“Ambeh” is a Kuwaiti Arabic exclamation roughly meaning “really?” or “seriously?”, and here it turns into a full-on put-down in Gulf Arabic over Etaf’s own guitar. This new acoustic version arrived on 30 January via EMPIRE, following the 2025 studio releases, which came out as standalone singles after the album Don’t Call Me Baby.

Kuwait-born and now based in London, Etaf (Etaf Almutawa) is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist with Palestinian and Lebanese roots. They started on guitar as a teenager, later picked up oud and piano, and moved to the UK to complete a PhD in Law before turning fully to music. Their name, taken from their grandmother from Gaza, translates as “deviation” in Arabic and fits a songwriting style built around direct, personal stories more than fixed pop structures.

On “Ambeh امبيه (acoustic)” both vocal and guitar are performed by Etaf, with everything else stripped away. The lyric goes for someone with an inflated sense of self, sharpened in “حسبالك أنت الكون؟ و عيونك حدوده؟” (“Do you think you are the universe, and your eyes are its boundaries?”) and pushed back again by “و لا صادني سهمك” (“Your arrow did not hit me”). Everyday Khaleeji phrasing carries the argument straight, so the song feels close to spoken confrontation set to guitar.

Songwriting on the track is shared between Etaf and Khamees. The video, directed by Riffy Ahmed and starring Etaf, keeps the camera close on the performance and lets delivery and small gestures lead it.