Music Matters: Who to see at Azimuth  

DUBAI: James Gunn’s new “Superman” film is drawing attention online for what many viewers interpret as a pointed political message. 

A scene showing a heavily armed military force attacking civilians across a border, where children’s lives are at risk, has sparked comparisons to the Israel-Gaza war.

While neither Gunn nor the cast have stated the film references Israel or Palestine, early audiences have drawn their own conclusions, suggesting the conflict serves as an allegorical backdrop.

One user wrote on X: “Y’all were not kidding about how anti-Israel and pro-Palestine that superman movie was, and they were not slick with it AT ALL,” while another said: “Superman was so openly anti-Israel and god it was so good.” 

Another user said: “Not going to lie I really like the anti-Israel sentiment from superman and now I know James Gunn is always standing on business.” 

Though the film never names specific nations, Gunn has said in interviews that it tackles themes of “politics” and “morality,” and positions Superman as an immigrant, comments that have also sparked backlash from some US conservatives.

The film is a reboot of the DC franchise and marks the beginning of Gunn’s new DC Universe. It stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. The cast also includes Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl.

The movie was released in Saudi Arabia on July 10. 

DHAHRAN: Palestinian-Jordanian artist Zeyne is here for her close-up — and she’s bringing the inspirational women in her family along. 

Zeyne’s latest single “Hilwa” dropped this week and the artwork — shot by Zaid Allozi — shows three women interlocked by their braided hair. 

“The image shows three generations — me, my mother, and my grandmother — all connected by one continuous braid. It’s a symbol of inheritance; the quiet strength and love passed from one woman to the next,” Zeyne tells Arab News. “The braid holds the kind of love that isn’t always spoken, but is deeply felt and remembered.” 

The 27-year-old is using her music to reclaim narrative, identity and joy — singing of Arab womanhood in its most defiant, soulful and cinematic form. 

“We shot (the artwork) in a handmade mudbrick house in the Jordan Valley, built using traditional Levantine methods. These homes — found across Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon — aren’t just sustainable, they carry memory. They connect us to land, to lineage, and to something deeper,” Zeyne says.  

“Hilwa” is an uplifting anthem released via Saudi-based MDLBEAST Records, in partnership with Zeyne’s own label, Scarab Records.  

“When we saw the vision Zeyne and her team had, it was a no brainer, we were ready to jump right in and help amplify what was already there and build together towards a sustainable, long-running, global project stemming from the heart of the MENA region,” Talal Albahiti, COO and head of talent at MDLBEAST, tells Arab News. “MDLBEAST Records always champions the upcoming hard workers and visionaries, and Zeyne exemplifies these qualities perfectly.”  

Following Zeyne’s 2024 hit “Asli Ana,” which reimagined Arab rhythmic traditions through a futuristic lens, “Hilwa” pays homage to her mother and grandmother, whose love and wisdom deeply shaped her sense of identity. “While ‘Asli Ana’ was about resistance, ‘Hilwa’ is softer,” she says.  

Through Zeyne’s reflective lyrics and emotional vocal delivery, “Hilwa” explores how beauty and self-worth are inherited — not just genetically, but through stories, memories, and values passed down by generations of Arab women. “You’re so beautiful and no one can say otherwise,” she sings at one point. 

Born Zein Sajdi in Amman in 1997, Zeyne was raised in a household where music and culture were key. Her father was a record collector, her mother led a dabke troupe, and her sister trained as a classical pianist. Zeyne began performing aged five and was already writing her own lyrics in her teens. 

She studied sociology and media communications at the University of Sussex in the UK, but the COVID-19 pandemic redirected her path. Returning to Amman in 2020, she turned her full attention to music — writing, recording and developing her distinct sound. 

Since the release of her 2021 debut single, “Minni Ana,” Zeyne has carved a singular lane in Arab pop — merging traditional Arabic sounds with modern, genre-defying production. Since then, she has released several acclaimed singles, collaborated with artists including Palestinian singer-songwriter Saint Levant, and written for fellow Jordanian-Palestinian musician Issam Alnajjar, Lebanese-Canadian singer-songwriter Massari, and the acclaimed Chilean-Palestinian star Elyanna.  

With more than 46 million streams across various platforms, Zeyne’s music has become a touchstone for Arab youth globally, offering a sound that is intimate, cinematic and emotionally resonant. Her boundary-pushing sound and evocative vocals have established her as one of the region’s most important cultural voices.  

Earlier this year, she launched a three-stop regional mini tour, “The Golden-Hour Run,” that included a landmark performance at the OffLimits Festival in the UAE and stadium appearances as a special guest on Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour in Qatar and Bahrain, where she performed to over 65,000 people.  

She became the first female artist from the Levant to appear on the globally renowned music platform COLORS with her song “Ma Bansak,” and a viral performance in collaboration with Bottega Veneta blurred the lines between fashion, music, and Palestinian resistance. 

But Zeyne’s influence stretches far beyond music.  

As an EQUAL Arabia ambassador, she lit up Times Square in New York City, solidifying her status as an emerging symbol of contemporary Arab identity and woman empowerment. Her inclusion in the DAZED Global 100 further cemented her status as a fearless voice reshaping representation and storytelling in and beyond the region. 

“Hilwa” captures all of that—vulnerability, defiance, and a deep sense of generational continuity. On Instagram, she wrote that the song stems from an assembly line of greatness, and is “a love letter to all the women in my life — my mother, my grandmother and even my younger self — you are beautiful, and no words can say otherwise.” 

This summer, Zeyne brings that message to the stage. She will perform in London on July 19 and 20, Paris on July 22, and Jerash on July 28, before heading to Saudi Arabia for back-to-back concerts in Riyadh on Aug. 7 and Jeddah on Aug. 8.