Baya al Ward
Encyclopedia
Baya al Ward is the fourth studio album by the Lebanese singer Amal Hijazi
released under the label Rotana
in 2006. For the project, Hijazi collaborated with renowned producers like Jean Saliba and Fady Bittar and worked with some of the biggest names in the industry like Elias Naser, Samer Nakhla and Haytham Ziad. Despite of the negative publicity and controversies over the album's theme, it was a commercial success, topping various charts in countries like Lebanon
, Egypt
, Syria
, Morocco
, Tunisia
, UAE, and Kuwait
. In addition, the album received generally positive reviews in the west and was sold highly in the UK, France
and Canada
.
"Baya al Ward
" was the lead single from the album. Despite the controversies over its music video and negative reviews by music critics, it was a commercial success and debuted at number one in a number of countries all around the Middle East.
After the release of "Baya al Ward", Hijazi embarked on a highly publicised world tour. She even made a number of guest appearances in talk shows and gave various live concerts. Although there was a great demand for music videos of songs like "Rajaa", "Yala Lally Amaan", "Lemma Tghmmed Ayneik" and "Jnoon Bhebbak", Hijazi refused to film any of them because of the political instabilities in her native Lebanon
. In early 2007, however, she released the music video of "Baheb Nuoa Kalamak" which gained generally negative reviews from critics due to its low budget and the poor production by Rotana
. In addition, the music video was a fail being directed by Mirna Khayat
. Critics later advised Hijazi not to cooperate with Khayat for future projects.
Despite of the attacks on the album and the music video and the controversies that Hijazi was in fact promoting homosexuality
and lesbianism, the album was a bestseller of 2006. According to Hijazi, the critical reviews of her album generally had a positive impact, for it propagated the album. According to the official sales charts provided by Rotana
more than three editions of the album were sold in less than an year, and this made Hijazi one of the biggest-selling singers in the Middle East, and one of the most wanted performers on stage.
Critics argued that Hijazi had gone to extremes and cut her hair shorter than that of an ordinary man or in other words, the versatile once again changed her looks, trading her brown locks for short pixie whitish-blonde hair and gowns to boyish trousers and T-shirts. In a candid interview, Hijazi stated that with the immense help of her colleagues and some talented image consultants she got this new look to match the jazzy theme of her album's title track. On the other hand, critics began accusing the video of "Baya al Ward" of being unusual because Hijazi chops her hair off and jumps off a cliff at the end of the video brooding over the guy who left her.
In addition, the artwork from the album was criticised for its "homosexual" theme.
"Ba'ad Sneen"
"Ba'ad Sneen" ("After Years") was released on 2005, becoming the album's lead single. The song portrays Hijazi as a young girl living in a traditional Arab village. When her lover leaves her, she is heartbroken. After many years of punishing her heart and waiting for him, she now finds it hard to accept his wish of coming back to her. There are also many flashbacks of the wonderful time Hijazi and her lover had together.
"Baya al Ward
The album's title track, "Baya al Ward", directed by Yahya Sadeh is arguably one of the most controversial songs in Lebanese music history. It tells the story of a young girl, turned almost insane by the depression she received when her lover broke his promises. The song opens with Hijazi chopping off beautiful strands of her white-blond hair. She faces the camera and the song begins.
She goes down the stairs and smokes and then leaves in a picturesque blue convertible, driving up a long straight road. She drives the car as if in a dream. Later, a thorny plant appears and ravages her body. This scene is mixed between reality and daydreaming and then Hijazi finds herself and her car stopped in front of a tree besides a lake. She later walks towards the water, presumably to commit suicide.
and chosen over Yahia Sa’adeh. According to the Qatar-based daily Al Raya, Hijazi revealed that she had received numerous scripts for the clip by different directors because of the immense popularity of the song, even before the music video was released.
Despite the poor reviews of the video, the song managed to become one of the greatest hits of 2007 and an essential concert song for Hijazi.
Amal Hijazi
Amal Hijazi is a Lebanese singer, model and pop icon. She is currently one of the most active Lebanese singers and has given a number of concerts throughout the world and has made countless TV appearances. After her lengthy career as a fashion model, Hijazi released her debut album, Akher Gharam...
released under the label Rotana
Rotana Records
Rotana Records is the Arab World's largest record label. It is owned by the Rotana Group, established by the Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, who sometimes personally signs artists to the label. Rotana Records is part of a huge media empire that includes a film production company, a magazine in...
in 2006. For the project, Hijazi collaborated with renowned producers like Jean Saliba and Fady Bittar and worked with some of the biggest names in the industry like Elias Naser, Samer Nakhla and Haytham Ziad. Despite of the negative publicity and controversies over the album's theme, it was a commercial success, topping various charts in countries like Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, UAE, and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. In addition, the album received generally positive reviews in the west and was sold highly in the UK, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
"Baya al Ward
Baya al Ward (song)
Baya al Ward is a love-ballad written by Elias Naher for Amal Hijazi's album of the same name. The song was a blockbuster hit and was produced by Rotana. It was charted strongly throughout the Arab world and gained critical acclaim from both fans and critics alike. On the other hand, it was...
" was the lead single from the album. Despite the controversies over its music video and negative reviews by music critics, it was a commercial success and debuted at number one in a number of countries all around the Middle East.
After the release of "Baya al Ward", Hijazi embarked on a highly publicised world tour. She even made a number of guest appearances in talk shows and gave various live concerts. Although there was a great demand for music videos of songs like "Rajaa", "Yala Lally Amaan", "Lemma Tghmmed Ayneik" and "Jnoon Bhebbak", Hijazi refused to film any of them because of the political instabilities in her native Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. In early 2007, however, she released the music video of "Baheb Nuoa Kalamak" which gained generally negative reviews from critics due to its low budget and the poor production by Rotana
Rotana Records
Rotana Records is the Arab World's largest record label. It is owned by the Rotana Group, established by the Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, who sometimes personally signs artists to the label. Rotana Records is part of a huge media empire that includes a film production company, a magazine in...
. In addition, the music video was a fail being directed by Mirna Khayat
Mirna Khayat
Mirna Khayat is a Lebanese music video director.Khayat has worked with names like Amal Hijazi, Pascale Machaalani, George Wassouf, Mayssam Nahas and Nancy Ajram....
. Critics later advised Hijazi not to cooperate with Khayat for future projects.
Despite of the attacks on the album and the music video and the controversies that Hijazi was in fact promoting homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and lesbianism, the album was a bestseller of 2006. According to Hijazi, the critical reviews of her album generally had a positive impact, for it propagated the album. According to the official sales charts provided by Rotana
Rotana Records
Rotana Records is the Arab World's largest record label. It is owned by the Rotana Group, established by the Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, who sometimes personally signs artists to the label. Rotana Records is part of a huge media empire that includes a film production company, a magazine in...
more than three editions of the album were sold in less than an year, and this made Hijazi one of the biggest-selling singers in the Middle East, and one of the most wanted performers on stage.
Critical reviews
The music video of the title track "Baya al Ward" was heavily criticized and caused huge controversies that Hijazi was promoting homosexuality Hijazi denied the allegations, but critics argued that the T-shirt she was wearing in the music video had several symbols imprinted on it, which belonged to a garment manufacturer that specializes in clothing for homosexuals. At a press conference she held in Dubai to announce the launch of her album, Hijazi clarified that she did not know what the symbols on the shirt meant or that she never thought to find out when she chose to wear it.Critics argued that Hijazi had gone to extremes and cut her hair shorter than that of an ordinary man or in other words, the versatile once again changed her looks, trading her brown locks for short pixie whitish-blonde hair and gowns to boyish trousers and T-shirts. In a candid interview, Hijazi stated that with the immense help of her colleagues and some talented image consultants she got this new look to match the jazzy theme of her album's title track. On the other hand, critics began accusing the video of "Baya al Ward" of being unusual because Hijazi chops her hair off and jumps off a cliff at the end of the video brooding over the guy who left her.
In addition, the artwork from the album was criticised for its "homosexual" theme.
Track listing
- "Baya al WardBaya al Ward (song)Baya al Ward is a love-ballad written by Elias Naher for Amal Hijazi's album of the same name. The song was a blockbuster hit and was produced by Rotana. It was charted strongly throughout the Arab world and gained critical acclaim from both fans and critics alike. On the other hand, it was...
" ( "The Florist") - "Rajaa" ( "Come Back")
- "Lamma Tghammad Aeinak" ( "When you close your eyes")
- "Tesadq" ( "Do you believe?")
- "Ya Lalally Amaan" ( "Oh! Safe night")
- "Baheb Nuoa Kalamak" ( "I love what you say")
- "Gharam Kebeer" ( "Big Love")
- "Jnoon Behabak" ( "Your love is crazy")
- "Ba'ad Sneen" ( "After years")
- "Betsalni Meen" ( "You ask me who")
"Ba'ad Sneen"Ba'ad Sneen (song)"Ba'ad Sneen" is a single written by Sameer Nakhla for Amal Hijazi's hit album, Baya al Ward . The song was released in 2005 becoming the album's lead-single...
"Ba'ad Sneen" ("After Years") was released on 2005, becoming the album's lead single. The song portrays Hijazi as a young girl living in a traditional Arab village. When her lover leaves her, she is heartbroken. After many years of punishing her heart and waiting for him, she now finds it hard to accept his wish of coming back to her. There are also many flashbacks of the wonderful time Hijazi and her lover had together."Baya al WardBaya al Ward (song)Baya al Ward is a love-ballad written by Elias Naher for Amal Hijazi's album of the same name. The song was a blockbuster hit and was produced by Rotana. It was charted strongly throughout the Arab world and gained critical acclaim from both fans and critics alike. On the other hand, it was...
"
The album's title track, "Baya al Ward", directed by Yahya Sadeh is arguably one of the most controversial songs in Lebanese music history. It tells the story of a young girl, turned almost insane by the depression she received when her lover broke his promises. The song opens with Hijazi chopping off beautiful strands of her white-blond hair. She faces the camera and the song begins.She goes down the stairs and smokes and then leaves in a picturesque blue convertible, driving up a long straight road. She drives the car as if in a dream. Later, a thorny plant appears and ravages her body. This scene is mixed between reality and daydreaming and then Hijazi finds herself and her car stopped in front of a tree besides a lake. She later walks towards the water, presumably to commit suicide.
"Baheb Nuoa Kalamak"
The album's third single, "Baheb Nuoa Kalamak" ("I love what you say") was released in early 2007, directed by Mirna KhayatMirna Khayat
Mirna Khayat is a Lebanese music video director.Khayat has worked with names like Amal Hijazi, Pascale Machaalani, George Wassouf, Mayssam Nahas and Nancy Ajram....
and chosen over Yahia Sa’adeh. According to the Qatar-based daily Al Raya, Hijazi revealed that she had received numerous scripts for the clip by different directors because of the immense popularity of the song, even before the music video was released.
Despite the poor reviews of the video, the song managed to become one of the greatest hits of 2007 and an essential concert song for Hijazi.
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... Virgin Megastores |
4 |
| UAE Virgin Megastores | 7 |
| Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among... Virgin Megastores |
1 |
| Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its... Virgin Megastores |
3 |
| Jeddah Jeddah Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The... Virgin Megastores |
12 |
| Jordan Jordan Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing... Virgin Megastores |
7 |
| Bahrain Bahrain ' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is... Virgin Megastores |
6 |
| Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a... Virgin Megastores |
8 |
| Algeria Algeria Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab... Virgin Megastores |
1 |
| Tunisia Tunisia Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area... Virgin Megastores |
9 |
| Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... Virgin Megastores |
8 |
| Rotana Rotana Records Rotana Records is the Arab World's largest record label. It is owned by the Rotana Group, established by the Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, who sometimes personally signs artists to the label. Rotana Records is part of a huge media empire that includes a film production company, a magazine in... Albums Top 100 |
1 |
| Heart Seekers Albums Top 20 | 1 |
| HitMarker | 1 |
| Nojoom Top10 Albums | 1 |
| All Arab Albums Top 50 | 1 |