Text Farah Ibrahim

To be a teen in the Arab world during the early aughts meant one thing and one thing only: mindlessly ingesting TV channels like Melody Hits, Mazzika and Rotana for hours on end after school— and on the weekends— and any other downtime, really. It was the pre-evolutionary TikTok. Who doesn’t remember the first time they saw the 2003 music video for ‘Enta Aref Leh’ by Ruby? There she was, wearing a baby pink glittery belly dance suit and standing tall in central London as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It redefined what it must look like to be a fashion-forward, empowered Arab woman. Standing in the middle of a European metropolis shik shak shoking away with no care in the world. Ruby was living the dream.

Was this the most iconic Y2K fashion moment of all Arab music videos? Perhaps not, but it does beg the question: If not, then what is? The style trends that had us in a chokehold back in the early 2000s are having a real moment in fashion today. In no particular order, let’s break down the most memorable looks we saw from Arab pop divas.

Myriam Fares in ‘Nadini’ (2005)

Myriam Fares’ baggy cargoes and off-shoulder crop top in ‘Nadini’ (2005) was a rare moment in Arab pop when the urban, skater girl aesthetic made its way onto our screens. Think Avril Lavigne in ‘Sk8r Boi’ (2002), but ramped up. Those hips certainly don’t lie.

Nancy Ajram in ‘Akhasmak Ah’ (2004)

This look is a curious case of the Mandela effect. Although I could have sworn this pop queen was rocking a tight galabeya in some random Egyptian qahwa, she is actually wearing a black bodycon dress and stacks of gold bangles, channelling a particular Alexandria girl aesthetic. Paired with chunky red highlights and a dark smokey eye, this was about as demure as demure can get.

Ruby in ‘Leih Beydari Keda’ (2004)

It’s not fair to say ‘Leh Beydari Keda’ (2004) was an iconic video in the early aughts because Ruby is still THAT girl. Many still scream when this banger comes on, which is firmly at the top of any 2000s pop playlist. The gym bike, the Adidas set, the impossibly tiny red dumbbells. This Egyptian beauty rocked the athleisure trend before it was ever a thing, and had us all in a collective chokehold ever since. Ruby crawled so the pilates princesses of TikTok could run.

Haifa Wehbe in ‘El Wawa’ (2010)

The plunge-cut dress is inarguably one of the most risqué cuts to rock, absolutely perfect for the unanimous kitty cat of the Arab world, Haifa Wehbe, to pair with her most controversial song, ‘El Wawa’ (2010). We won’t get into what this song is actually about, but what is inarguable is that this mauve and orange number had us gagged when this bop dropped, and it still stands strong today.

Cyrine Abdelnour in ‘Law Bass Fe Eyne’ (2006)

This 2006 video is something out of a cottage core fever dream. Set in the countryside, the lookbook for this track marries rural grandma with Romani-inspired silhouettes, giving Cyrine’s styling an air of Esmerelda in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). This velvet teal corset paired with a patchwork maxi skirt is an art piece. Timeless doesn’t cut it for this one.

Nawal al Zoghbi in ‘Elly Etmanetoh’ (2002)

The two-tone bleach, the leather crop top, the silver belt, and the glaring turquoise background…this music video had 2000s kitsch down to a tee. The cherry on top is her skinny, tweezed brows and unblended lipliner, a trademark of the Y2K era. Come to think of it, this is probably what Berghain looked like in 2002.

Darine in ‘Aiwa’ (2005)

Studded velcro belts and denim chains were all the rage in the early aughts, and are all the rage right now. The bad girl Coyote Ugly (2002) aesthetic in this music video is, for lack of a better term, extremely hyperpop. Darine was an early, Lebanese rendition of Hannah Diamond. We’re not sure what she is up to now, but we need her now more than ever.

Nicole Saba in ‘Ana Tabee Keda’ (2009)

The girls who get it, get it. With kitten heels, pin-straight hair, and a purple basketball overall that is still somewhat perplexing even today, Nicole Saba was ahead of her time with this drop. Not only was this look equal parts hot and weird, but we could argue that the vision and lyrics in this dance track render it a feminist anthem. Arab baddies, unite.

Maya Diab in ‘Ya Antar’ (2004) by 4 Cats

This crimson dress is just undeniable, not to mention the Victoria’s Secret Angel blowout and cinematic fan cameo. 4 Cats were not playing around. There’s nothing like a red number to channel that inner bombshell, and Maya Diab has carried this glammed-up aesthetic forth to her successful solo career today.

Sherine in ‘Sabry Aalil’ (2003)

There’s a lot to unpack here. This lace sheer number with the exposed bra drove many people hysterical. This was risqué, this was a MOMENT. A little midriff, a boyish pixie cut and the chunky blonde highlights. Sherine’s style choices during the beginning of her career were equal parts cheeky and tomboy. Carry on, queen.