Tunisian artist Latifa said that she chose the song "Shabbahi Bil-Melli" as the title of her new album because it seemed closest to her personality and her human and artistic situation. According to Latifa, she did not treat the song simply as one she liked, but found in it a space of love, gratitude and joy in life, feelings that she considers reflect her way of seeing the world.
In an interview with Al Sharq Al Awsat, Latifa indicated that the album title also expresses the idea she wanted to convey to the public. She noted that listeners will find aspects of her personality that they already know, but at the same time will discover details and new dimensions that did not appear in the same way in her previous works. She affirmed that "the title of any album must be linked to its general spirit, and that is what I found in this name".
Latifa explained that her relationship with life, love and the people around her was clearly reflected in the album overall. She expressed that she likes the idea of a person being a support for those she loves, encouraging them and always seeing the beautiful aspects in them. "I try even in the most difficult circumstances to seek hope and positive energy that helps me continue," she said, noting that this artistically inclines her towards songs that have a clear feeling and different music at the same time.
Latifa confirmed that the selection of songs for "Shabbahi Bil-Melli" took a long time, especially because she treats music as her passion in life and not just as a profession. She indicated that she can spend months listening to works, choosing among them and changing some details, because she is not just looking for a good song, but one that she feels is appropriate for her specifically and through which she can add something new to her artistic experience.
She noted that she was "determined to achieve diversity within the album, both in themes and in melodies and arrangements, but at the same time did not want diversity to become dispersion". She explained that "there is a single thread that unites all the songs, and it is my personal feeling and my way of expressing myself; this link is what ultimately gives the work a unique identity despite its different musical forms".
Latifa spoke about her collaboration with different generations of music producers, considering that "this diversity is a necessity for any artist who wants to continue and evolve, no matter how long and rich their history, not allowing themselves to close themselves off from their previous experiences or always work with the same names and ideas".
She noted that she does not hesitate to discard some songs that she personally likes if she feels they do not belong to the final image of the album, clarifying that liking a song does not necessarily mean it is appropriate to release it at the same time. She confirmed that some works can be postponed to another project, while she keeps others until finding the right moment for them, because her main objective is to present a coherent album and not simply a collection of songs.
She explained that the way she released "Shabbahi Bil-Melli" was influenced by the great change that has occurred in music listening habits. While previously the public waited for the complete album and listened to it from beginning to end, it now tends to give each song its own time. However, she emphasised her commitment to the idea of the complete album, affirming that "releasing songs in phases does not mean abandoning the unity of the project, which ultimately contains 13 songs".
Latifa confirmed that she follows the public's reaction to the songs and is pleased by the responses she receives, but does not let social media or trending indicators determine her artistic decisions. She clarified that "social media has become an important tool to shorten the distance between her and her public, and she benefits from knowing which songs touch people, but ultimately trusts her artistic vision and conviction, because turning trends into a criterion for musical work can harm the artist and lead them to repetition".
The Tunisian artist said that for her the notion of competition is not related to monitoring what other artists are offering or trying to respond to their successes, but lies in each artist presenting the best of themselves. She noted that she does not begin her day thinking that an artist released a song and therefore must present something similar, because she has her own project, audience and vision.
She confirmed that "the quality of the work remains more important than calculations related to the release dates of works by other artists, although she is completely aware of the nature of the season and the movement of the market", considering that "having many good musical works during a single season is something positive in the end and benefits the public".
Latifa spoke about her musical project with late composer Ziad Al-Rahbani, affirming that she does not treat it as an ordinary album, but as an artistic and human case that has special value in her career. She explained that "the work acquired greater importance after I recorded it with Al-Rahbani in France before his death, and each song is now linked to a memory, to a situation, to his voice and his presence, which made handling the project completely different".
She added that "the release of the works I recorded with Ziad Al-Rahbani is not linked only to choosing a date, but is governed by a series of production, artistic and rights details that must first be completed", explaining that her feelings towards the project changed after his death, as each song acquired an additional meaning and a special human connection. For this reason, she wants the works to reach the public in a way that does justice to the artistic and human value of Ziad Al-Rahbani.
