Elissar Zakaria Khoury (; born 27 October 1971), commonly known as Elissa (), is a Lebanese singer, actress, television personality and businesswoman. Known for her romantic musical style and emotive vocal performances, she has been dubbed as the "Queen of Emotions" by fans and journalists alike. Her musical career began in 1992 when she was featured in the Lebanese talent show

Studio El Fan ''Studio El Fan'' (, "The Art Studio") was one of the Arab world's first star-maker talent shows in Lebanon, created by the famous television director and producer Simon Asmar, and Alfred Barakat. The program helped launch the careers of many famo ...

; later being awarded the silver medal. In 1998, she released her debut studio album '' Baddy Doub'' through EMI Music Arabia. While the album was a success, the titular song's music video initially received criticism for its racy content. Her second album ''

W'akherta Maak ''W'akherta Maak'' () (English: ''What Else With You?'') is the second studio album by Lebanese singer Elissa released by Dilara Productions & Music Master on 8 August 2000. The album achieved wide success in the Arab world and ranked first in ...

'' (2000) featured the single "Betghib Betrouh", a duet with

Ragheb Alama Ragheb Alama ( born 7 June 1962) is a Lebanon, Lebanese music artist and television personality. Alama began his career in the 1980s when he appeared as a contestant on the talent show broadcast Studio El Fan, on which he received the Platinum Aw ...

which achieved commercial success and won accolades. Elissa's breakthrough occurred with her 2002 hit single "Ayshalak", from the third studio album of the same name, which was a substantial commercial success.Elissa Khoury, la chanteuse du Moyen-Orient en visite chez Corum : une journée sous le charme oriental
Montres de Luxe, 30 August 2011. After signing with Saudi Arabian-based record label Rotana, she released the albums ''

Ahla Dounya ''Ahla Dounya'' () (English: ''The Most Beautiful World'') is the fourth studio album by Lebanese singer Elissa, released by Rotana on 6 May 2004. The album includes 13 tracks; all of which were produced by Jean-Marie Riachi. The songs "Koul Y ...

'' (2004), '' Bastanak'' (2006), '' Ayami Bik'' (2007), '' Tesada'a Bemeen'' (2009), '' Asaad Wahda'' (2012), '' Halet Hob'' (2014), '' Saharna Ya Leil'' (2016), '' Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni'' (2018) and '' Sahbit Raey'' (2020); eventually becoming Rotana's best-selling artist. Elissa is one of the best-selling music artists of the Middle East; selling over 30 million albums throughout her career. She has additionally garnered over 800 million streams on

Anghami Anghami ( , "melodic"/"my melodies") is the first legal music streaming platform and digital distribution company in the Arab world. It launched in November 2012 in Lebanon, providing unlimited Arabic and international music to stream and downlo ...

, making her the most-streamed female artist on the platform, and over 4.5 billion views on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. In 2005, Elissa became the first Arab artist of Lebanese descent to win the

World Music Award The World Music Awards was an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event was based in Monte Carlo. Awards were presented to the worl ...

for "Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist" in recognition of the sales for "Ahla Dounya", additionally doing so in 2006 and 2010 for "Bastanak" and "Tesada'a Bemeen", respectively. Throughout her career, she has also endorsed numerous brands such as Corum and

Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...

and is also an outspoken women's rights activist; raising awareness on specific subjects such as

women's rights in Lebanon The legal status of women in Lebanon has improved since the 20th century; however, gender equality still remains problematic. Active feminist movements in Lebanon are trying to overcome the existing legal and sociopolitical discrimination. Durin ...

and

breast cancer awareness Breast cancer awareness is an effort to raising awareness, raise awareness and reduce the Social stigma, stigma of breast cancer through education about Breast cancer screening, screening, Cancer signs and symptoms, symptoms, and Breast cancer ...

through her music and social media platforms.

Early life

Elissar Zakaria Khoury was born on 27 October 1971 in

Deir Al-Ahmar Deir El Ahmar () is a Lebanon, Lebanese town, located 100km from Beirut and 22km northwest of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Demography and religion The population of Deir el Ahmar is approximately 23,000. The main religion is Christiani ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

to a Lebanese father, Zakaria Khoury, who was a poet and a

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

- Lebanese mother, Youmna Suud from

Wadi al-Nasara Wadi al-Nasara ( / ALA-LC: ''Wādī an-Naṣārá'' "Valley of Christians") is an area in western Syria that administratively belongs to the Homs Governorate, governorate of Homs. Most people in the area are Antiochian Greek Christians, Greek O ...

. She has three brothers named Ghassan, Camil, Jihad and two sisters, Norma and Rita. Elissa and her siblings were later raised in the

Beqaa Valley The Beqaa Valley (, ; Bekaa, Biqâ, Becaa) is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon and its most important farming region. Industry, especially the country's agricultural industry, also flourishes in Beqaa. The region broadly corresponds to th ...

. On the day of her birth, she was delivered by a midwife due to the lack of hospitals at her birthplace; her grandmother had left her as she was not a boy. Throughout her childhood, she had a very close relationship with her father, as well as her sister Norma; being very heartbroken when she had gotten married and moved away while Elissa was 14 years old. Elissa revealed that she had a difficult childhood due to witnessing frequent disputes between her parents; additionally noting that while her father was a calm person, her mother was stricter and harsh. At the request of her father, she and her sister Norma attended a French boarding school, where one of the nuns known as "Sister Samira" had discovered her musical talent. Elissa graduated from the

Lebanese University The Lebanese University (LU; ) is the only state-funded public university in Lebanon. It was established in 1951. The university's main campus was originally located in Beirut, but a few satellite campuses were opened due to travel restriction ...

with a degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

. Although she had a degree in politics, she was additionally interested in making music. Therefore, after graduating, she decided to pursue a professional career in show business and in music.

Career

1989–1992: Career beginnings, Studio El Fan and ''Baddy Doub''

In 1989, Elissa began her career when she appeared in theatrical comedy plays written by Lebanese actor Wassim Tabbara (1943–2005), acting and singing professionally under her birth name "Elissar Khoury" from the age of 16. She later moved to the "Théâtre de 10 Heures" in 1991. Elissa's musical career began the following year, when she enlisted in the Lebanese talent show''

'', singing songs such as "In Rah Mennek Ya Ain" by

Shadia Fatma Ahmad Kamal Shaker (; 8 February 193128 November 2017), better known by her stage name Shadia (, ''Shādya''), was an Egyptian actress and singer. She was famous for her roles in light comedies and Drama (film and television), drama in th ...

and later winning the silver medal. After doing so, her contract on the series was terminated, as showrunner

Simon Asmar Simon Asmar (Arabic سيمون أسمر: Born in Ghazir, January 2, 1943 - September 11, 2019) was a Lebanese television director and producer, and the creator of Studio al-Fan (Art Studio), the famous and one of the Arab world's first star- ...

was unconvinced of her talent. Following this, she also attempted to begin a career in television, applying with stations such as

LBC LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadc ...

1998–2001: Debut studio album ''Baddy Doub'' and ''W'akherta Maak''

Elissa's debut studio album '' Baddy Doub'', was released in Lebanon in December 1998 by Lido Musique, later given wider distribution in the Arab world by

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

Music Arabia in early 1999. On the album's titular single, she collaborated with Spanish singer, Gerard Ferrer; he additionally appeared on various songs on the album. The single's music video was directed by Marc Hadifé and depicts Elissa wearing merely a white bed sheet. This had caused widespread controversy as she was ridiculed and called the "singer of the bed sheet" by media tabloids at the time. Her second album, ''

'' was released on 8 August 2000 by Music Master. The album included the duet "Betghib Betrouh" featuring

. The song was a considerable success and later won awards. Additionally, a music video for the album's titular song "W'akherta Maak" was made, directed by Marc Hadifé.

2002–06: Breakthrough, ''Ayshalak'' and ''Ahla Dounya''

After renewing her contract with label Music Master, Elissa's third studio album ''

Ayshalak ''Ayshalak'' () (English: ''I Live for You'') is the third studio album by Lebanese people, Lebanese singer Elissa (singer), Elissa released by Music Master on 14 June 2002. The album was well received by the public and critics, and achieved grea ...

'' was released on 14 June 2002 to huge commercial success and is known as her breakthrough. The album topped Arab music charts for numerous weeks and later sold 2.9 million copies. It was additionally the best selling cassette album in the Middle East of 2002. A music video for the titular song was directed by Fabrice Begotti and was filmed in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. She was the first Middle Eastern artist to collaborate with

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior, is a French Multinational corporation, multinational luxury goods company that is controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH. , Dior controlled around 42% of ...

in the video. On 14 September, Elissa won the

Murex d'Or The Murex d'Or (also known as the Golden Murex award) is a Lebanon, Lebanese award created by two Lebanon, Lebanese physicians, Zahi and Fadi Helou to recognize achievements in the domain of art in Lebanon, the Arab world, Arab region and the wor ...

award for Best Lebanese Female Artist. In 2002, she was additionally mentioned in the book "Pioneers from Lebanon" alongside artists such as

Fairuz Nouhad Wadie Haddad (, ; born November 20, 1934 or November 21, 1935), known as Fairuz (, ), is a Lebanese singer. She is widely considered an iconic vocalist and one of the most celebrated singers in the history of the Arab world. She is pop ...

and

Wadih El Safi Wadih El Safi (, born Wadih Francis; November 1, 1921 – October 11, 2013) was a Lebanese singer and composer. Born in Niha, Lebanon, Wadih El Safi started his artistic journey at the age of sixteen when he took part in a singing contest hel ...

. A music video for "Ajmal Ihssas", directed by Salim el Turk, was released in the following year. The video received controversy for what was considered sexualised scenes. However, it won the award "Best Video Clip" at the Arab Music Awards, held in Dubai in 2002. The song was featured on a Rolling Stone poll titled "The 50 Best Arabic Pop Songs of the 21st Century", ranking at #14. In January 2002, Elissa performed at the STARS (Science, Technology and Arts Royal Summit) charity event in Dubai; being the only artist to attend and perform at the event. In attendance were

Queen Rania of Jordan Rania Al Abdullah (born Rania Al-Yassin, 31 August 1970) is Queen of Jordan as the wife of King Abdullah II. Rania's domestic activities include education, youth, environmental, and health initiatives. Globally, she has campaigned for educati ...

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (; born 15 July 1949) is an Emirati politician and royal who is the current ruler of Dubai, and serves as the Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, vice president and Prime Minister of the United Arab ...

and former United States President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

. Later in 2002, she collaborated with Irish singer

Chris de Burgh Christopher John Davison (born 15 October 1948), known professionally as Chris de Burgh ( ), is a British-Irish singer-songwriter and musician. He started out as an art rock performer but subsequently started writing more pop-oriented material ...

in a duet titled "Lebanese Nights", featured on his album '' Timing is Everything''. A music video, directed by Salim el Turk, was shot in

Beirut, Lebanon Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

and

Zurich, Switzerland Zurich (; ) is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The urban area was home to 1.45 ...

and premiered exclusively on LBC television stations. The song had received positive reception from both Middle Eastern and western audiences. In January 2003, Elissa attended the grand opening of Kuwait's Virgin Megastore with Sir

Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate who co-founded the Virgin Group in 1970, and controlled 5 companies remaining of once more than 400. Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneu ...

as well as Kuwaiti band Guitara. In 2003, Elissa signed with Saudi Arabian entertainment group Rotana, under which she released her fourth studio album, ''

'' the following year on 6 May. The album was a huge success, selling about 3.4 million copies by the end of 2004. The album spawned the singles "Koul Youm Fee Oumri", "Irjaa Lilshowk" and "Hobak Wajaa (Inta Lameen)". The tracks "Koul Youm Fee Oumri", "Karibli" and "Law Nirjaa Sawa" were featured in Pepsi advertisements. In 2005, Elissa became the first Lebanese artist to ever receive a

for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist. The ceremony took place at the Kodak Theatre (currently known as the

Dolby Theatre The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in the Ovation Hollywood shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue (Los Angeles), Highland Avenue, in the Holly ...

) on 31 August and was later broadcast on 13 September. Later, she received the Murex d'Or awards for Best Lebanese Artist and Best Video Clip for "Hobak Wajaa". On 16 February 2006, she released her fifth studio album '' Bastanak'' to similarly substantial commercial success. The album featured the hit single of the same name and "Law Taarafou", both of which received music videos. On 15 November, Elissa received her second World Music Award in a row for the sales of this album. As of 2006, ''Bastanak'' had sold 3.7 million copies.

2007–11: Further success, ''Ayami Bik'' and ''Tesada'a Bemeen''

Elissa's sixth studio album '' Ayami Bik'' was released on 18 December 2007. Including one of Elissa's bigger hits "Betmoun" as well as "Awakher Al Shita" , "Ayami Bik" and "Khod Balak Alaya". '' Tesada'a Bemeen'' , her seventh studio album, was released on 26 December 2009 to massive commercial success and included one of her signature songs "Aa Bali Habibi" and the titular song of the same name, both of which received music videos. Elissa garnered her third World Music Award for the album. In November 2010, she was awarded the prize for "Best Arab Female Artist" in the Jordan Music Awards and the Big Apple Music Award for "Best Female Artist" in the Middle East a few days later. ''Tesada'a Bemeen'' received critical acclaim for its differing and darker themes and stronger vocal delivery throughout the album.

2012–15: ''Asaad Wahda'', ''Halet Hob'', and MBC ''The X Factor''

Her eighth studio album, '' Asaad Wahda'', was released on 19 June 2012. The album spawned music videos for the titular song and "Teebt Mennak". The latter's video was released the following year. During the summer of 2012, Elissa released the title song for the ''Maa Sabk Al Esrar'' series. In December 2012, Elissa was chosen to be one of the judges of '' The X Factor Arabia''; It was on the air the first four months of 2013. On 23 June 2013 Elissa received two Murex D’or awards, for the Best Lebanese Singer and Best Arabic Song for "Asaad Wahda". During the summer of 2014, Elissa released a song titled "Law" (What If), composed by

Marwan Khoury Marwan Khoury (; born February 3, 1968) is a Lebanese singer, writer, composer and music arranger. He has composed hits for artists such as Majida El Roumi, Saber Rebaï, Nawal Al Zoghbi, Assala Nasri, Najwa Karam, Fadl Shaker, Elissa (Lebanese ...

. Elissa released her ninth studio album '' Halet Hob'' in July 2014. The album included covers of the songs "Awel Mara" and "Helwa Ya Baladi" . She released the first music video of "Hob Kol Hayaty" on 12 December 2014. Elissa returned as a judge on ''The X Factor'' for its second season on 14 March 2015. Elissa released her cover version of "

Mawtini "" ( ; ) is an Arabic national poem by the Palestinian poet Ibrahim Tuqan, composed by the Lebanese musician Mohammed Flayfel in 1934, and is a popular patriotic song among the Arab people, and the official national anthem of Iraq. Mawtini w ...

" on 29 April 2015, along with its music video. The second video from her ninth studio album was released on 14 May 2015, for "Ya Merayti". The titular song was released as the final single in early 2016. The lyric video of "Halet Hob" has amassed more than 100 million views on

2016–17: ''Saharna Ya Leil''

Elissa released her tenth studio album '' Saharna Ya Leil'' on 9 September 2016, which included the titular single of the same name, "Maliket El Ehsas" and "Aaks Elli Shayfenha." Despite not being released as a single, the lyric video for "Maktooba Leek" amassed over 270 million views (as of March 2024) on Rotana's official YouTube page, becoming the most watched video on their channel. The following year, Elissa released a music video for "Aaks Elli Shayfenha". Directed by Angy Jammal, the video reached 3 million views during its first week of release and as of August 2019, has garnered over 60 million views on YouTube. In May 2017, Elissa announced that she is the new face of Freshlook Air Optix Colors. In August 2017, Elissa was featured on ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' Middle East English edition's August cover and gave a concert as part of Beirut Holidays Festival 2017. On 14 August, Elissa released a remix for the song "Ana Majnouni" which was previously released 3 years ago. "Ana Majnouni" marked the third collaboration with her brother Camil Khoury and amassed more than half a million plays during its first 2 days of release. In early September, it was announced that Elissa will be one of the new '' The Voice: Ahla Sawt'' season 4 coaches alongside Emirati singer Ahlam, Lebanese singer

Assi El Hallani Mohammed Muzen El Hallani (), widely known as Assi El Hallani; born 28 November 1970), is a Lebanese singer and actor. El Helani's musical career started after winning Studio Al Fan, a TV program for young artists, at the age of 17. Biography ...

, and Egyptian singer

Mohamed Hamaki Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed El Hamaki ( ; born 4 November 1975) is an Egyptian singer. In 2010, he won the "Best Arabia Act" award from 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards and the Music Award in 2006, for ''"Ahla Haga Fiki"''. He wa ...

2018–2020: ''Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni'' and ''Sahbit Raey''

On 11 July 2018, Elissa released the first lead single titled " Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni" from her eleventh studio album of the same name. On 16 July 2018, Elissa released a promotional single from the album entitled "Krahni", produced by her brother Camil Khoury. Khoury additionally produced the songs "Maridit Ehtimam" and "Enta W Maii" on the album. '' Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni'' was released on 25 July 2018. The album also includes a cover of Warda's song "Wahashtouni". On 7 August 2018, Elissa released the music video for "Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni" where in the music video, Elissa disclosed her breast cancer diagnosis in late December 2017 along with her treatment and recovery. The music video went viral and amassed more than 9 million views during its first week of release. On 10 August 2018, Elissa gave a concert as part of

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

Holidays Festival 2018; among the attendees was

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

entertainer Lubluba. She also gave a concert in

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

. In September 2018, the Lebanese Information Minister honored Elissa for her career. In October 2018, Elissa hinted at possible problems with label Rotana due to their exclusive deal with the

-based music streaming service

Deezer Deezer is a List of companies of France, French music streaming service and media service provider founded in 2007 that provides users with access to a vast library of music tracks, podcasts, and radio stations. It offers streaming services in ...

, prompting the immediate removal of her entire discography from online digital services such as

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

and

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

along with various Rotana-signed artists. On 22 April 2019 she released the music video for her song "Krahni". In November 2018, Elissa announced on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

that she had begun work on her upcoming twelfth studio album. On 18 January 2019, Elissa performed a

benefit concert A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate h ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. In July, she announced a partnership with makeup artist Bassam Fattouh, releasing an eyeshadow palette titled 'The Star'. On 22 July, a promotional song for

Telecom Egypt Telecom Egypt (), is Egypt's primary telephone company. It started in 1854 with the first telegraph line in Egypt. In 1998, it replaced the former Arab Republic of Egypt National Telecommunication Organization (ARENTO). The company has a fixed- ...

's 'WE' mobile service titled "Abl Ay Had" was released and as of August 2019, gained over 15 million views on YouTube. On 18 August 2019, she initially announced her retirement from the music industry via Twitter, stating her then-upcoming twelfth studio album would be her last and describing the music industry field as "similar to the mafias." The news of her retirement shocked fans and fellow artists as the hashtag #كلنااليسا (English: "We are all Elissa") began to trend on Twitter, being offered support for the singer by fans and artists alike. Later, it was revealed that she had retracted her intention to retire and considered negotiations with Rotana. On 18 July 2020, Elissa announced her twelfth studio album '' Sahbit Raey'' and released the lead single of the same name on 23 July. The album was followed by two singles titled "Hanghani Kaman Wi Kaman" and "Ahwet El Madi", which were released on 11 April and 25 May respectively and were later included in the track listing. An initial cover for the album/single with suggestive themes had caused controversy among audiences and had prompted Elissa's management to have it replaced with a different cover. The album was released exclusively on

and Rotana's official YouTube channel during the

Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the ...

season on 1 August. The album's final song features a French-language cover of "

Mourir sur scène "Mourir sur scène" () is a 1983 song by Dalida, written by Michel Jouveaux and Jeff Barnel, and is often recognized as her most iconic late-career song. Today, it is widely considered to be one of the most popular French songs in music history. ...

" by Egyptian-born Italian-French artist

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida (, ; ), was an Italian naturalized French singer and actress. Leading an international career, Dalida has sold over 140 million records worldwide. Some ...

. The album was her last to be released by Rotana; departing the label after 16 years.

2022–present: E-Records, ''Ana Sekketen'' and YouTube channel controversy

In 2022, Elissa's Rotana-owned catalogue was reinstated on digital streaming platforms, such as Anghami, after a four-year absence. On 4 May of that year, she released a duet with

Saad Lamjarred Saad Bachir Lamjarred (; born 7 April 1985) is a Moroccan singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, and record producer. He is widely known for his music video " LM3ALLEM" which received over 1 billion views on YouTube, making it ...

titled "Min Awel Dekika." The song became a significant success and as of January 2025, its music video amassed over 500 million views on YouTube; making it Elissa's most viewed video on the platform. She then released the single "Zahra Men El Yasmin" on 12 July. Later that year she established her own record label titled "E-Records" and began work on her thirteenth studio album. The first release under the label was the song "Ana W Bass" on 16 August 2022 and was purported to be the lead single from her then-upcoming album. On 7 May 2024, she announced and released her thirteenth studio album '' Ana Sekketen''.

Personal life and political views

In 2014, Elissa took to social media to condemn the atrocities committed by

ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

against minorities, stating "I'm Lebanese and I'm proudly

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, shame on such people." Elissa is an outspoken advocate of women's rights in the Middle East. An advocate for

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

awareness, Elissa revealed her previously private diagnosis and defeat of an early stage of the disease with the release of her music video for "Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni"; previously keeping it a secret from both the press and general public from her diagnosis in late 2017. The video ends with the following message: ''"I've recovered, I've beaten the illness and I won... Early detection of breast cancer can save your life... Don't ignore it, face it... Do it not only for yourself, but for your loved ones."'' Many applauded her for "breaking the taboo" of breast cancer awareness in the Middle East and therefore influenced and encouraged women to be checked for the disease. The hashtags #Elissa (اليسا#) and #To_All_Who_Love_Me (الى_كل_اللي_بيحبوني#) began to trend in

and surrounding countries in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. In October 2018, Elissa was chosen as an ambassador for a breast cancer awareness campaign in

. Elissa is a supporter of the

Lebanese Forces The Lebanese Forces ( ') is a Lebanon, Lebanese Christianity in Lebanon, Christian-based political party and Lebanese Forces (militia), former militia during the Lebanese Civil War. It currently holds 19 of the 128 seats in Lebanon's Parliamen ...

party and its leader,

Samir Geagea Samir Farid Geagea (, , also spelled Samir Ja'ja' ; born 25 October 1952) is a Lebanese politician and former militia commander who has been the leader of the Lebanese Forces Lebanese Forces, political party and Lebanese Forces (militia ...

, backing him for the presidency before the

election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...

of Michel Aoun. In October 2023, she expressed her solidarity with

Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...

civilians in the

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...

by posting a tweet featuring a

Palestinian flag The flag of the State of Palestine () is a tricolour of three equal horizontal stripes—black, white, and green from top to bottom—overlaid by a red triangle issuing from the hoist. It displays the pan-Arab colours, which were first comb ...

with a quote that says "if you cannot lift the injustice, at least tell everyone about it." In 2024, she wore the Palestinian keffiye and the Palestinian flag during two massively successful concerts in Malmo and Stockholm in Sweden and spoke against Israeli crimes in Gaza before a crowd of 30,000 people.

Discography

Studio albums

* '' Baddy Doub'' (1998) * ''

'' (2000) * ''

'' (2002) * ''

'' (2004) * '' Bastanak'' (2006) * '' Ayami Bik'' (2007) * '' Tesada'a Bemeen'' (2009) * '' Asaad Wahda'' (2012) * '' Halet Hob'' (2014) * '' Saharna Ya Leil'' (2016) * '' Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni'' (2018) * '' Sahbit Raey'' (2020) * '' Ana Sekketen'' (2024)

Compilations

* '' Best of Elissa'' (2011)

EPs

* ''Aghani Min Hayati (Live)'' (2021)

Singles and charted songs

Collaborations

* ''Betghib Betrouh'' (with

)

000 Triple zero, Zero Zero Zero, 0-0-0 or variants may refer to: * 000 (emergency telephone number), the Australian emergency telephone number * 000, the size of several small List of screw drives, screw drives * 0-0-0, a Droid (Star Wars)#0-0-0, dro ...

* ''Lebanese Night'' (feat.

)

002 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to: Airports *0O2, Baker Airport *O02, Nervino Airport Astronomy *1996 OO2, the minor planet 7499 L'Aquila *1990 OO2, the asteroid 9175 Graun Fiction *002, fictional British 00 Agent *''002 Operazione Luna'' ...

* ''Kount Fi Sirtak'' (feat.

Cheb Mami Mohamed Khelifati (; born 11 July 1966), better known by his stage name Cheb Mami (), is an Algerians, Algerian musician and singer-songwriter. He sings and speaks in Algerian Arabic and sometimes in Mashriqi Arabic, Eastern Arabic dialects or ...

)

006 Alec Trevelyan is a fictional character who is the main antagonist in the 1995 James Bond film ''GoldenEye,'' portrayed by actor Sean Bean. Bean's likeness was also used as the model for Alec Trevelyan in the 1997 video game '' GoldenEye 007' ...

* ''Jouwa El Roh'' (feat.

Fadel Chaker Fadel Abdul Rahman Shamander Chaker ( ; also transliterated as Fadl Shaker, born 1 April 1969) is a Lebanese-Palestinian singer and actor. During his musical career he was signed to Al Khouyoul Records and from 2003 onwards with Rotana Records ...

)

009 009 may refer to: * OO9, gauge model railways * O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport * 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California * British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent * BA 009, see British Airways Flight ...

* ''Wara El-Shababik'' (feat.

Tamer Hosny Tamer Hosny Sherif Abbas Farghaly (; born 16 August 1977), known by his stage name Tamer Hosny (), is an Egyptian singer and actor. He first came to public attention when he appeared on mixed tapes with other Egyptian artists. Hosny launched his ...

)

017 017 may refer to: * DOL-017, GameCube console * '' Global Underground 017'', DJ mix album * Road FC 017, 2014 Mixed Martial Arts event * Swift 017.n, racing car * Tyrrell 017, Formula One racing car See also * 17 (disambiguation) Seventeen o ...

* ''Efrah'' (feat.

)

022 022 may refer to: * Leduc 022, a French prototype aircraft * Tyrrell 022 The Tyrrell 022 was the car with which the Tyrrell Racing, Tyrrell team competed in the 1994 Formula One World Championship. The car was powered by the Yamaha Motor Compan ...

* ''Min Awel Dekika'' (feat.

)

Videography

Filmography

* '' It's OK'' - a

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

original documentary film about the singer's life (2024)

Audio works

* ''Elissa - The Podcast'' on

(2021), in which she advocates for

LGBTQ rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Nota ...

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

, and tackles several other contemporary issues

Awards and nominations

Charts

Asaad Wahda

Halet Hob

Saharna Ya Leil

Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elissa 1971 births Living people 21st-century Lebanese women singers World Music Awards winners Rotana Records artists Lebanese film actresses Lebanese television actresses Lebanese Maronites Lebanese people of Syrian descent People from Deir el Ahmar 20th-century Lebanese women singers Lebanese University alumni Universal Music Group artists Singers who perform in Egyptian Arabic Singers who perform in Classical Arabic Performers of Christian music in Arabic Arabic-language singers of Lebanon