BILLBOARD ARABIA | THE SECOND RELEASE | 2025
A Diva's Return After 30 Years, Revived by AI / BILLBOARD ARABIA "THE SECOND RELEASE"
Bringing back a forgotten diva with AI. And timing it to Saudi Arabia's National Day, no less. The moment I heard this, my first thought was "wait, is this a good idea?" But the result was a Cannes Lions Gold - in a category where only 0.78% of all entries win.
The problem
Saudi Arabia's music scene is blossoming rapidly right now. There was a time when it was unbelievably difficult for female artists to express themselves. Etab, once the nation's beloved diva, was one of those who had to leave the country more than 30 years ago, under far stricter laws.
The insight
Honoring Etab on National Day looked like a cultural story on the surface, but it was actually delicate work that touched on family and national identity. Fadi Mroue of SRMG Labs put it this way: "We didn't just tell a story, we reconstructed a narrative." The sheer boldness of choosing a forgotten female singer for this says it all.
The idea
They used AI technology to revive Etab's voice and image, remastering her signature song "Ya Saudi" and releasing it two days before National Day. Months ahead of time, they shared behind-the-scenes footage of stylists and choreographers recreating her 80s look, building anticipation before bringing her back to the stage in a special Billboard session. The AI-generated performance blurs the line between past and present.
What happened
The original song's plays jumped from 612 to 2.4 million, reaching 26.3 million people. It became the #1 trend on TikTok on National Day, and searches for Etab surged more than 1,000%. The campaign won Gold and Silver in the Audio & Radio category at Cannes Lions 2025.
Afterthought
The idea of reviving someone forgotten isn't new in itself. But the "who" and "when" make all the difference. Bringing back a woman singer who was forced out of the country, on National Day, as a modern artist through AI - the boldness of that decision and the precision of its execution are on another level.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2025
