MOROCCAN-AMERICAN R&B POWERHOUSE ABIR ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM + RELEASES NEW SINGLE
Moroccan-American powerhouse ABIR returns with the announcement of her highly anticipated sophomore album, THE GAME, available now for pre-save. Alongside the news, she shares her powerful and self reflective new single “Nothing New”, out now on all streaming platforms via EMPIRE.
Blending smoky R&B with haunting melodies and subtle nods to her Moroccan heritage, ABIR turns heartbreak into catharsis with her signature fusion of vulnerability and vocal power. “Nothing New” is a strikingly honest reflection on emotional blind spots, opening with ABIR naming the many people in her life who think her partner is the worst. Friends, family, and everyone in between weigh in, their warnings echoing the quiet doubt she has been carrying inside. As she sings through the dissonance of staying with someone she knows is not good for her, the track captures that deeply human tension when love makes it nearly impossible to let go, even when the red flags are so clear you feel them both emotionally and physically.
On the single ABIR shares, “‘Nothing New’ is about the comfort we find in chaos even when we know better. There’s always that moment when you admit to yourself you’ve stayed not because it’s right, but because it’s familiar, and maybe easier than leaving? I wanted to put those feelings into a song because I know so many people are stuck in that same fight.”
“Nothing New” follows ABIR’s recent EP THE TIP OFF, which featured fan favorites “Butterflies,” “Made For You,” and “Something Real.” These tracks will now be part of her forthcoming full-length album THE GAME, a bold and emotionally layered project that explores love not as a fairytale, but as a mirror of self reflection. The album unpacks the idea that love is a game you play with yourself, one that requires honesty, self-awareness, and the courage to face your ego, your fears, and the patterns that no longer serve you. THE GAME is a journey into what it really means to show up for someone else by first showing up for yourself.
On the album ABIR shares, “My forthcoming album ‘The Game’ is a collection of stories I’ve lived and others I’ve watched unfold either through friends, relationships, and honestly even some of my favorite films. The album throughline is really about how love tends to mirror a game that’s not just with someone else, but with yourself. It’s ego, fear, and patterns that keep playing out until you learn what needs to change to break them. Each song represents a different quarter and what it takes to stick it out through every phase to hopefully come out winning.”
Recognized by Billboard as one of the “most exciting new voices” in contemporary music, ABIR, the Morocco-born, Los Angeles-based artist, has become a standout figure in pop, praised for her blend of R&B and dance grooves. She first garnered global attention with her RIAA gold-certified hit “Finest Hour,” a collaboration with electronic trio Cash Cash, which topped iTunes’ Dance Songs chart for eight weeks and became a Top 40 staple. Following that success, ABIR released her debut EP MINT (RIAA platinum certified), featuring tracks like “Tango” and “Young & Rude,” earning over half a billion streams and acclaim from outlets like Idolator and Complex. Known for infusing traditional Arab music into her pop/R&B sound, ABIR’s artistry has evolved with her EP, HEAT, reflecting her more profound connection to her roots. With her recent release of THE TIP OFF and her future release of THE GAME, her first full length project in nearly four years, ABIR continues to break boundaries and inspire as she reshapes the narrative for Arab women in modern music.
THE GAME TRACKLIST
1. Butterflies
2. Made 4 U
3. Q+A
4. Love Ain’t Blind
5. So Dumb
6. Holy Water
7. Nothing New
8. The Game
9. Something Real
10. Prove My Love
11. 11:11
12. Stretch Marks
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