ALEWYA – Shares Video for New Single “Maktoub” Out Now
By ALEWYA
Shares Video for New Single
“Maktoub”
Debut Album
‘Zero’
Out 26th June Via LDN Records
Plays Sold-Out Headline London Show at The Lower Third On 13th July
London-based Ethiopian–Egyptian artist, producer, and visual creative Alewya unveils the official video for her latest single “Maktoub”, taken from her forthcoming debut album ‘ZERO’, out 26th June via LDN Records
The “Maktoub” visual was shot in Afar, Ethiopia. Alewya and the local filming crew flew two hours from Addis and then drove for eight hours across the country to reach the region, camping and hiking through its volcanic landscape along the way. Afar lies at the junction of three tectonic plates, in one of the hottest and lowest places on Earth, where temperatures regularly exceed 50°C and parts of the land sit 125 metres below sea level.
Despite the extreme conditions, the nomadic people of Afar have developed an unparalleled knowledge of survival and a fiercely independent culture. Historically, they resisted colonisation by both neighbouring empires and European powers.
“Afar is where my worlds meet — where three tectonic plates converge; Arabian, Nubian, Somali. It is the birthplace of humanity, and a land where a new ocean is forming beneath my feet. The Afar people are warriors who have lived on their own terms for centuries, and the women carry a grace that makes me feel close to God. For Maktoub, with Teddy’s vocals blessing the track, it felt right to create from the closest place to the beginning.” says Alewya
Featuring a sample from legendary Ethiopian singer-songwriter Teddy Afro, whom Alewya chose for sentimental reasons, most Ethiopian and Eritrean people through generations would have listened to him growing up, as she did.
“Maktoub” captures Alewya in one of her most direct and magnetic forms to date. The track received its premiere from Jamz Supernova at BBC 6Music.
The title, “Maktoub” – meaning ‘it is written’ or ‘destined’ in Arabic – reflects the recurring themes of faith, instinct and roots woven throughout ‘ZERO’. Led by feeling rather than formula, the track embodies Alewya’s intuitive creative process, where rhythm and emotion guide the music before words fully reveal themselves.
When speaking about “Maktoub”, Alewya said:
“Sometimes songs take time to reveal themselves, but Maktoub felt immediate and effortless from day one”
Alewya’s sound across ‘ZERO’ draws from Ethiopian and Egyptian musical heritage, blending traditional rhythms with innovative, forward-thinking production that defies genre boundaries. Previous singles “City of Symbols”, “Night Drive”, “Eshi”, and “Selah” (which is currently on the 6 Music Playlist) each showcase different facets of this expansive and personal sonic universe. Alewya co-produced ZERO with long-term collaborators Craigey Dodds and Dean Barrett, with Busy Twist contributing on some tracks, and Shy FX serving as executive producer.
With each release, Alewya continues to cement herself as one of the most distinctive and vital voices reshaping contemporary global music. With ‘ZERO’, she channels years of artistic evolution into a debut that is deeply personal, spiritually charged and sonically expansive. Standing at the forefront of a new creative era defined by fearless experimentation and cultural fluidity, she steps fully into her power. Set to arrive this summer on 26th June, ‘ZERO’ marks a defining moment for one of London’s most compelling contemporary artists.
About Alewya
Alewya is an Ethiopian–Egyptian singer, producer, and visual creative whose work bridges continents and disciplines. Raised in West London, she represents a new generation of artists reshaping global sound rooted in heritage yet unbound by it. Describing herself as a painter who makes music, Alewya approaches sound as texture and feeling, guided more by intuition than structure.
What began as painting and graffiti evolved into animation and eventually music, where Alewya started producing her own beats to bring her visual world to life. In 2021, she released her debut project ‘Panther in Mode’, introducing a fearless new voice in the UK alternative music scene, earning critical acclaim for its fusion of Afro-electronic percussion and striking visual identity. Since then, Alewya has captivated audiences through a COLORS performance, a collaboration with Moses Boyd, and live appearances at Pitchfork Paris, Glastonbury, and on tour with Little Simz.