More and more over the last year, prolific Egyptian producer Molotof has taken a step away from his usual rap-accommodating productions and working with artists outside of the scenes he has usually operated in. Lebanese singer-songwriter, LAÏ, is one such collaborator, an artist that has been pulling and tugging Molotof out of his comfort zone. Their first collaboration, April’s ‘Kawkab Ease3’ came as a space-faring indie-electro-pop number, but featured LAÏ quite minimally, with one verse towards the end. This time, however, ‘Aaref Halak Meen’ comes as a collaboration through-and-through, one that speaks just as much of LAÏ’s musicality as it does Molotof’s.Soaking in synths and maintaining a similarly spacey feel, the track hits the ear initially as a kind of Molotof-tinted Daft Punk-style track. It kicks off with a blend of keys and opens the floor for LAÏ's unique vocal delivery, as she asks “do you know who you are?” The rhetorical question sums up the lyrics quite nicely, as she preaches the idea of letting yourself free and unapologetically be who you want to be.
Shot in both Egypt and Lebanon, the video was directed by LAÏ herself and follows a group of kids, seemingly downtrodden and unwelcome anywhere as they make their way around on scooters. It comes to a fitting closing as the climax of their journey comes to a colourful close in the desert. It’s a climax that’s reflected in the track, which explodes in a trademark Molotof crescendo - a signature, lest you forget ‘Molowave’.
