Hind Laroussi, the Dutch-Moroccan artist, will release the music video of her new single, ‘Cat and Mouse’ on Friday, May 21, 2021 under her own label Laroussi music. The music video starring Laroussi was entirely shot in April in Dubai by Lebanese Director Adel Serhan.
Produced by Executive Producer Kenneth ‘KP’ Paige, the song explores the hunt between the cat and the mouse. The song narrates the vision of a strong, independent woman, fully in control of the situation. The song’s lyrics and music video highlights Laroussi as the cat whereby playing with the men’s head by driving him crazy.
Laroussi’s music merges the elements of her Arab heritage with ever-expanding sounds of pop and R&B music. “Ever since moving to Dubai this January,” says Laroussi, “I realized how much I missed being in touch with my Arab side – the people and the culture since I was by myself in LA for the past five years. Dubai was so warm and welcoming, there was an instant need to stay. This is where I belong now.”
As Laroussi found herself learning Arabic, she was inspired to add nuances of the language to her music. Commenting on the process of the song, she says, “KP and I worked closely on creating a blend that represents both my cultures and where I am from. To find that balance, we experimented a lot with the darabuka and Arabic melodies in general. Together, we listened to popular artists like Umm Kalthoum, Fairuz, Warda and many more. These were the artists that inspired me as a young singer.”
Shooting her video for the first time in Dubai together with director Adel Serhan was a great experience.“Adel surprised me in many ways. He went above and beyond in every step of the way – with explicit attention to all details. Whether it was the storyboard – where he added the bus part which features people from different nationalities that represent my diversity, or when he lighted up the same bus and blew smoke in it for the last dance sequence in the video, including our communication” says Laroussi.
Commenting on the music video, Adel Serhan says, “I think we created something that goes beyond normalcy. I truly believe we broke the boundaries in creating something authentic and mind-blowing. Every scene has a niche, something artistic, something different that is able to hypnotize and inspire every person of every background. From the breath-taking scenes of the bus, the art work, the craziness.. to the beauty of the diversity of the people involved.”
Laroussi worked with dancer Abdelmajhad on the choreography for the song. “We had a lot of fun creating something that was animalistic and feminine at the same time,” Laroussi continues. “We didn’t want it to be too modern – so we blended it with some Arabic movements of the hips and arms”.
As she settles in Dubai, Laroussi is working on the launch of new EPMetamorphosis. She looks forward to continuing her journey working with some of the most renowned producers, artists and talents in this region.
Cat and Mouse is available on all streaming platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Anghami, Amazon Music, and Deezer.
She will be performing the song, for the first-time ever, at Women’s Empowerment Investment Forum on June 27, 2021 at the gala in the Burj Khalifa, Dubai. Organized by Dr Daniel Leo Garcia of Giant Entertainment & Events, the forum recognizes women as the most forward and sophisticated investors in the Middle East while also highlighting women from around the world for their many incredible talents.