Anyone can connect with my music: Hasan Raheem discusses poetic simplicity in Forbes feature

The singer also spoke about the changing landscape of Pakistan's music industry in the interview

Singer Hasan Raheem, who was recently featured in Forbes magazine, spoke about his creative process, as well as where he feels the Pakistan music industry is headed in the interview. The pop star reflected on the simplicity of his lyrics, which have recently become fodder for parody tweets, speaking about his main goal of connecting with his listeners.

He shared, “I pour my feelings into my music. I try to keep it as simple as possible so that anyone who listens to my songs can connect with them. I keep it straightforward so that everyone understands what I have to say.”

Explaining how his music and style are constantly evolving, the singer revealed, “I think I’m learning and experimenting with my music every day. I’m a student of this art form. I try to sing and write in different ways…I practice constantly.”

Raheem, who is all set to feature in Coke Studio 14, spoke about where he feels the Pakistani music industry is heading. “I think the future of Pakistani music is going to be an amalgamation of genres," explained the singer, adding, ” Right now we have a whole new indie and hip-hop scene, there are so many different sounds out there that in the next decade or so, I’m pretty sure Pakistani music is going to go global.”

Asserting the importance of support and collaboration, he shared, “I see new talent in Pakistan and the stuff they’re making and it’s so much better than what we’re currently doing. But they need our support. When I started out, I was helped by peers like the Young Stunners, so I make it a point of paying it forward to those starting out. I go to their studios and help out with lyrics and melodies. I’m not selfish like that. We need to make a community where everyone comes together and makes great music. That’s what the music industry needs at this point.”

The Joona singer also reflected on the hard time some seniors in the industry give him on occasion. “I’ve had to persuade some of the seniors that I’ve worked with that this is the kind of music people are listening to these days and that we need to step up our game,” he revealed.

Raheem continued, “If we stick with the old sound, it’s not going to better our industry. New artistes need to be motivated more and if they see us working with senior artists and doing cool projects, they’re going to be super psyched about working on their art. I really see our music industry growing.”