London-based Ethiopian-Egyptian artist, producer, and visual creative Alewya has unveiled the official video for “Maktoub,” the latest single from her forthcoming debut album ZERO, due June 26 via LDN Records.
Meaning “it is written” in Arabic, “Maktoub” is among Alewya’s most powerful statements to date, blending industrial production with global rhythmic influences to create a track that feels both deeply rooted and entirely forward-looking. Themes of destiny, resistance, faith, and self-determination run throughout the song, offering another glimpse into the expansive world she has built on ZERO.
The accompanying visual is every bit as ambitious as the music itself. Filmed in Ethiopia’s Afar region, the video finds Alewya immersed in one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Reaching the remote location required a two-hour flight from Addis Ababa followed by an eight-hour journey across the country, with the production team camping and hiking through volcanic terrain along the way.
Afar occupies a remarkable geographical position at the meeting point of three tectonic plates and is widely regarded as one of the hottest and lowest places on the planet. Temperatures regularly exceed 50 degrees Celsius, while portions of the landscape sit more than 125 meters below sea level. Yet despite the harsh conditions, the region has long been home to the fiercely independent Afar people, whose history is defined by resilience and resistance.
For Alewya, the setting carries both personal and symbolic significance.
“Afar is where my worlds meet, where three tectonic plates converge: Arabian, Nubian, Somali,” she explains. “It is the birthplace of humanity, and a land where a new ocean is forming beneath my feet. The Afar people are warriors who have lived on their own terms for centuries, and the women carry a grace that makes me feel close to God. For ‘Maktoub,’ with Teddy’s vocals blessing the track, it felt right to create from the closest place to the beginning.”
The song features a sample from legendary Ethiopian singer-songwriter Teddy Afro, an artist whose music served as a cultural touchstone throughout Alewya’s upbringing. The inclusion further reinforces the project’s exploration of ancestry, identity, and spiritual connection.
While “Maktoub” arrives with a sweeping visual narrative, the song itself emerged naturally. Alewya describes the creative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
“Sometimes songs take time to reveal themselves, but ‘Maktoub’ felt immediate and effortless from day one,” she says.
That intuitive approach runs throughout ZERO, an album that draws from Alewya’s Ethiopian and Egyptian heritage while refusing to be confined by traditional genre boundaries. Previous singles including “City of Symbols,” “Night Drive,” “Eshi,” and “Selah” have hinted at a body of work shaped equally by club culture, spiritual exploration, global rhythms, and experimental electronic production.
Alewya co-produced the album alongside longtime collaborators Craigie Dodds and Dean Barrett, with additional contributions from Busy Twist and executive production from UK jungle and drum-and-bass pioneer Shy FX.
Long celebrated for her multidisciplinary vision, Alewya first emerged through visual art, graffiti, and animation before turning to music as a way to bring her creative worlds together. Her 2021 debut project Panther in Mode established her as one of the UK’s most exciting new voices, earning acclaim for its fearless blend of electronic experimentation, Afro-diasporic influences, and striking visual storytelling.
Since then, she has continued to expand her reach through a COLORS performance, collaborations with Moses Boyd, appearances at Glastonbury, Pitchfork Paris, and Meltdown, and tours alongside Little Simz.
With ZERO arriving June 26, Alewya appears poised to deliver the defining statement of her career so far. If “Maktoub” is any indication, the album will be creating an entirely new world of its own.
Featured image credit: Lee Trigg
