Lella Fadda isn’t one to let a mispronunciation slide—she’ll promptly correct you if you don’t get her name right.
In an interview discussing her breakthrough role in the acclaimed Egyptian TV series ‘El Prince,’ she made sure to assert her identity with unwavering confidence.
That assertive moment is looped into the opening of her first track, ‘Fokak Meni,’ featured on her forthcoming debut album. Produced by Abyusif, the song has a hard-hitting jersey club beat, with a surprise computer startup sound serving as the drop. Lella effortlessly delivers her dreamy yet bold stream-of-consciousness Arabic lyrics, pushing the boundaries of the soundscape.
‘Fokak Meni’ emerges as every Arab baddie’s anthem—a sentiment reinforced by its deliciously chaotic music video, directed by Hossam Hilmy and Bouhdist of CULT. The video boldly encourages viewers to break free, embrace their true selves, and disregard anyone—especially men—who question their actions.
Born in Milan, Italy, and raised in Heliopolis, Cairo, Lella Fadda was shaped by her Italian mother and pioneer Egyptian photographer father, Khaled Fadda, who has shot everyone from El-Sisi to Tamer Hosny. Accompanying her father to shoots from a young age, she grew comfortable around cameras. While pursuing her bachelor’s in business administration and marketing at MIU in Cairo, Lella’s trajectory shifted when she ventured into the entertainment world, securing a role in ‘El Prince’ during her second year of university.
Lella’s earliest musical memory takes her back to the age of four, standing before the mirror and singing Shakira lyrics. By thirteen, she’d already made her mark, sharing covers on YouTube and Soundcloud, earning herself a dedicated fan base, often putting her own twist on songs by performing them in minor keys.
In 2017, Lella’s musical journey took a significant turn when she met legendary Egyptian rapper Abyusif, who inspired her to delve into songwriting.
Their collaboration went beyond just making music; Abyusif took on the role of a mentor to Lella. 8 years later, Abyusif is executively producing Lella’s debut album.
“When I first started making music, I was just singing about myself. I was so sad at the time; it was my therapy. I was just saying everything I was going through,” Lella reflects. “But now it is much bigger, because I feel the responsibility to uplift women. It is not only my journey. I feel like, I have more cause– I am here for females.”
Sitting in Osana, a beloved local Maadi cafe, Lella Fadda radiates an air of casual confidence, wearing a black leather jacket paired with platform Doc Marten boots, and her jet-black hair tied up in a bun. Despite the fierce persona she projects in ‘Fokak Meni,’ she has a sweet, humble warmth about her that instantly makes you comfortable.
As she chats with Cosmo ME about her new album, her younger self, and everything in between, it’s evident that Lella Fadda is already a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Read our interview with Lella Fadda below:
Cosmo ME: Mabrook on, ‘Fokak Meni,’ your first single off your debut album. What can you tell us about the track?
Lella: ‘Fokak Meni’ is different because I am not trying to be a guy. I am just being a girl. I am just being feminine. I am just saying what is on my mind. And begad, begad, begad men are so privileged in that they can say whatever comes to their mind. Bas girls, we have to think all the time, how will people portray us?
All of this is shocking to some. But at the same time, it is not shocking at all. It is shocking because it is coming from an Egyptian girl. I want to push the idea that women being comfortable in their own skin is not something bad or eib, shameful. If this is your personality and you want to show it that way you should be able to. I am so happy I took this step and I hope we will see more girls comfortable in their own skin.
Perrie definitely helped pave the way as well as Almas, Nadine El Roubi, Zeina, and a lot of other people inspired me to be more myself. I wanted to show myself more as who I am, not just dreamy. People always portray me as angelic voice, dreamy vibe, always. I wanted it to be so different than me on social media.
*Begad is Egyptian-dialect for ‘for real’
*Fokak Meni literally translates to telling a man ‘untie yourself from me’ more so meaning ‘boy get away from me/leave me alone’
Cosmo ME: What can we expect from your debut album ‘MAGNÜN’ and this ‘new era’ of music you are entering?
Lella: The album is 11 tracks. Only 2 or 3 tracks aren’t produced by Abyusif. We thought of everything together and without him this album wouldn’t of happened. It has many different vibes, leaning more into the electronic and rap side. Only 1 song is more low feels. This album is a good introduction into myself and the music I am going to be doing next. I wrote most of it in Berlin and recorded in Cairo.
I am waiting for the release of my favorite track ‘Tarataratat’, set to come out in May. It’s not my song – it’s our song, a song for all women. The album is going to be out soon as well.
My love of music is the main thing that inspired the album. It is made with love and dedicated to young Lella. It’s just an album that I needed to create in order to develop more skills and be more connected to the Egyptian audience.
Cosmo ME: Who was young Lella?
Lella: Young Lella had this dream of being a singer since she was 4 years old. She was judged by every single teacher who asked, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up’ and I would respond with ‘a singer’ and the teachers would try to convince me otherwise. Young Lella had nothing except music, it was my only friend. I didn’t grow up with a lot of friends. The album is for her, it was her dream. I am doing this for her, not for me.
Cosmo ME: Who are some Arab creatives you’ve been enjoying these days?
Lella: Definitely Nadine El Roubi. I always love her videos, how she walks even has confidence. Everything she does is very satisfying to watch and at the same time her lyrics are so great. Feras Chatila— I love his music he is very jazzy, he has an angelic voice that’s out of this world. Kiiko, too. They both sing in English, and they are great, it is very unique especially coming from young talents in Egypt.
Cosmo ME: What is something that people don’t know about you that you wish they did?
Lella: I have serious anxiety. It is not easy for me to release my songs. I want people to know that creating music is hard work, I’m not just a bot.
Cosmo ME: What impact do you want to leave on the music scene?
Lella: Of course I want to be more recognized worldwide. I performed last year in Paris and Berlin, I really enjoyed it, I felt so accepted. Majority of the audience was Arab but there was this specific vibe that everyone was really missing Arab art. I felt like I could be myself fully. I don’t know what impact I specifically want to have, but I feel like it is already happening especially in the Middle East. I want to increase acceptance and get rid of the idea that just because I am a female artist I can’t do certain things.