Ya Lili

"Ya Lili"
The cover of Ya Lili, featuring Balti and Hamoud riding a pedal kart.
Single by Balti and Hamouda
ReleasedOctober 28, 2017 (2017-10-28)
Genre
Length3:21
SongwriterBalti
Producers
  • Balti
  • Habibzgang
Balti and Hamouda singles chronology
"Law Le3ebti Ya Zahr"
(2017)		 "Ya Lili"
(2017)		 "Khalini Nrou9"
(2018)

"Ya Lili" (يا ليلي, lit. 'O My Night') is a song by Tunisian rapper Balti released in 2017. It features a boy named Hamouda who sings the chorus "from the point of view of a child trying to share his feelings with a dismissive mother".

The song became a hit in the Maghreb region and as of April 2024 had gained over 700 million views on YouTube. It is the most viewed video by a Tunisian artist on the platform.

In 2018, the song was nominated for the All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA) in the Best African Collaboration category, but lost to "Akwaaba" by Ghanaian artists GuiltyBeatz, Mr. Eazi, Patappa & Pappy Kojo.

In 2024, the music magazine Rolling Stone listed the song at number 36 in its list of "the 50 best Arabic pop songs of the 21st century".

References

  1. ↑ "Ya Lili (feat. Hamouda) - Song by Balti - Apple Music".
  2. 1 2 3 "The 50 Best Arabic Pop Songs of the 21st Century". Rolling Stone. 2024-04-26.
  3. ↑ "Davido, Wizkid Nominated For 2018 AFRIMA Awards". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. 2018-08-29. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
  4. ↑ "Davido, Tiwa Savage, 2Baba all emerge winners at AFRIMA 2018 [Full winners list]". Pulse Nigeria. 2018-11-25. Retrieved 2024-12-21.