Alf Leila Wa Leila
Alf Leila Wa Leila by Oum Kalthoum is 90 BPM — Andante (walking pace).
Half-time 45 BPM · Double-time 180 BPM · released 1969
Song DNA
A balanced track — neither sleepy nor charged. This one lurches between soft and loud with a handful of real turns — a densely layered track with a big, expressive vocal out front at an unhurried mid-tempo. Mostly steady, it still leaves a little room to surprise. Against the 19,209 songs we’ve measured, it sits more energetic than 76% of songs, calmer than the rest.
Cultural Context
Iconic in Arabic music history, representing Egyptian culture.
Listening Prompt
Focus on the emotional delivery and the interplay of instruments.
What to Expect
What distinguishes this 1969 Oum Kalthoum recording from the more contained moderate-rated tracks is its combination of dynamic range 7 and moderate sudden changes — a pairing that means meaningful volume variation arrives without extended preparation. Dynamic vocals throughout suggest the delivery itself expands and contracts in intensity. At 90 beats per minute the tempo is moderate. Texture is layered, predictability medium. Recommended for anxiety relief, deep listening, and sleep — a range that reflects its capacity to both hold attention and eventually release it. Because dynamic range is 7 and sudden changes are moderate rather than mild, some volume management is useful: there are passages that expand significantly. If you're approaching this track for the first time, an exploratory listen to locate those widening moments before using it for sleep or recovery will help ensure they don't arrive unexpectedly. Layered texture with medium predictability means it rewards attention without demanding it constantly.
Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: calm, melancholy, transcendent
"Alf Leila Wa Leila" climbs hard.
Dynamic range 7/10 places this in our upper band. The opening volume that feels comfortable will not be comfortable at the climax. If you are setting this up for a focused listen, anchor your volume to the quietest section, not the loudest. The arc is the point of the song; if you blunt it by riding the volume knob, you lose what makes it work. Oum Kalthoum built the dynamic shape on purpose. Plan around it.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 7/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: present. This song uses surprise as a feature. For focus or background listening, it's likely to pull your attention away; for active listening, that's often the point.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
1969 context
Released in 1969. We have 222 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.3/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 1960s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
How fast is "Alf Leila Wa Leila"?
90 BPM — Medium (midtempo / pop ballad)
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.
Morning coffee, deep work, commute wind-down.
Browse more songs at 90 BPM.
When "Alf Leila Wa Leila" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
No — too dynamic or too many surprises. Save for active listening.
No — 90 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
The 10 Calmest Albums Ever Recorded — A low-intensity Listening Guide
The 10 Calmest Albums Ever Recorded — A low-intensity Listening Guide — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Jazz for Anxiety Relief: Which Subgenres Help and Which Overwhelm
Jazz for Anxiety Relief: Which Subgenres Help and Which Overwhelm — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Bossa nova is the calmest revolution in music — and the most precisely engineered
Filed under easy listening, bossa nova is actually one of the most harmonically and rhythmically sophisticated genres ever made. A sensory a…
Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
See how “Alf Leila Wa Leila” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
Listen on
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For calm, low-stimulation listening
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-06-20. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 76% of songs, calmer than the other 24%. Its intensity reading of 57/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, moderate shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is blazing intensity: more extreme on that axis than 76% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1969 in context
The 222 songs we’ve measured from 1969 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. At 7/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Alf Leila Wa Leila"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Alf Leila Wa Leila" by Oum Kalthoum?
"Alf Leila Wa Leila" by Oum Kalthoum has a tempo of 90 BPM (Andante (walking pace)). At half-time that is 45 BPM, and at double-time 180 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Alf Leila Wa Leila" by Oum Kalthoum?
"Alf Leila Wa Leila" by Oum Kalthoum rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 7/10, moderate sudden changes, layered texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Alf Leila Wa Leila" — what is its dynamic range?
"Alf Leila Wa Leila" has a dynamic range of 7/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "Alf Leila Wa Leila" have sudden or surprising changes?
Yes. "Alf Leila Wa Leila" uses surprise as a compositional feature. Expect unsignaled transitions.
What is "Alf Leila Wa Leila" best for?
In our library "Alf Leila Wa Leila" is recommended for: anxiety relief, deep listening, sleep. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Alf Leila Wa Leila" released?
"Alf Leila Wa Leila" is from 1969, on the album "Alf Leila Wa Leila". It appears in our 1960s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Alf Leila Wa Leila"?
We tag "Alf Leila Wa Leila" as calm, melancholy, transcendent. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Alf Leila Wa Leila"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Is "Alf Leila Wa Leila" good for running?
Not really — at 90 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "Alf Leila Wa Leila" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (7/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Alf Leila Wa Leila" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Contains transitions that will wake you up.
Should I listen to "Alf Leila Wa Leila"?
"Alf Leila Wa Leila" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
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