The Awakening of Islamic Pop Music

The book "The Awakening of Islamic Pop Music" explores the relationship between Islamic popular music genres and wider Islamic discourse, using the case study of the Islamic media company Awakening as a platform. It examines how the making, marketing, and performance of new Islamic music genres relate to Islamic discourse and thought, and how popular music contributes to the development of contemporary interpretations of Islam.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 19 May 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published in Association with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations and the Aga Khan Music Programme, this book examines how the making, marketing, and performance of new Islamic music genres relate to Islamic discourse and thought.

Listen to the Spotify playlist "The Awakening of Islamic Pop Music," featuring 103 of the songs mentioned in the book, to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Analyses the contribution of popular music to the development of contemporary interpretations of Islam, using the case study of Awakening as a lens.

Uses fieldwork (following tours), content analyses (of songs, videos, promotion material, and social media), and interviews (with artists, business people, and musicians) to support the research.

Includes new perspectives on celebrity culture among Muslims and its connection with ethical Muslim masculinity.

Awakening, an Islamic media company formed in London, has played a significant role in shaping the soundtrack of many Muslim lives over the past two decades. With three superstars (Sami Yusuf, Maher Zain, and Harris J.) among a host of other artists, the company has established itself as one of the most important global enterprises producing pop music inspired by Islam.

In celebration of its first 20 years in the industry, Jonas Otterbeck takes a closer look at Awakening's remarkable rise to success and its established reputation as a key player in the Islamic pop music scene.

Otterbeck delves into the history and development of new Islamic popular music genres, particularly pop-nashid and Islamic pop, in great detail. He argues that Awakening, a company that portrays itself as Islamic, can be best understood in the context of the ethical turn in Islamic thinking. By examining the shift towards ethics, Otterbeck explores how the Islamic pop industry is, in effect, altering the very formulations of Islamic thought.

Through his comprehensive analysis, Otterbeck provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between Islamic discourse, popular music, and the broader cultural landscape. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the intersection of religion, music, and contemporary society.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474490436