* En anglais uniquement
From North Africa to New York City, singer/songwriter
Abir buffers her joyful dance-pop with a strong, soulful voice, joining the ranks of contemporaries
Dua Lipa,
Jess Glynne,
Alessia Cara, and
Daya. After contributing guest vocals to a handful of tracks early in her career, she made her solo debut in 2016 with the
Masego-assisted "Wave." She later represented Morocco in back-to-back Europa Song Contest competitions before issuing her debut EP,
Mint, in 2018. She further bridged the gap between East and West on 2020's
Heat EP, which incorporated sounds from her heritage into her style.
Born Abir Haronni in Fez, Morocco, she moved to the U.S. with her family when she was just five years old. Raised in Arlington, Virginia, she started singing soon after the family relocated, heavily influenced by
Etta James, whose CDs she listened to while cruising with her limousine-driving father. In addition to
James, Haronni also drew from her family's home continent, drawing inspiration from revered Egyptian singer
Umm Kulthum. As she grew up, formidable divas
Celine Dion,
Whitney Houston,
Sarah Vaughan, and
Beyonce influenced her style and powerful vocals.
She made her earliest appearances on tracks with rapper
Fabolous (2015's "Young OG II") and producer Illmind (2016's "Fallin") before making her solo debut with "Wave," a collaboration with
Masego. She also joined the likes of
The-Dream and
Dawn Richard on the road. From there, the then-twentysomething vocalist issued "Playground" and the attitude-packed "Girls." In 2018, she expanded her presence to an international level, representing Morocco in the seventh Europa Song Contest with her single "Way Out." Months later, she returned for its eighth tournament with "Finest Hour," a bright, electronic collaboration with American EDM group
Cash Cash. Seizing her moment, she released her first EP,
Mint, which included an acoustic version of "Finest Hour" and "Young & Rude," a carefree anthem inspired by her move to New York City. To promote the effort, she hopped on tours with
Kiiara,
Jacob Banks, and
Jess Glynne. Her second EP,
Heat, landed in the summer of 2020 and featured the single "Inferno." ~ Neil Z. Yeung