The Lebanese-born Swedish singer and songwriter Maher Zain released a new video clip, Antassalam (You [God] Are Peace) on his YouTube channel Saturday, 2 May. Hours after the music video’s release, the song was among the most-trending videos in Egypt.
Aligned with the holy month of Ramadan, the song's lyrics praise God and his ability to guide believers through difficult times.
Zain is among the best known singers of the religion-inspired genre, becoming one of the top listened to artists by many Muslims. Many of his songs are in English, though some are intertwined with Arabic lyrics. He has performed many of his best-known songs in other languages.
According to his Facebook page, “Maher Zain’s music mixes the sounds of R&B with traditional spiritual, soul and contemporary pop music, not just updating spiritual music and inshad, but fearlessly reviving it with contemporary flair. Maher’s songs are instant classics of great power and timeless, unassailably intense spirituality.”
Zain’s major commercial success began in 2009, upon signing a record deal with Awakenings, a record label specialised in producing and promoting songs that tackle spiritual issues.
Zain has released three albums (Thank You Allah, in 2009, Forgive Me, in 2012, and One, in 2016), and performed internationally to fully sold-out concerts.
The musician has a large fan base across the Arab world and internationally, including 25 million followers on his Facebook page and 4.8 million on Instagram.
Living outside the Arab world, Zain records and tours extensively with his band that consists of musicians of many nationalities, among them Egyptians.
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