El Mehdi Unleashes His Most Personal Work Yet With New Track ‘ENCORE’

Moroccan artist El Mehdi has dropped ENCORE, a powerful single years in the making. Written during one of the most difficult moments in his life, the track nearly never made it to the light. But now, fully realized and sonically expansive, ENCORE arrives as his most vulnerable and honest offering yet.

Built around a haunting arrangement of oud, cello, and violins, the track leans into minimal yet cinematic textures, produced by Sunjun, Tallisker, and Wake Island, with additional vocal production by Caracol. El Mehdi’s voice drips with intent, raw, textured, and resolute.

The cover art pays homage to his Aït Atta ancestry through Asbia’ Iquorain, a set of Amazigh silver bracelets traditionally worn by women for protection and pride. “They embody the duality I explore in ENCORE,” Mehdi says. “Our strengths, our weapons, can also become our chains.”