Mohammad Assaf releases Iraqi song

Palestinian pop star Mohammad Assaf has released his second Iraqi song, Makanak Khali (Your Place Is Empty), with melodies by Ali Saber, words by Rami Al Aboudi, and compositions by Othman Aboud. The single was produced by Platinum Records.

“I wanted to sing in an Iraqi accent again because I love it, first of all, and because this style in particular stirs my emotions and makes me sing from my heart,” said Assaf. “That’s why this song, which about love, pain and being apart, will touch the audience immediately.”

Makanak Khali marks Assaf’s second collaboration with composer Saber, four years since the pair worked together on Ya Benaya (Oh, Girl), which featured on Assaf’s debut album in 2014. The song was recorded in Dubai, and a lyric video was released online.

Speaking to Gulf News tabloid! last month, ahead of Eid Al Adha, Assaf said: “I’ve chosen to release [my new Iraqi song] after Eid, because during Eid, a lot of people are going to release new music. I want to be a little different.”