Sherine Abdelwahab, the Egyptian singer known for her powerhouse voice, remains undeterred despite relentless scrutiny from the media and the public, who frequently pry into her personal life. The music industry may have tried to break her down, as it has with many women before her, but the Eih Eih hitmaker refuses to be silenced.
In the latest chapter of her ongoing legal battle, which comes just one month after Abdelwahab filed a police report against her ex-husband Hossam Habib accusing him of assault, the superstar found herself at odds with Rotana, the music company, over the release of her new songs. Just hours after she launched two new tracks on a YouTube channel she created, Rotana swiftly deleted them, escalating the already tense situation. The conflict between the singer and Rotana centers around a legal dispute, with both sides firmly holding to their interpretations of the contract that binds them. Rotana insists that their contract with Abdelwahab is still valid, while the singer argues that it has ended. This disagreement has now moved into the judiciary’s hands, with both parties preparing for a prolonged legal confrontation.
In response to Rotana’s actions, which included taking control of her social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter, the 43-year-old decided to take matters into her own hands. She created new accounts on Facebook and X, and launched a new YouTube channel, determined to regain control of her music.
Rotana, in turn, issued a detailed statement in response to the singer’s announcement of terminating her contract and releasing her new album independently. The company accused Abdelwahab of breaching their agreement, claiming that she was still under contract and had failed to fulfill her obligations. They cited a court ruling that ordered Sherine to pay a substantial fine for her alleged breach and warned other companies against contracting with her until the legal dispute is resolved.
The artist, however, has refuted these claims, stating that she delivered the required songs to Rotana years ago, only for them to be released sporadically rather than as a full album, which she believes violated their agreement. She expressed her frustration, questioning how a star of her caliber could go five or six years without releasing a complete album.
Abdelwahab’s legal team has also taken action, submitting a warning to Rotana for causing the deletion of her songs from YouTube and filing for financial compensation for the material and moral losses incurred by their client. They are confident that once the platform reviews the legal documents, her songs will be restored, further strengthening her position in this ongoing battle.
But what truly cements Abdelwahab’s status as a badass is her strategic use of TikTok. In a bold move, the singer has taken to TikTok to promote her new album, bypassing traditional channels and engaging directly with her fans. Since Aug. 11, she has been sharing snippets of her new tracks on the platform, showing that she is not waiting for the legal battle to play out before continuing her career. Instead, she is forging ahead on her own terms, using her social media presence to maintain her connection with her audience, and simply taking matters into her own hands, as she should.
But why is it that Abdelwahab, like so many women in the public eye, is subjected to such relentless scrutiny and baseless public degradation? It’s a reflection of a troubling trend where legal disputes and media coverage often invade personal privacy and dignity, particularly for women. The singer isn’t just fighting her record label, but taking a stand against a culture that seeks to diminish her power and voice, and many like her, and for that, we can only wish her the best.
