French-Malian megastar Aya Nakamura appeared in court Thursday over allegations of mutual domestic violence with her ex Vladimir Boudnikoff, just a day before her new album is released.

"As everyone knows, today we have a rather unusual defendant," the presiding judge said as proceedings began in the criminal court in Rosny-sous-Bois, just outside Paris.

The 27-year-old singer and Boudnikoff, with whom she has a young daughter, sat side by side in the packed courtroom.

Police were called to Boudnikoff's Rosny-sous-Bois home twice on the night of August 6-7 last year, ultimately detaining the pair.

Nakamura -- born Aya Danioko in Mali -- said she had been attacked by her ex, a source familiar with the case told AFP.

"It didn't really come to blows," the source added, saying both suffered "scratches" while Boudnikoff had "held her down on the ground".

"We did some stupid things that night" but "nothing serious" happened, Boudnikoff wrote on Instagram following the altercation.

The court hearing against both for domestic violence was delayed from the original November date.

Nakamura is one of the biggest-selling francophone artists in the world, with 2018 sensation "Djadja" racking up over 900 million views on YouTube.

She has been hailed for rapping and singing about women's empowerment and black identity, mixing French, slang, Arabic and her family's native Bambara language.

"Her music manages to reach the whole country, from the housing projects to detached homes, from middle-class school gates to village halls," daily Le Monde wrote in a recent profile.

Her latest album, named DNK for the consonants of her family name, will be released on Friday.