When I first heard the saxophone solo that opens “I LOST MY MIND IN PARIS,” the first track in “FILM NOIR,” I immediately knew that this was not going to be a typical album. “FILM NOIR,” singer-songwriter Faouzia’s debut album, was released in early November 2025. However, I was not aware of it until last month when Faouzia appeared on my Instagram feed, ecstatically sharing that the work had entered the top pop albums worldwide. In the past two years, the album as an art form has truly grown on me, and I now make it a point to listen to full records in order. So when I found myself on a long bus ride to Ithaca, New York, it felt like the perfect opportunity to dive in and appreciate Faouzia’s creation.
The album opens with crime on the mind. Along with the saxophone, “I LOST IN MY MIND IN PARIS” includes siren sounds in its introduction. This leads into a thriller-themed song, in which Faouzia all but admits to murdering her lover upon seeing him with another woman. With similar ideas but a completely different execution, “PEACE AND VIOLENCE” has a far brighter tone. The backing track features birds gently chirping, and Faouzia sings with an angelic smoothness as she explains her willingness to start a war for her lover and hurt anyone who touches them. The song builds to a climactic outro where she sings, “I’d watch the world burn down / Just to see you in the lighting of the embers.” This phrase is repeated with layered vocals and whistle notes as the backing track fades away for a very dramatic finish.
Next comes a powerful, emotional ballad called “UNETHICAL.” Here, Faouzia shows off her incredible ability to transition between her chest and head voices as she slides through an impressive range. This song, as well as the entire album, features clever slant rhymes such as “mercy” and “hurt me.” In this track, Faouzia elegantly bemoans the failing relationship she is in and her inability to leave it, ending with a desperate plea for her lover to let her go.
Faouzia’s culture is also front and center within the album. Born in Morocco, she moved to Canada at a young age, allowing her to become trilingual: “TOUS CET MOTS,” meaning “all these words,” is sung entirely in French. The song is a mere one minute and 55 seconds, and it features the same two lines repeated over and over: “Tous cet mots, tous cet maux, pour rein / Tous cet mots, tous cet maux, en vain,” which translates to, “All these words, all this sorrow, for nothing / All these words, all this sorrow, in vain.” Despite the short length, foreign language and lack of lyrical variety, the song is far from boring. It starts out slow and sad, but picks up in tempo with string instruments—including an electric guitar—that emphasize her anger and sense of injustice at how her words and emotions fail to amount to anything. She is fluent in French, English and Arabic, something she shows off in this album with her cover of “Desert Rose” by Sting and Cheb Mami. She twists the song into a dramatic, slower tune that once again shows off her extensive range and vocal control, and the Arabic portion serves as an homage to her Moroccan roots.
“SWEET FEVER” brings a new blend of sounds and a quicker pace. Inspired by a stay in the hospital with a high fever, the song takes that concept and adds a dose of passion, with lines like, “I’ve fallen to find you / My one remedy and it’s you.” This track features many dynamic sections and continues to highlight Faouzia’s tightly controlled vibrato and vocal techniques.
The versatility of this album is on display as it takes a techno turn with “DON’T EVER LEAVE ME,” which features an energetic rhythm driving the song and spots of noticeable vocal effects. This song has a desperate tone and is deeply captivating. “WEIRDO,” which features similar vocal effects, is another beautifully composed piece with a very unique sound. It places a strong emphasis on Faouzia’s voice as she pulls off impressive extended runs across a large range on the word “weirdo.” She sings almost robotically, matching the song’s lyrics with the feel of her voice.
Later in the album, “PORCELAIN” and “ORNAMENT” feature similar ideas to “UNETHICAL,” both utilizing extended metaphors. In the former, Faouzia is delicate porcelain, while her lover continually shatters her into pieces like “cold cement.” The latter is more upbeat and is based on the idea of Faouzia’s lover not having any feelings: “Your heart is nothing but an ornament / Nothing but a bit of flesh.” All three songs feature a dramatic build to a climax before quieting back down at the end, giving them a cinematic feel.
Finally, “PRETTY STRANGER” brings the album to a powerful but gentle close. Faouzia sings softly to a “pretty stranger” who she does not recognize anymore as she contemplates her own happiness. Ultimately, she chooses herself, saying, “Think I’d rather die alone / Think it’s time for me to go / Even if loving you was in vain / Even if I’ll never be the same.” After all the heartache expressed throughout the album, Faouzia gets her own closure, her voice becoming steadier as the song builds to a climactic peak before dramatically cutting off with soft strings. If I had to describe this album in one word, I would say “authentic.” In a world of lip-syncing and disappointing live performances, Faouzia’s amazing vocals easily hold up on stage. Additionally, she is an independent artist, as Atlantic Records ended their relationship with her roughly a year before she released “FILM NOIR.” One of her sisters is her manager and the other is her photographer, making her production a family business. She is truly a creative, with five of the 11 songs featuring relatively simple but clever and well-executed music videos. Perhaps most importantly, Faouzia’s sound is her own, bringing a new blend of melodies, instruments and vocals that stands out against an increasingly monotonous pop scene. Although underrated for now, “FILM NOIR” is a refreshing and vibrant listen, bringing the best of what Faouzia has to offer.