The sound and image are familiar: Nancy Ajram walking down a sunlit street in a coastal town, waving to neighbours with an effortless smile that has charmed the region for more than two decades.
Her latest single, Warana Eh, doesn’t break new ground, but its breezy mix of Arabic pop and Mediterranean rhythms fits the season well. It’s the kind of summer release we’ve come to expect from Ajram – light, catchy and anchored by a casual phrase that loosely translates to “what do we have to lose?”, used here to suggest a sense of freedom and letting go.
The track is part of Ajram's new album, Nancy 11, and while it doesn’t aim for reinvention, it continues a pattern that has quietly defined her career. Ajram’s catalogue may not be as shape-shifting as that of some of her peers, but it has consistently delivered enough to stay afloat in the region’s musical and cultural backdrop.
Here are eight reasons why she’s remained relevant for so long.
1. She has never disappeared
Consistency breeds success – a motto Ajram has followed throughout her career. Without any definitive peaks or periods in the wilderness, she has remained visible on record, on screen and commercially for over two decades. Even the relative public absences, when she retreated to the studio or stepped back for a time, felt like part of a calculated rhythm. At the same time, it rarely felt like she was overexposed.
2. She knows when to pivot
Given Ajram’s evergreen appeal, it’s easy to forget she first made a splash as a young pop provocateur. Her 2003 breakout Akhasmak Ah was full of lyrical innuendo and came with a suggestive video clip that caused controversy even as it thrilled fans.
To be fair, Ajram wasn’t the only one testing boundaries at the time. Fellow Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe’s 2006 hit El Wawa, with its sultry visuals, drew censorship and bans from conservative broadcasters, while Ruby’s Leih Beydary Keda, released in 2005, faced similar scrutiny. Ajram, however, showed marketing instinct by adjusting course and opting for safer waters since then.
3. She pioneered the family-friendly star
Ajram’s foray into children’s music was more than a side project. Albums such as Shakhbat Shakhabit (2007) and Super Nancy (2012) gave her permanent place in the lives of Arab families. The music was technically not a far cry from her pop formula. While it was simple and unsophisticated, it still retained those earworm melodies that made it a commercial success.
More importantly, Ajram became the first fully-fledged Arabic pop star to take the children’s market seriously, releasing albums and performing child-friendly shows. Others such as Tamer Hosny and Kadim Al Sahir only released sporadic singles.
It was a move that led her to become a judge on the inaugural season of The Voice Kids: Ahla Sawt in 2016, an Arabic version of the talent quest, and performing a children-themed concert at Dubai’s Modhesh World in 2015.
“I love performing for children and, you know, it’s not just a fun thing to do, it is very important for me both as a person and artist,” she told The National ahead of that show. “For me, I think it’s the purest kind of love when a child loves you. That’s because they have no barriers, they say what they feel and they are very brave.”
4. She owns formats and genres
Ajram's cross-generational appeal is finely curated. As a television judge on Arab Idol, she presented herself as aspirational and slightly distant. On The Voice Kids: Ahla Sawt, she adopted a warmer, more maternal presence resonating with younger contestants and their families.
This subtle shape-shifting is also heard in her musical choices. Classy ballads such as Akhasmak Ah (2003) and Ehsas Jdeed (2008) appeal to adult listeners, while fizzy pop works such as Ah W Noss (2004) and Maakoul El Gharam (2017) are geared towards younger audiences. This is all done without biting the latest music trends or compromising her evergreen persona.
The result is fanbase spanning multiple generations. Some fans began as children listening to the 2012 hit Ya Banat (from the album Super Nancy), which surpassed 100 million YouTube views, and continued as adults singing along to later releases such as the latest single Warana Eh.
By all measures, this represents a masterclass in audience development and brand longevity within the Arabic pop landscape.
5. She does things on ‘Nancy time’
Ajram’s catalogue has rarely chased trends. There are no viral campaigns, no TikTok dances, no hashtags attached to her releases. Even Nancy 11 arrived with minimal fanfare – just the occasional teaser announcing a new single.
While the Arabic pop industry increasingly measures success in streams and virality, Ajram works according to her own tried-and-tested timeline. Her albums are uniform, for better or worse, with few tracks standing out beyond the selected singles. Even the occasional experiment, such as the 2022 dance-pop track Sah Sah with Marshmello, stayed within her register. The blazing synths didn’t override her steady, melodic tone.
This measured pace isn’t designed to beat the algorithm. With Ajram, you get what you expect.
6. She keeps her feelings in check
An interesting aspect of Ajram’s work is the emotional restraint throughout her lyrics. Unlike some of her peers, she rarely sounds desperate to confess or exorcise pain. The songs are romantic but never raw, heartfelt but never truly melancholic. In a pop music scene where emotional visibility is often equated with authenticity – consider Elissa and Carole Samaha – Ajram's restraint is a notable contrast.
Whether it’s an artistic or commercial decision, or simply a reflection of her peppy persona, Ajram’s music has remained a consistent and familiar reference point for fans.
7. She is vibe, not a brand
What defines Ajram's sound and career is not sonic innovation but emotional consistency. Like Amr Diab, she builds a world of feeling rather than genre exploration. But their methods differ. Where Diab raised production standards for recording and what it means to be a mega pop star, with all its ego and controversies, Ajram's influence has been rooted in something more domestic across the decades.
Her brand is built on warmth, familiarity and low-stakes intimacy. You can hear her in the car, at home, at a wedding or during a Ramadan television campaign, and she never feels out of place. That ubiquity isn't just popularity, it’s the kind of trust that virality can’t buy.
8. She holds her ground
Ajram’s role in Arabic pop isn’t measured by her influence. Few younger Arab artists name her as a direct influence – a reflection, perhaps, of changing tastes and a more fragmented industry.
But her relevance comes from consistency rather than pioneering a new path forward. Her voice, image and tone remain steady in a scene shaped by churn and generational shift. Instead of reinventing or launching into era-like cycles, she simply remains on point. And for her generation of fans, they wouldn’t want it any other way.
