The line outside of Newark Symphony Hall last Friday night spanned three blocks, with fans anxiously awaiting to catch a glimpse of the queen of Arab pop music. A sense of immense excitement and eagerness felt palpable as concertgoers entered the venue. Many of them had traveled from beyond the New York/New Jersey area just to witness a cultural icon perform live.
Once inside the theater, the sold-out crowd of predominantly Arab attendees from across the northeast U.S. collectively gasped and cheered at the sight of Nancy Ajram wearing a shimmering silver dress as she took the stage.
The singer acutely understands what her artistry and her music mean to people. Speaking backstage after performing the first stop of her world tour, Ajram explains that each live performance for her fans remains “special” for her.
“Throughout the years, my fans have grown with me,” she says. “We’ve all evolved together, creating memories along the way, yet the bond between us remains as strong as ever. It continues to grow, and that connection is something I truly cherish.”
Only a handful of artists globally can contend with the breadth of the Lebanese icon’s remarkable musical career, enduring fame, and indelible pop culture impact. Those who are familiar with Ajram often compare her to the likes of Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Or just ask Billie Eilish, who earlier this month, in an interview with ELLE, name-checked Ajram unprompted — for the second time publicly — as one of her “favorite singers.”
Since entering the public spotlight at eight years old, singing on local Lebanese television, Ajram has remained ingrained in the collective consciousness of the region and its diaspora communities around the world. She has delivered a string of best-selling albums and hit songs, like “Ah w Noss” and “Ya Tabtab Wa Dallaa,” that continue to be played at festivals, weddings, and any gathering of any kind. (The latter song came in at Number Two on Rolling Stone‘s ranking of the best Arabic pop songs of the 21st century.)
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One of the few Arab artists who has broken through beyond Arabic speakers, Ajram has had high-profile collaborations with Western artists as well, most notably with K’naan for the 2010 FIFA World Cup song “Wavin’ Flag” and Marshmello for their high octane 2022 track “Sah Sah”, the first Arabic-language song to ever enter the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic chart.
“What sets her apart and makes her truly shine is her versatility, coupled with her attentiveness to how the music industry, the audience, and the world in general are evolving,” says Mahmoud Sultan, an A&R at Believe who has provided artist services to Ajram and other musicians across the Middle East and North Africa.
After releasing her first studio album, Mihtagalak, in 1998 at age 15, Ajram broke through in an undeniable way just five years later with her standout single “Akhasmak Ah,” from her album Ya Salam, immediately catapulting her to superstardom in the Middle East and North Africa.
She has since gone on to release 11 studio albums, including her latest project, Nancy 11, released in 2025. In addition to record-breaking album sales, the singer consistently remains among the most-streamed artists on Spotify, YouTube, and the Middle Eastern streaming platform Anghami.
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Her artistry expands far beyond her discography, and has had lasting impacts on the Arabic music industry, particularly for Arab women singers. Ajram established her own independent record label, In2Musica, in 2008 ahead of the release of her album Betfakkar Fi Eih, a move designed to give her “creative freedom.”
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“I didn’t want to be limited by others’ expectations or constraints,” Ajram explains. “Starting my own label gave me the space to express my artistic vision and allowed me to grow as an artist without limitations.”
She worked closely with Oscar-nominated Lebanese director Nadine Labaki for some of her early music videos, portraying strong feminist protagonists in these videos as a direct challenge to the previous sexist and outdated portrayals of women in Arab pop videos.
“We aimed to create something empowering, something that reflected the strength, independence, and complexity of women,” Ajram says. “Our collaboration was more than just about music. It was about redefining how women should be seen in media and embracing every facet of their emotions and situations, unapologetically.”
Her music has continued to resonate across generations of fans and, in particular, young women and girls for whom Ajram is a role model. The audience in Newark reflected this diverse age range, with toddlers, grandmothers, and everyone in between in attendance.
Ajram, herself the mother of three daughters, welcomes and embraces this role and sees it as integral to her identity. Her album discography includes two children’s albums, which she made for her younger fans. During her concert in Newark, the singer welcomed little girls one by one up on stage while she performed and took pictures with them in the middle of her set.
“I’ve always loved the world of children,” Ajram says. “There’s something so pure about them. The way they love so freely, express their feelings, and live in a world of their own. It’s something I admire. Of course, becoming a mother made me connect with this world even more. I’ve lived it, and it has given me a deeper appreciation for it in ways I never imagined.”
Her tour comes at a particularly precarious time for her home country. Lebanon has been in the crosshairs of war for close to three years, with the destruction of its southern region and the forced displacement of more than one million people destabilizing the small Mediterranean country.
Many Arab pop singers have delayed releasing any new music, and some outright canceled live performances until further notice. Ajram, meanwhile, decided to move forward with her tour as a way to bring some sense of cathartic joy for Lebanese people and other Arabs who have felt so much trauma and pain.
The singer believes that her community and her people deserve happiness and deserve to live their lives fully. “It’s been heartbreaking to witness the struggles in Lebanon, but I refuse to let sadness define us,” she says passionately. “What I’ve learned is that there are moments that, once gone, never come back, and in those moments, we must choose hope over despair. From the deepest sadness, love and hope can be born through art, through music, and through the unity of the people. I try to show the world that despite everything, Lebanon is still here and will continue to create and inspire.”
The Lebanese are a prideful people and see themselves in Ajram. They recognize her place in the country’s musical history, one that includes the living legend Fairuz. Throughout the evening in Newark, fans waved Lebanese flags of all sizes, celebrating the fact that their country produced a larger-than-life figure who has defined Arab pop music in the 21st century.
For Ajram, being Lebanese goes far beyond a simple marker of ethnic identity. “My music, my presence, my identity…they all reflect my love for my country,” she says. “It’s not just about personal success; it’s about showing the world that Lebanon is still standing strong, still capable of producing great things, and that we can continue to create beauty and joy. My music is my way of spreading hope, love, and positivity, and showing that no matter what, Lebanon is alive in us.”
For an artist who has achieved a great deal and set a standard for artists in the Middle East and North Africa, Ajram looks to her fans to keep her motivated to push herself creatively. She has delved into the ever-changing trends in pop music consistently in her career, most notably on Nancy 11 with the trap-infused song “Ana Tbaani?” and the Afropop-inspired “Aala Elmi”.
That ability to change and adapt, without straying away from the core of what has made her successful, has given Ajram longevity over the course of her career.
“I’m no longer afraid to try new things or express what I truly feel,” Ajram says. “I know what I want, and I’m not afraid to explore new sounds or create something unique. At the same time, I wanted to create something that allows my fans to reminisce about the past and the journey we’ve shared.”
With a new emerging wave of Arab pop artists gaining increased recognition and attention beyond Arabic-speaking audiences, Ajram remains a fixture as both an inspiration and a peer for these artists.
The singer continues to build upon the foundation she first laid in the early 2000s for what a globally successful 21st-century Arab pop artist could be.
“When I hear that new artists consider me an influence, it humbles me,” she says. “Arabic music has so much to offer, and seeing it reach new audiences is incredibly fulfilling. I’m proud to be part of this journey and to witness how much our music resonates with people all over the world.”
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As for Billie Eilish, Ajram shares that the respect and love is mutual, admiring Eilish’s dedication to her craft with her brother Finneas. The door for a collaboration, she says, is always open. “If the right opportunity arises, I’d love to work with Billie. It would be amazing to create something that blends our unique styles and sounds together.”
Upon leaving Newark Symphony Hall, fans revelled in what they had witnessed, singing her songs in the street like a giant karaoke block party. While her legacy continues to be written, there is no doubt that the young girls belting every word of her music will keep singing Ajram’s songs.