‘Queen of Arab Pop’ Nancy Ajram Strikes Catalog Deal With Reservoir Media and Middle East Partner

Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram, dubbed the “queen of Arab pop” by Spotify, has inked a publishing deal with U.S. indie music company Reservoir Media and PopArabia, its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region partner.

The landmark deal with Ajram’s In2Musica label includes her entire owned catalog like hit albums “Ya Tabtab” and “Nancy 10,” as well as her future works, Reservoir and PopArabia said in a statement. It comprises Ajram’s global hit “Sah Sah” with U.S. DJ-producer Marshmello, which in 2022 became the first Arabic-language song to enter Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

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Ajram first rose to fame as a child TV star and, at 15, released “Mihtagalak,” the first of her 12 studio albums that feature chart-topping tracks such as “3am Bet3ella2 Feek,” “Ma Tegi Heny” and “Badna Nwalee El Jaw.” In 2020, Ajram was the most streamed female artist on Spotify with her songs scoring more than 100 million plays.

“This deal marks a significant addition to our catalog of music rooted in the Middle East,” said Reservoir founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi in a statement. She added that “working with a global superstar of Nancy’s stature is a meaningful opportunity for Reservoir and PopArabia, as we continue to champion Arabic music locally in the Middle East, as well as across the globe.”

Commented Ajram: “I’m thrilled that In2Musica and I will be partnering with global companies like Reservoir and PopArabia which have a history of advocating for artists’ rights and taking them around the world. We’re looking forward to reaching even more fans across the world with our music through this publishing partnership.”

The deal with Ajram comes on the heels of previous deals sealed by Reservoir and PopArabia under their partnership, such as the acquisition of Egyptian record label 100Copies and music publisher Voice of Beirut in 2022, amid their efforts to became a top MENA region music publishing player.

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