Album Title: Zagate

Release Date: 6 March  2026

Sitting somewhere between folk, rock and poetry, Zagate is the dazzling new album from French Algerian artist Souad Massi. The emotional force and lyrical clarity present throughout this eleven-track album makes it the most liberated and outspoken work in her career so far. Zagate will be released on 6 March and Souad Massi will perform live at the Barbican, London on 9 May 2026.

Predominantly recorded in the UK, Zagate explores a range of intense emotions: pain, anger and revolt, but also hope and courage. At the helm once again (he produced her previous album, Sequana) is guitarist and producer JustinAdams. Congolese rapper Youssoupha and Rwandan French rapper Gaël Faye make guest appearances alongside a stellar band, which includes John Baggott on keyboard (Massive Attack, Robert Plant) and Billy Fuller (Robert Plant) on bass.

From the electric rock of Ana Inssan to the bewitching Afrobeat of Samt, or from the Saharan folk of D’ici, De là-bas to the Parisian blues of Chibani, each track on Zagate reveals new vocal nuances. Long associated with gentleness and melancholy, Massi delves into her own diverse history to produce one of her most authentic albums to date, the softness of her vocals standing in stark contrast to the weight of today’s world. Although reluctant to describe herself as politically active – “I prefer to keep that word for those who are out in the field” – the album offers an unflinching, frank reflection on the troubled aspects of our world:  war, violence, racism and the tragedies which flood our screens and weigh on our consciences. “I find it difficult not to be affected by all the information we are constantly being bombarded with,” Massi confides. “In this album, I wanted to share my own vision of the world”.

The word Zagate is derived from the French expression “ça se gâte”, which is used in Algeria to signify that “things are getting worse”. More than a linguistic reference, the title affirms Massi’s dual heritage between Algeria, where she was born, and France, where she has been living and creating music for the past twenty-six years. This paves the way for an intense album without betraying the fragility she has become known for. Inspired by Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir, the title track blends the tension of rock with Maghreb lyricism as Massi sings of war and devastation from the point of view of a powerless civilian. On Congo Connection, featuring Youssoupha, Souad speaks out against the injustice of a battered and pillaged country scarred by child exploitation. L’Équation sets to music the beliefs of philosopher Averroès: ignorance is what breeds fear, hatred and ultimately violence. Inspired by the Sufi tradition, Massi comes back to the recited poetry of her early years, celebrating reason as a bulwark against madness. Tiri, a melancholic acoustic ballad, is a song of hope and selflessness, while 6 Heures du Matin provides a vibrant end to the album, a frank yet tender observation of women who are constantly on the go.

With energised lyrics that lay bare Massi’s anger and hopes, Zagate is an album that is both intimate and political, in which her poetry becomes an act of resistance in itself. “The gravity of our time pushed me to step out of the gentler, more melancholic musical forms I became known for,” says Massi. As a result, we see an artist more liberated in her expression and more in touch with the world than ever.