Faouzia

Early life and musical beginnings

Faouzia Ouihya was born on 5 July 2000 in Casablanca, Morocco, to parents Mohammed Ouihya and Bouchra Alaoui. When she was one year old, her family immigrated to Canada, initially settling in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba, before moving to the rural town of Carman. She has two sisters, Samia and Kenza, who have been involved in her career as a manager and photographer respectively. Raised in a Muslim household, Faouzia maintained strong ties to her Moroccan heritage through food, attire, and frequent visits, stating she feels very connected to North Africa. Her passion for music ignited at age four after watching her sister Samia play the piano, leading her to begin piano lessons at six and later learning guitar and violin. She started writing songs and poems at five years old and by age thirteen was posting vocal covers on YouTube, which garnered hundreds of thousands of views and built an early online following.

Growing up in rural Manitoba, Faouzia has spoken about feeling excluded as a child, an experience that inspired her first musical composition about embracing differences. She is fluent in English, French, and Arabic, using the latter most often with her family. This multilingual ability would later become a defining feature of her artistry. Her early exposure to a wide range of music, from Western pop to classic Arab singers like Umm Kulthum and Fairuz, laid a diverse foundation for her future sound. These formative years in Canada, balancing her Moroccan roots with her new environment, fundamentally shaped her identity as an artist who often explores themes of personal identity and belonging.

Career breakthrough and early success

Faouzia's professional career began in earnest at age fifteen when she won Song of the Year, the Audience Award, and the Grand Prix at the 2015 La Chicane Électrique competition in Manitoba. Her YouTube cover of Adele's 'Hello' caught the attention of Tim Jones, co-founder of the local music company Pipe & Hat, who signed her. This led to the release of her debut single 'Knock on My Door' on 1 November 2015, which received regional radio airplay. In 2016, she placed second in the Canada's Walk of Fame Emerging Artist Mentorship Program, gaining further national recognition.

The following year, 2017, proved to be a landmark year. Faouzia won the Grand Prize of the Nashville Unsigned Only music competition with 'Knock on My Door', beating 6,000 entries from 90 countries and becoming the first teenager and first Canadian to receive the honour. She also collaborated with fellow Manitoban artist Matt Epp on the single 'The Sound'. Most notably, she and Epp won the top prize at the International Songwriting Competition, the world's largest songwriting contest, defeating 16,000 entries from 137 countries and marking the first Canadian win in the competition's 16-year history. Following these successes, she was signed by the Paradigm Talent Agency and released the single 'My Heart's Grave'. She also performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at The Forks in Winnipeg as part of Canada's 150th anniversary celebrations, a significant early performance opportunity.

Major collaborations and debut projects

Faouzia's profile rose significantly through high-profile collaborations. In 2018, she was featured on the song 'Battle' on David Guetta's studio album '7'. Guetta praised her great voice, powerful vibrato, and unique style. At the time, Faouzia was still in high school and had enrolled at the University of Manitoba to study computer engineering. In 2019, she was featured on French rapper Ninho's song 'Money' from his album 'Destin', which was certified gold in France that July. These features established her vocal prowess in both the electronic and hip-hop genres and expanded her international audience.

In early 2020, Kelly Clarkson invited Faouzia to translate her song 'I Dare You' into Moroccan Arabic, which was released in April. Shortly after, the Swedish EDM duo Galantis featured her on 'I Fly' for the 'Scoob!' movie soundtrack. On 6 August 2020, she released her debut extended play, 'Stripped', a collection of six acoustic, stripped-back versions of her songs including one new track, '100 Bandaids'. She promoted it with a live concert at Winnipeg's Burton Cummings Theatre. Later that year, on 5 November, she released the single 'Minefields' in collaboration with American singer-songwriter John Legend, further cementing her status as a sought-after vocalist in the pop and R&B spheres.

Citizens EP and first headline tour

Faouzia continued releasing singles throughout 2021, including 'Don't Tell Me I'm Pretty' in March and 'Hero' in June, the latter accompanied by a video-game-themed music video. In July, she revealed she had been working on her debut studio album for several years. She released the single 'Puppet' in October 2021. On 30 March 2022, she announced her second EP, 'Citizens', and released 'RIP, Love' as its lead single. The 'Citizens' EP was released on 19 May 2022 and included previous singles 'Minefields', 'Don't Tell Me I'm Pretty', and 'Puppet'. This project presented a more developed pop sound and thematic cohesion in her work, building anticipation for her first full-length album.

On 15 July 2022, Faouzia began her first headline tour, the Citizens Tour, comprising 31 shows across Europe and North America. This tour marked a significant step in her career, allowing her to connect directly with her growing international fanbase. In October 2022, she released the single 'Habibi (My Love)'. The following year, in April 2023, she released 'I'm Blue', a rendition of Eiffel 65's 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)', which she had first posted on YouTube in 2019. Throughout 2023, she also released a series of singles as part of a project called 'Doll Summer', including 'Don't Call Me', 'Plastic Therapy', 'La La La', and 'IL0V3Y0U'. In June 2023, she collaborated with French DJ Martin Solveig on the single 'Now or Never', which was intended for his upcoming sixth studio album.

Independence and debut album Film Noir

In February 2024, Faouzia co-wrote the track 'Beg Forgiveness' for the album 'Vultures 1' by ¥$ (Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign). From May to July 2024, she competed on the ninth season of the Chinese singing competition 'Singer 2024', finishing in fourth place and gaining a substantial new audience in Asia. In a major career shift, Faouzia announced on Instagram in November 2024 that she had parted ways with Atlantic Records and was now an independent artist for the first time in over six years and for the first time in her professional career. This move gave her full creative control over her music and releases.

On 2 October 2025, she announced her long-awaited debut studio album, 'Film Noir', for release on 7 November 2025. The album represents the culmination of years of work. On 20 April 2026, she announced the Film Noir World Tour, her first international headline tour in nearly four years, with dates beginning in Detroit, Michigan, in July and including a show at the Burton Cummings Theatre in Winnipeg on 27 November 2026. On 12 June 2026, she released 'Film Noir (fin)', a version of the album featuring three new tracks. A significant commercial milestone was reached on 2 September 2026, when her song 'Unethical' surpassed one million daily streams on Spotify, marking her first song to achieve that level of streaming activity on the platform and indicating strong audience engagement with her independent work.

Artistry and musical style

Faouzia's music is primarily rooted in pop, R&B, synth-pop, and acoustic pop. She has described her own music as emotional and intense. Her early songwriting was inspired by people close to her, but her later work became more personal as she sought to put more of her own heart and story into her lyrics. Music critic Gloria Morey noted that while Faouzia's music uses the upbeat musical elements of pop, her lyrics are meaningfully deep and the opposite of shallow. She is known for her powerful, three-octave vocal range and often incorporates Arabic tonalities into her singing, even when performing in English, which creates a distinctive and cross-cultural sound.

Faouzia sings predominantly in English but has also performed and recorded in Arabic and French, reflecting her trilingual upbringing. Her major influences include pop icons she grew up listening to, such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Sia, Adele, Kelly Clarkson, and John Legend. She has cited Rihanna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Sia as particularly influential on her songwriting. From the Arab music world, she counts Umm Kulthum and Fairuz among her all-time favourite artists, alongside Assala Nasri and Khaled. Her classical music influences include composers like Chopin, Bach, and Mozart, and she has also been inspired by pop rock bands like Fall Out Boy and Imagine Dragons, whose concert she once attended.

Awards and recognition

Faouzia has received numerous accolades that highlight her songwriting talent and vocal ability. Her early win at the 2015 La Chicane Électrique competition in Manitoba provided her first major validation. The 2017 Grand Prize at the Nashville Unsigned Only competition was a historic win, recognizing her song 'Knock on My Door' on an international stage. That same year, winning the International Songwriting Competition with Matt Epp was another unprecedented achievement for a Canadian artist, demonstrating her skill against thousands of global entries.

In 2023, Faouzia was nominated and was one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards. She competed on the ninth season of the Chinese singing competition Singer 2024 from May to July 2024, ultimately finishing in fourth place. In November 2024, she announced she was an independent artist after parting with her former label, Atlantic Records. On 2 September 2026, her song "Unethical" surpassed one million daily streams on Spotify, marking her first song to achieve that milestone on the platform.

Questions about Faouzia

Where is Faouzia from?

Faouzia was born in Casablanca, Morocco. She immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of one, initially living in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba, before settling in the town of Carman, Manitoba. She holds both Moroccan and Canadian heritage, which strongly influences her music and identity. She has stated she feels very connected to North Africa despite growing up in Canada.

What languages does Faouzia speak and sing in?

Faouzia is fluent in three languages: English, French, and Arabic. She primarily sings in English but often incorporates Arabic tonalities into her vocal delivery. She has also released songs and performed in Arabic, such as her Moroccan Arabic translation of Kelly Clarkson's 'I Dare You', and in French. Arabic is the language she uses most often with her family.

What is Faouzia's debut album?

Faouzia's debut studio album is titled 'Film Noir'. She announced it on Instagram on 2 October 2025, with a release date of 7 November 2025. On 12 June 2026, she released 'Film Noir (fin)', a version of the album that includes three new tracks. She supports the album with the Film Noir World Tour, announced in April 2026.

What was Faouzia's big break in music?

Faouzia's significant early break was winning the Grand Prize of the Nashville Unsigned Only music competition in 2017 with her song 'Knock on My Door'. This achievement made her the first teenager and first Canadian to receive this prize, beating 6,000 other entries from 90 countries. That same year, she also won the top prize at the International Songwriting Competition with Matt Epp on their single 'The Sound', beating 16,000 entries from 137 countries. Another major platform came in 2018 when she was featured on the song 'Battle' on David Guetta's studio album 7. Guetta specifically noted her great voice, powerful vibrato, and unique style as reasons for choosing her for the collaboration.

Is Faouzia signed to a record label?

As of November 2024, Faouzia is an independent artist. She announced this change on Instagram, stating she was now an independent artist for the first time in over six years and the first time in her professional career. This announcement marked her parting with her former music label, Atlantic Records. Prior to this independence, she had been signed to Paradigm Talent Agency earlier in her career. Her journey to independence followed the release of her work through major labels and collaborations on significant projects.

How did Faouzia do on Singer 2024?

Faouzia competed on the ninth season of the Chinese singing competition Singer 2024 from May to July 2024. She ultimately finished the competition in fourth place. Her participation in this show was a notable event in her career during that period. This achievement added to her list of international recognitions, following earlier successes in various music competitions. It also occurred in the same year she was nominated for and received a Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.