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- June 3, 2022
Faouzia Releases Her Anticipated Debut Project Citizens
Moroccan- Canadian singer/songwriter/multiinstrumentalist Faouzia recently dropped her debut album, Citizens. The album incorporates Moroccan and Arabic music styles to explore the feeling of what it’s like to live as a citizen in a big city and be overwhelmed and “swallowed” by the city. The deeper range of Faouzia’s vocals brings a fullness and richness to each song, giving further depth to each of the album’s eight tracks.
According to Faouzia, however, Citizens wasn’t an easy album to produce. After all the years of work that went into bringing the album to life, Faouzia states that,
“CITIZENS has been a true labor of love; a collection of music that best represents the path we’ve taken on this journey together, and a taste of what lies ahead. Each of these songs holds a special place in my heart for a different reason, but hearing the meaning that they take on for others is what really makes this all exciting.”
The album starts off with the upbeat and high energy, “RIP, Love.” The Moroccan and Arabic influences are apparent with the vocalizations at the beginning of the song. “RIP, Love” not only gives the listener a great positive start to the album, but it also showcases the fullness of Faouzia’s voice in its lower range.
“Thick and Thin” is the second song on Citizens, with a more slow tempo beat that places the piano and Faouzia’s voice at the forefront. Despite its slower tempo, the song still radiates a hopeful vibe, as Faouzia sings about being there during the bad times as well as the good. The chorus further emphasizes this through lyrics such as, “When it’s dark as it’s ever been/ And you feel like you’re on your end/ I will be there through thick and thin/ When you feel like you just can’t win/ And the shadows are creeping in/ I will be there through thick and thin.”
“Anybody Else,” the third song on the album, is Faouzia’s first self-produced track. The piano and Faouzia’s voice are once again at the forefront of the song, helping to make a seamless transition between “Thick and Thin” and “Anybody Else.” It also juxtaposes the message of “Thick and Thin,” especially as Faouzia sings, “I wouldn’t wish this love/ Wish this love on anybody else,” as well as, “I’d say run to anybody else/ Easy when it’s anybody else/ But I stay.” It evokes a feeling that makes the listener question the relationship being described, and adds more intrigue as the album continues on.
Watch the visualizer for “Anybody Else” here:
The fourth song on Citizens, “SoLie,” has upbeat tempos, and marks the return of the Moroccan and Arabic music influences. The influences are most noticeable in the way Faouzia sings “Lie” during the chorus. The song starts off with a funky beat, and Faouzia sings of a relationship where, “Leading me on/ It’s so wrong that it’s right when you lie/ Lie to me, tonight/ Tell me that you love me/ Even though it’s all a lie, oh/ Lie, pretty little lie/ You don’t need to mean it/ I’ll believe it when you lie, so lie.” The next song, “I Know” is about the same relationship as “SoLie,” but it has a more sad feeling to the song as Faouzia comes to the realization of what this really means.
After “I Know” is the track “Don’t Tell Me I’m Pretty.” This is another slow tempo song incorporating Moroccan and Arabic musical influences through Faouzia’s vocals and the soft darbuka beat in the background. The lyric video features Faouzia in a blue-lit room, singing away from the camera, so all the audience sees is her profile. As the song continues, the lighting flashes with pops of red, until the video ends with Faouzia covered in the red lighting.
Watch the lyric video for “Don’t Tell Me I’m Pretty” here:
The next song, “Minefields” features John Legend dueting with Faouzia as they sing of the pain of trying to move on from a past lover. Lyrics such as, “Now this might be a mistake/ We’re broken in so many ways/ But I’ll piece us back together slowly” emphasize how unhealthy the relationship was, but how it can be hard to move on from something that feels so familiar.
Watch the music video for “Minefields” here:
“Puppet” is the final song on Citizens, and the upbeat tempo matches the same energy as “RIP, Love,” which brings the album full circle. “Puppet” is a great song for anyone who is a fan of Dua Lipa, as Faouzia’s vocals sound similar to Dua Lipa’s in this song especially.
The album overall has a great mix of more emotional pop ballads and fun songs that makes the listener want to dance. Faouzia’s goal with her music is to not only be able to express herself, but also as an outlet for her audience, whether it’s to dance or cry. Faouzia’s reflection on how she feels when hearing from listeners perfectly encapsulates the overall mood of the album,
“My favorite thing is hearing that one of my songs helped someone feel motivated or empowered, or even helped them to have a good cry – which sometimes is all you need. I really believe that immersing yourself in music can help you through the tough times in life, and I always hope that my songs can do that for everyone.”
Any Faouzia fans now have the chance to see her live on tour! Throughout July, Faouzia is touring in Europe (North American dates are yet to be announced).
FAOUZIA LIVE SHOW DATES 2022 (North American Dates TBA)
July 15 – Holland Amsterdam – Melkweg Oz
July 16 – France Paris – Lollapalooza festival
July 18 – Berlin, Germany – Berlin Privatclub
July 21 – United Kingdom London – Colours
July 22 – United Kingdom Suffolk – Latitude Festival
To stay up to date with Faouzia and her music, check out her:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TIK TOK
You can also listen to Faouzia’s debut album, Citizens, below!
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