Saint Levant Gifts Listeners with “Love Letters” in Latest Album
Saint Levant, born Marwan Abdelhamid, makes identity struggles and bittersweet desire sound good in his new album, Love Letters. The 24-year-old singer dropped the 6-track collection on February 14, coinciding with Valentine’s Day. Overflowing with rich culture, diverse languages, and synth-pop beats, Love Letters tells the tale of a Palestinian-Algerian man navigating self-discovery and longing for his beloved.
Community in Culture
Love Letters is split into two distinct halves, A and B, to create a break in character and story. Side-A, titled “رسائل حب من مروان” or “Love Letters From Marwan,” opens with “DALOONA / دلعونة,” a collaboration with 47SOUL, Shadi Alborini, and Qasem AINajjar. Released as a single in November 2024, “DALOONA” bursts with Palestinian pride and energy. The track, driven by an electric instrumental with Arab-influenced melodies, is a proclamation of community and identity. The singers chant, “They asked me, ‘Where are you from?’ / I told them, ‘I’m Palestinian.’ / I belong to an unbreakable people / And I keep my head high.”
The song’s music video was created by the Made in Palestine Project, which sells lively and colorful keffiyeh scarves. From beginning to end, the video showcases love for Palestine, as a crowd sings along about their adoration for their home. While Levant’s 2024 album DEIRA spoke to the struggles and pain while praying for a liberated Palestine, “DALOONA” shows what hope sounds like.
The second song on the album, “WAZIRA / وزيرة,” was also released before the album’s drop. Released as Levant’s second single of 2025, “WAZIRA” blends an upbeat tempo with a vivid instrumental and a deep sense of devotion. The title translates to “female minister,” symbolizing the power the woman has over the singer’s mind and heart as she is a “minister of love.” The track speaks to Levant’s yearning for the woman and his wish to protect her.
“WAZIRA” is a song heavily based on chanting. The repeated group chant — “Oh protect her from the evil eye / And bring her to me” — raises the question: is it a woman they speak of, or their home?
The last song on Side-A, “KALAMANTINA / كلمنتينا,” features Egyptian rapper Marwan Moussa. “KALAMANTINA” introduces multilingualism to the album, with both artists rapping in Arabic and English. The song explores vulnerability and the vocalization of one’s feelings while set in front of Arab-infused percussion. Levant’s verse is laced with infatuation: “I don’t wanna lie, but I made you mine / From the moment I met you, babe / I think I was meant for you.”
Marwan Moussa offers a complementary verse, matching the sensual vibe by rapping, “Baby, you took me right out my zone […] She killing me softly, killing me slow.” Using a sultry tone and hypnotizing percussive beat, the duo clearly distinguish the track from those around it.
Saint Levant Stands in the Spotlight
Side-B, “Love Letters From Saint Levant,” ushers in a shift, presenting Marwan Abdelhamid’s globally known alter ego, Saint Levant. The album’s title track, “DIVA / بنت الذهبية.,” welcomes a side of Levant that new listeners have yet to see, bursting with intertwined cultures and languages. “DIVA” weaves together the most beautiful characteristics of his three native languages: English, French, and Arabic.
As a Palestinian, Algerian, and French artist, Levant does not relinquish his pride in his multicultural identity. The retro-style music video for “DIVA” was filmed in a vibrant and sunny Algeria, where every angle and scene is dripping with vivid colors.
In the music video, he reflects on himself and his relationship, soon realizing his lover’s centrality in his life, like the sun. Throughout the groovy chorus, Levant repeats, “Shine your light on me my baby / Be my golden diva baby.” In the end, Levant’s lover moves on with a familiar face, presumably Marwan Abdelhamid.
“WAIN MAADY WAIN / وين معدي وين” is completely new to listeners, but is laced with the classic Saint Levant sound. The song features an alluring and repetitive club beat, infused with a funk-based synth leading the backing track. “WAIN MAADY WAIN” speaks to being captivated by someone who inspires and consumes. The song’s simplicity and seductive depth make it stand out from others on the album. Placed between the title track and an earlier single, it easily holds its own.
TOO MANY MEMORIES
“EXILE/ معاكي” may be the finale of Love Letters, but it was the first release of 2025 for Levant. Released as a single in January, “EXILE” quickly gained attention for its distinct instrumental alongside a music video oozing pure artistry, sitting at almost three million views in one month. The song is catchy and primarily upbeat, though when focusing on the meaning, heartbreaking.
Levant has never shied away from expressing his pain of being away from his home in Palestine. He also expresses this grief during “EXILE,” singing, “Too many nights, too many days / Too many memories that I made / Away from the place I belong.”
Near the end of the music video, Levant is seen singing in front of a crying woman, before the scene cuts to dancers running frantically. Some of the dancers attempt to drag or carry limp bodies, while others run by themselves. This cuts to Levant playing a heart-wrenching saxophone solo as rain pours upon him and other orchestra members. Cleansing them of their pain, the rain continuously falls until all that is left is fog. In the end, Levant walks forward, alone.
Check out Saint Levant’s Love Letters album here, and stay connected with all his latest updates on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Interested in reading more about Saint Levant? Check out our piece on 7 Things To Know About Saint Levant here!
