Babé Sila’s Love Letter Across Time, Borders & Traditions

There are songs that linger long after they end... Babé Sila’s new single Forever (Bhebbak) is one of those rare tracks that arrives like a deep exhale: intimate, timeless and entirely unhurried.

Born in Budapest and now based between London and New York, Babé Sila has always walked the line between cultures. With Forever (Bhebbak), the soul/r&b songstress unveils a new side of herself, both musically and emotionally. Rooted in the folk melody Bint El Shalabiya made famous by Fairuz, one of the Arab world’s most iconic voices, the song reimagines a classic through the lens of a deeply personal love story, transposing it to other cultures. You hear gentle but textured, weaving bossa nova rhythms, Spanish guitar, hypnotic jazz piano and flutes into a tapestry that feels old and new at once. “Bhebbak” means “I love you” in the Lebanese dialect, and this whisper definitely carries centuries of memory, longing and connection.

But what truly makes Forever (Bhebbak) special is its heart. This isn’t just a love song. It’s a reflection on the complexity of loving someone who sees the future differently. It’s about hope and how we hold it, even when we know nothing is guaranteed. Babé Sila sings with a kind of hushed courage, the kind that only comes from loving across distance, language, culture and time. And in doing so, she reminds us that love doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. As she puts it, the Fairuz melody has “connected communities for generations" just as it connected her with her partner, "despite our different backgrounds".

I can only hope her new single will also form a beautiful bridge, between places, people and pasts. One thing is for sure: once you hear Forever (Bhebbak), you won't want to forget it.

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