Spotify launched EQUAL in the MENA region in celebration of International Women’s Day in its continued mission to turn up the volume on Arab female creators by giving them a platform to share their content with the world.
Under the name ‘EQUAL Arabia’, the local version of Spotify’s Global Music Programme aims to amplify the work of women creators by utilising the platform’s resources and generating more opportunities for these creators by delivering a global, cohesive, and branded experience.
It is not the first time that Spotify has focused on women’s voices in the region. The global audio platform launched SAWTIK in 2020 to highlight emerging Arab women creators. SAWTIK will be integrated into EQUAL Arabia to scale up this commitment, creating more impactful career-defining moments for female artists.
Every month, EQUAL will spotlight an ambassador of the month, highlighting their new music release and encouraging fans to discover them. For March, Egyptian Moroccan rapper Perrie will make her debut as the first EQUAL ambassador.
Over the past year, Perrie has been making waves in the rap scene and collaborating with some of the genre’s key figures, such as Abyusif on ‘Mamlaka’, Lil Baba on ‘Perrie Taniya’, along with Al-Waili and Umi on ‘Ghaneema.’
As a result, Perrie landed spots in Spotify’s Top 50 Egypt, and her music has been reaching fans in Germany, the US, Saudi Arabia, and more.
“I’m thrilled to be the first Spotify EQUAL Arabia ambassador of the month and couldn’t have picked a better month to release my song ‘Al-Sa’aa 9.’ It’s amazing to be a part of this programme that is dedicated to giving us global exposure and recognising our contributions to the music industry,” said Perrie.
To mark the arrival of EQUAL Arabia and to inspire Arab music lovers to listen to more women at full volume, Spotify has launched a short film directed by Rana Alarian in collaboration with mega star Carole Samaha, whose musical history has seen content with strong and meaningful messages supporting women around the world.
Carole Samaha is joined by three extraordinary stars, Perrie, Almas, and Dina Al-Wedidi, who also brought diverse sounds, songs, stories, and messages to the music scene. The short film features powerful lyrics from their previous songs and shows each artist in her world, full of confidence and power.
