Zeyne (singer)
Zeyne زين | |
|---|---|
| Born | Zein Izzat Sajdi 15 December 1997[1][2][3][4] Amman, Jordan |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2021–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | zeyne |
Zein Izzat Sajdi[5] (Arabic: زين عزت ساجدي; born 15 December 1997), known as Zeyne, is a Palestinian-Jordanian singer, songwriter, musician and producer.
Early life and education
Sajdi was born and raised in Amman, Jordan, the youngest child in a Palestinian-Jordanian family (her grandparents hailing from Nablus) with a passion for music and dance – her father is a collector of music records, her mother is an amateur singer who managed a dabke troupe for over twenty years, and her oldest sister Lina is a pianist.[1][6][7] She joined a dabke group at the age of five, started taking piano lessons from a Russian teacher at six, and was introduced to classical singing a few years later by a Japanese teacher.[1][6][7][8]
She pursued a degree in Media Communications and Sociology at the University of Sussex in Brighton and Hove.[1]
Career
After graduating in 2020, Sajdi briefly returned to Amman in order to prepare to move to London, where she had accepted a job offer at a public relations firm. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, she was unable to travel outside the country and started an Instagram account where she posted song covers.[1] The page garnered significant following in a short time and, after joining the Jordanian Female Artist Collective, Sajdi was invited to perform at the Amman Jazz Festival. She became acquainted with fellow musician Hana Malhas and producer Nasir Al Bashir, and the founders of Keife Records offered her a record deal shortly after.[1]
Encouraged by Al Bashir, she began composing her own songs. Her debut single "Minni Ana", featuring mixed English and Arabic lyrics, was released in March 2021, shortly followed by "Nostalgia".[1] After releasing her single "Atoul", Sajdi collaborated with Palestinian artist Saint Levant on the July 2022 single "Balak".[9] Sajdi has gone on to write music for other artists, including Elyanna and Massari and, most importantly, several songs contained in Issam Alnajjar's 2021 debut album Baree? and 2023 debut EP Waray.[5][7] In the same period, she released the single "Ana Wein", co-written with Al Bashir and Lina Makoul.[7]
In October 2023, in response to the Gaza genocide amid the Gaza war, 25 Middle Eastern and North African artists, including Sajdi, collaborated on the charity single "Rajieen".[10] Sajdi then released the love song "Ma Bansak" in February 2024 before writing "Bali", released in June 2024 and recounting her mental state during the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.[6]
In November 2024, Sajdi released the double single "7arrir 3aqlak / Asli Ana", with the latter track being an R&B song set to the rhythm of traditional Levantine folk dance dabke; the accompanying music video features Sajdi herself dancing alongside professional dabke dancers.[6][11]
In July 2025, Sajdi released "Hilwa", the lead single from her upcoming debut album Awda. The song is an homage to her mother and grandmother, and Palestinian women in general.[12][13] The album, preceded by a second single, was released in mid-October 2025, and features collaborations with Saint Levant and Bayou as well as her 2024 song "7arrir 3aqlak / Asli Ana".[14][15]
Zeyne is set to embark on a European tour, named AWDA Tour, in September 2026. Originally planned for March–April 2026, the tour was postponed following the outbreak of the war on Iran.[16][17]
Artistry
Sajdi's musical style has been described as "eclectic", incorporating elements of Arabic music, jazz (including South African jazz), R&B, soul, hip hop and Albanian folk music as well as drawing inspiration from the work of artists like Ziad Rahbani, Elias Rahbani, Fairuz, Lauryn Hill, H.E.R., Destiny's Child, Billie Eilish, Rosalía, Manal, Angèle and Dua Lipa, in addition to Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.[1][6][7][8][18]
As of July 2025, Sajdi has totalled over 51 million streams across platforms.[12]
Discography
Albums
- Awda – عودة – 2025
EPs
- Awda – عودة (Live Studio Sessions) – 2026
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album or EP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARB [19] |
EGY [20] |
GRE [21] |
Indie Arab [22] |
LBN [23] | |||
| "Minni Ana" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Yamma Mweil il Hawa" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Nostalgia" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Bala Wa Shi" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Atoul" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Atoul (Gruzzman Remix)" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Atoul (AudiobySamuel Remix)" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Balak" (featuring Saint Levant) |
87 | — | — | 18 | 24 | ||
| "Ana Wein" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Mish Asfeh" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Wala Forsa" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Rajieen" (featuring various) |
— | 2 | — | — | — | ||
| "Ma Bansak" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Ma Bansak – A Colors Show" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Bali" | — | — | — | — | — | Awda | |
| "Goodbye" | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Lonely Nights" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Mesh Haseebek" (Bayou ft. Zeyne) |
— | — | — | 18 | — | ||
| "7arrir 3aqlak" | — | — | — | — | — | Awda | |
| "Asli Ana" | — | — | — | 19 | 26 | ||
| "Rajawi Falasteeni (Ma Nisma7 Feek Ya Gaza)" | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Hilwa" | 2025 | — | — | — | — | — | Awda |
| "Arrib Minni" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Kollo Lena" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "A'ti" (with Marina Satti) |
2026 | — | — | 8 | — | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Shanab, Menna (14 March 2023). "This is Zeyne". YUNG. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ↑ Sajdi, Zein [@zeyne]; (15 December 2022). "❣️ so grateful ❣️ thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes ❣️love you x 1000". Retrieved 23 December 2024 – via Instagram.
- ↑ "Palestinian Jordanian artist Zeyne gears up for album release". Arab News Pakistan. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ↑ Simmons, Kate (17 April 2025). "Who is Zeyne? GTK the Palestinian-Jordanian singer-songwriter". Cosmopolitan Middle East. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- 1 2 "Zein Izzat Sajdi". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Hajjar, Danny (31 July 2024). "For Zeyne, Music is Rooted in Authentic Representation of Identity". Sa'alouni El Nas. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Faryal, Aasiyah (28 March 2023). "Artist Spotlight: Zeyne The Jordanian-Palestinian Pop Powerhouse". Scene Noise. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- 1 2 Minthe, Caterina (26 March 2021). "'Music is a space for healing,' Listen to Zeyne's Hypnotic Debut Track Minni Ana". Vogue Arabia. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ↑ Khalaf, Ahmed (21 June 2022). "Palestine's Zeyne Breaks Hearts in New Single 'Balak' ft. Saint Levant". Scene Noise. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ↑ Mekkaoui, Meeran (31 October 2023). "'Rajieen' Unites 25 MENA Artists in a Resounding Ode to Palestine". GQ Middle East. Archived from the original on 8 December 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ↑ "Exclusive: Palestinian-Jordanian Singer Zeyne's New Track is an Unapologetic Celebration of Her Identity". Vogue Arabia. 21 November 2024. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- 1 2 Al Saadi, Leen (3 July 2025). "Zeyne Releases Empowering New Single 'Hilwa'". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ↑ Zarife, Emile (22 July 2025). "Zeyne: 'My new single feels like a beginning, but also a homecoming'". Esquire Middle East. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ↑ Yazbeck, Jeannine (16 October 2025). "Palestinian-Jordanian Artist Zeyne Releases Her Debut Album Awda". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ↑ "Zeyne Finds an Anchor in Her Arab Identity on Debut Album 'AWDA'". CairoScene. 16 October 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ↑ "Zeyne announces the AWDA Tour with an exclusive presale link for HUNGER readers". Hunger. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ↑ "zeyne | Postponed". Le Botanique. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ "Who is Zeyne? Only her music will tell you". Roya News. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ↑ Peak chart positions for singles in Top 100 Arabic:
- "Zeyne Biography". Arabic Hot 100 (in Arabic). Billboard Charts. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
- ↑ "Weekly Chart". The Official MENA Chart. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 June 2025. Click on "Egypt" in the country bar. Then, type "Rajieen" in the search field.
- ↑ Peak chart positions for singles in Greece:
- "A'ti": "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 23/2026" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 17 June 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ Peak chart positions for singles in Top 50 Indie Arabia:
- "Zeyne Biography". Arabic Hot 100 (in Arabic). Billboard Charts. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
- ↑ Peak chart positions for singles in Top 50 Levantines:
- "Zeyne Biography". Arabic Hot 100 (in Arabic). Billboard Charts. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
External links
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Jordanian people of Palestinian descent
- Jordanian women singers
- Entertainers from Amman
- Alumni of the University of Sussex
- Arabic-language Jordanian singers
- Arabic-language Palestinian singers
- English-language Palestinian singers
- Women singer-songwriters
- Women record producers
- Contemporary R&B singers
- Instagram people
- Dabke dancers
- Palestinian women singers
- 21st-century women singers