts that her generation of Arab artists is more daring and edgy in delivering messages, marking a new wave in Arabic music that is honest and empowering. She speaks about the importance of reclaiming the Arab narrative and using art as a form of social justice. Finally, she shares the story behind her song "Bali" from her album Awda, a track that was intensely personal and helped unlock a creative block.
This episode was recorded on December 4, 2025
Explore XP Air 👉 https://www.instagram.com/xpmusicfutures/
0:00 Introduction
1:35 Sharing Her Voice Pre-COVID
3:27 How An Early Producer Encouraged Her To Write Her Own Music
5:17 From Composer to Lyricist: Finding Her Voice in Writing
6:57 Why She Hid Her Singing Talent Growing Up
7:31 Vocal Lessons as a Holy Place
8:45 Parental Influences: Music, Culture, and the Palestinian Cause
11:22 Dabke: Underrated, Essential, and Rich in Culture
13:42 Reclaiming Our Narrative
14:39 Navigating the Music Industry's Reputation
16:56 Family Support
17:55 Camaraderie and the New Wave of Arab Artists
19:49 The Story Behind "Bali" and the Awda Album
Zeyne first burst onto the music scene in early 2021 with her debut single "Minni Ana" and two years later, her body of work has garnered over 48 million streams. As an ambassador for Equal Arabia, her influence extends beyond music, lighting up Times Square and championing important causes through her artistry and public presence. Her groundbreaking debut on the renowned COLORS show with "Ma Bansak" marked her as the first female artist from the Levant to appear on this global platform. In 2025, she went on The Golden-Hour Run, which included a landmark performance at OffLimits Festival in the UAE, as well as two major stadium appearances as a special guest on Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour in Qatar and Bahrain with a total number of attendees of 65,000.
Connect with Zeyne 👉 https://instagram.com/zeyne
Hosted by Mikey Muhanna
Connect directly with Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns
FOLLOW & RATE THE QUARTERTONES:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-quartertones/id1646407556
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/26VHvC6yVOxlRFjeOts6uf
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639452
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7FiLcdH_iSgv4RiXEy4GAh
FOLLOW & RATE THE QUARTERTONES PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-quartertones/id1646407556
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/26VHvC6yVOxlRFjeOts6uf
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639452
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7FiLcdH_iSgv4RiXEy4GAh
ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
