"Emel Mathlouthi is the Tunisian-American singer-songwriter and producer who drew the global spotlight with her passionate song `Kelmti Horra' (My Word is Free), written in 2007, which became an anthem for the Tunisian Revolution and the Arab Spring after her (recorded) street performance for protestors in Tunis went viral. 17 years (...) later, the NYC-based Emel has reconfigured her sound and her identity, distilling a wealth of disparate artistic and political influences into a persona, an imprint, of astonishing import ... Female guest singers and rappers feature liberally across the album's 12 tracks, which meld everything from African trap to Arabic reggaeton, batucada, hip-hop and chaabi to juddering drum'n'bass ... Genre-less and boundary-defying, 'Mra' hits like a sucker punch. It won't be for everyone. But it is a game-changer".
