From Simone to Elyanna, Arab artists have been reimagining global hits in their mother tongue for decades—creating covers that feel like echoes from a more familiar parallel world.

Scene Noise

Aug 08, 2025

Arabic Renditions of Beloved Global Hits

Possessing a charm all its own, Arabic has lent its poeticism to covers of international hits for decades – making them hit all the more close to home.

Fairouz’s Arabic lyrics on her cover of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, ‘Yemken’, much like 90s pop icon Simone’s on her cover of ‘Cheri Cheri Lady’, feel like postcards from a parallel world. Jadal’s live acoustic rendition of Coldplay’s glossy ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ feels like a translation of feeling, with the delicate strum of the oud enriching the song’s emotional core. The blend of regional instrumentation and Arabic lyrics gives these already beloved tracks an added layer of relatability and character.

Arab artists continue to breathe new life into iconic songs from around the world. This year saw Elyanna reimagine Bollywood’s ‘Deewani Mastani’ with her sultry Arab pop cover, ‘Kayani’, while TARA’s ‘Ya Helwe Ciao’ embraced the adaptable spirit of a passed-down anthem like ‘Bella Ciao’ – just the latest in a long, ever-evolving line of cross-cultural covers.

Simone - Tany Tany (Cheri Cheri Lady Cover)