Album Spotlight: Ma-Beyn - Mayben

Palestinian-Egyptian artist Ma-Beyn has never confined herself to a single style, continuously exploring a wide range of sonic identities while weaving thought-provoking lyricism rich with hidden motifs and layered metaphors that often touch on personal, social, and political topics. Her self-titled debut album, over 14 months in the making, underscores her refusal to be placed in one box.

The album consists of 13 tracks, each presenting her bouncing between genres and styles, from jazz, rock and hip-hop to R&B, synth-pop, folklore and drum n bass, and trying to find her footing along the way. Born from constant erasures, rewrites and random bursts of inspirations as much as existential crises, Ma-Beyn’s self-titled exists as a proactive sonic dialogue between selfhood and Arab identity. 

In this episode of our Album Spotlight series, we sat down with Ma-Beyn to peel back the layers of her debut record, tracing the studio moments that shaped it, the intention with which it was made, and the stories behind her most personal tracks. The singer-songwriter also opens up about embracing the challenges of making a first full-length album, how stepping into uncharted waters pushed her beyond what she thought she was capable of, and the care that went into choosing the right collaborators to bring her vision to life.

Watch the full interview below: