Modeled after foreign rock and roll and pop music, Al Jeel became oriented around dance/pop, and had a background similar to reggae.
The style was called new wave by many, emphasizing the transition from the first form of Egyptian pop music to spring up in the 1960s, Sha'abi.
Sharing common roots with Algerian Raï and Pop-Raï, Al-Jeel incorporates Bedouin, Nubian, and Egyptian rhythms with bass and synthesizers.
Jeel usually shares the same central themes with traditional and popular Egyptian music, yet it is usually about love and often about lament rather than joy.
Al Jeel, as well as other classical Arabic music ensemble in Egypt, often consists of instruments such as the 'oud, qānūn, rabab, ney, and violin.