Faouzia Moroccan Singer Born 2000 in Casablanca

Early life

Faouzia Ouihya was born on 5 July 2000 in Casablanca, Morocco. When she was about one year old her family moved to Canada, first to Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes and then to the rural town of Carman in Manitoba. She grew up with two sisters, one of whom now helps manage her career while the other works as her photographer. Moroccan food, clothing and language remained part of daily life, and she speaks English, French and Arabic, using Arabic mostly with relatives.

Her interest in music started around the age of four, when she watched her older sister practise piano. She began writing songs and poems at five, took up piano at six, and later added guitar and violin. At thirteen she started posting cover versions on YouTube. She later enrolled at the University of Manitoba to study computer engineering.

Career

In 2015, aged fifteen, Faouzia won three prizes at a Manitoba competition, La Chicane Electrique: Song of the Year, the Audience Award and the Grand Prix. A YouTube cover of Adele's "Hello" brought her to the attention of Tim Jones, co-founder of the local company Pipe & Hat, who signed her. Her first single, "Knock on My Door", came out on 1 November 2015.

Recognition from songwriting contests followed. In 2016 she took second place in a mentorship programme run by Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2017 "Knock on My Door" won the grand prize at the Nashville Unsigned Only competition, which drew about 6,000 entries from 90 countries, and a song written with fellow Manitoban Matt Epp, "The Sound", won the top prize at the International Songwriting Competition. She also signed with the Paradigm Talent Agency and performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

In 2018 she was a featured vocalist on "Battle" from David Guetta's album 7, released the same year as her single "This Mountain". She also appeared on "Money" by the French rapper Ninho, which was certified gold in July 2019. Her singles that year included "Born Without a Heart" and "You Don't Even Know Me".

In 2020 Kelly Clarkson asked her to record an Arabic version of "I Dare You", and she was a guest on "I Fly" by Galantis for the film Scoob!. She issued Stripped in August 2020, a collection of six pared-back songs, then released "Minefields" with John Legend in November. Her second collection, Citizens, appeared in May 2022, and that July she began her first tour under that title, with 31 dates across Europe and North America.

She co-wrote "Beg Forgiveness" for the Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign album Vultures 1 in February 2024. Between May and July 2024 she took part in the Chinese competition Singer 2024, finishing fourth. In November 2024 she announced that she had left Atlantic Records and become an independent artist. Her debut studio album, Film Noir, was released on 7 November 2025, and a follow-up edition, Film Noir (fin), with three new tracks, came out on 12 June 2026. A world tour in support of the album was announced in April 2026. As of May 2025, her YouTube channel had about 2.75 million subscribers.

Recognition

In 2023 Faouzia was nominated for, and became one of the recipients of, the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards.

Artistry

Her music is described as pop, R&B, synth-pop and acoustic pop. She writes mostly in English, with Arabic vocal ornamentation, and has also performed in Arabic and French. Among her listed influences are Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Sia, Adele and Kelly Clarkson, as well as the Arab singers Umm Kulthum and Fairuz.