Manal Benchlikha (born 18 September 1993 Marrakech) or simply, Manal is a moroccan urban pop singer and a songwriter. Originally from Marrakech, Manal grew up in the red city where she is still studying business and finance. Having always wanted to be a musical artist, she posted covers on YouTube and was discovered by prominent Moroccan producer DJ Van. 　　After a short stint with DJ Van's label Magic Castle Entertainment and the release of her debut single Denia, she switched management to Tarik Azzougarh, better known as Cilvaringz, producer and conceptualizer of the world's most expensive musical work ever sold, Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. 　　Manal followed up her debut single with her song Koulchi Ban, the last song she would do with DJ Van. The release of Koulchi Ban received critical acclaim from fans and sparked the interest of Sony Music Middle East. In October 2017 Manal became the first Moroccan to sign to a major label in the Arab world. 　　In February 2018 Manal released her third single Taj (Crown). Due to its music video and a significant departure from Manal's signature sound, Taj started a buzz and garnered millions of views in a short time. It is currently the most viewed Arabic rap song performed by a female artist. After Taj, Manal released the song Nah featuring Moroccan rap group Shayfeen and Slay in collaboration with Toto.