Singer-Songwriter Hajaj Announces Debut Album ‘Waiting Room (With The Ticking Time Bomb) + Shares “Blood”

Singer and songwriter Hajaj wears his heart firmly on his sleeve. His music is brimming with raw emotion, exploring themes of time, grief, structure, and travel. After releasing the six-song EP, In the Meantime, earlier this year, Hajaj is proud to announce his debut full-length album, Waiting Room (with the ticking time bomb), due out April 10th via Nettwerk. With his producer and co-writer, Aidan Glover, Hajaj channels the pretty and gritty analog sound of ‘60s and ‘70s soul, funk, and R&B. As the title suggests, there’s a heightened sense of tension and urgency in these songs. Recorded entirely on reel-to-reel tape.

“Blood” Credit list

Engineers: Aidan Glover, Chris “Schneider” Taylor

Lead Vocals: A.R. Hajaj

Electric Guitar: Aidan Glover

Lead Electric Guitar: Billy Adamson

Bass: Joe Stoddart

Piano: Aidan Glover

Hammond Organ: Aidan Glover

Drums: Andy Gangadeen

Percussion: Andy Gangadeen

Mixed by: Richard Wilkinson

Mastered by: Gwyn Mathias

Recorded on reel-to-reel tape at Blue Barn Studios Cambridgeshire, UK and Talbot Studios, London, UK

Today, he shares the most personal and reflective song from the record, “Blood.” Bluesy and brooding, Hajaj delivers a deeply powerful lament on his heritage. In the impassioned chorus, he sings: I need you to see me as I am, as I am. ‘Cause I can’t change my blood, as far as I travel, as fast as I run. ‘Cause I cannot change my blood, as far as I go, as deep as I cut.

The lasting success and cultural impact of Hajaj’s debut, Last Call For Coco (over 200M+ streams to date), continue to be felt. Earlier this year, Billboard Arabia highlighted global celebrity Kylie Jenner jamming to his song, “High No More,” and this past summer, Hajaj opened for the legendary Stevie Wonder in London’s Hyde Park, where he captivated thousands of new listeners. His rise has even led to a partnership with Emirates Airlines, with his music featured across their flights as the airline’s artist. It’s clear Hajaj is an artist to watch in 2026.

LISTEN & SHARE HAJAJ “BLOOD” HERE:

https://hajaj.ffm.to/blood

ABOUT HAJAJ:

ABOUT HAJAJ:

A sound shaped by movement, memory and longing, Abdul Rahman Hajaj, simply known as Hajaj,  delivers deeply personal songwriting on his new album Waiting Room (with the ticking time bomb) — tracing a life lived between Jeddah and London, and a voice formed across continents.

Raised on a rich blend of Arabic classics, flamenco and contemporary soul, Hajaj’s music explores identity, displacement and the quiet ache of searching for belonging. His breakthrough EP Last Call For Coco introduced a cinematic, jazz-leaning soundscape featuring some of London’s finest musicians, telling a raw, intimate story of love, instability and emotional cycles. 

On his debut full-length, Waiting Room (with the ticking time bomb), Hajaj continues to delve into vulnerability, nostalgia and the recurring question at the heart of his writing: why. “Blood” unpacks conflicts of identity and belonging over a spacious groove; love song “Both Sides Of The Border” explores what went wrong in his last relationship – one in which he felt not “Saudi enough” and lacking the stability he so desired as a traveling musician. Lead single, “The Waiting Room,” reflects a sense of urgency – perhaps anxiety or impending grief – while bouncing alongside a bassy, soulful vibration.

Poetic, introspective and endlessly human, Hajaj offers an evocative new chapter from an artist whose music feels both rooted and restlessly in transit.

Currently Hajaj, Glover and the band are gearing up for tour. Headlining shows in London, Amsterdam, and Paris in April of 2026. Their next release is already in motion. “To analogue recording!”