R3HAB’s third studio album Dream inside a dream… is out today via Universal Music, marking the Dutch-Moroccan producer’s most personal project to date and his first full-length in years.
The 12-track album traces an emotional arc through love, loneliness, gratitude and self-discovery, built around a fairly simple premise: what happens after the dreams you spent your career chasing actually come true. Born Fadil El Ghoul, R3HAB has spent more than fifteen years on festival stages and racked up billions of streams since breaking through, and this record finds him turning the lens inward rather than chasing another outward milestone.
Each song functions as its own emotional chapter with a distinct sonic identity. The album opens with a guided meditation from Jason Stephenson before moving into ‘I had a dream…’, a deep house cut featuring Izzy Bizu that captures the disorienting moment a lifelong goal becomes reality. From there, ‘Right here…’ with RHODES marks the first time R3HAB has taken vocal duties himself, followed by ‘Lost in translation…’, which leans into euphoric energy and a sense of acceptance.
The record’s emotional midpoint is ‘More than enough…’, built from sparse, pulsing melodies that unfold into glowing synths and full-on drops. R3HAB then shifts toward his roots on ‘All I am…’, layering field recordings of traditional Moroccan snake charmer flutes into the production alongside vocalist Orem. Orem returns later on ‘Watch my heart go…’, which pairs darker atmospheres with festival-sized energy.
The title track, ‘Dream inside a dream…’, ties the album’s themes together — a reminder to keep dreaming even after your early ambitions have already played out. Izzy Bizu reappears on ‘If I could stop time…’ before the album closes with ‘The last dance…’ and a final meditation from Stephenson that bookends the project.
R3HAB explained the thinking behind the title track in a statement: “‘Dream inside a dream…’ is the cornerstone of the album, which is out today. This song is a reminder to myself to keep dreaming, even when it feels like I’ve already lived so much of what I once imagined. As a kid I dreamed of success, and many of these early dreams have come true. The way that dreams inspire more dreams now has me feeling like I’m living a dream inside a dream. But life keeps giving, and every new season brings dreams of its own. This song is about staying present and being thankful for each one. Don’t wake me up!”
R3HAB has built one of dance music’s more durable careers over the past decade, landing at number 12 on the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs in 2018 and holding a Top 20 spot on that same chart consistently since 2017. He’s remixed tracks for 5 Seconds of Summer, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Rammstein, Steve Aoki and The Chainsmokers, among others, and has been named Spotify’s Most Discovered Artist while holding over 130 Diamond, Platinum and Gold certifications.
‘Dream inside a dream…’ is out July 31 on all major streaming platforms via Universal Music, with a physical vinyl edition also available for fans who want the project in hand as well as on headphones.