Wishes come true as Hasan Raheem drops track ft Talwiinder

In his latest creative offering, Pakistani singer Hasan Raheem has released the official music video for his collaborative record Wishes featuring Indian singer Talwiinder and produced by Umair. The song was initially released with a lyric video on September 2 as part of Raheem’s five-track EP Maybe, It’s Love.

Raheem harks back to a lost relationship in this poignant composition, seamlessly fitting into the contemporary indie pop and R&B scene. With lyrics that reminisce both the joyful moments and mistakes made, Wishes stands as an honest self-introspection, invoking the familiar regrets that follow a breakup.

The music video nods at this liminal stage between loss and gradual acceptance with visuals of an injured Raheem dangling from a tree in paratrooper gear. The lack of momentum is contrasted with superimposed flashbacks of him riding a motorcycle, interrupted by occasional blue and red flashes to signal an impending road traffic accident. Underscoring the transition between timelines, the flashbacks are monochromatic with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

The superimposition works as an interesting substitute for crosscutting to hint at both his emotional turbulence and the disorienting bike crash. The lonely uncanny of the tree standing in stark sunlight - as opposed to the darkness that dominates the rest of the video - suggests an otherworldly limbo but will Raheem ever escape the vortex of guilt? The music video does not answer.

Meanwhile, much to fans’ delight, Talwiinder gets ample screentime, donning a devilish face paint, as if Raheem’s very own demon of the night. For many social media users, the Indian singer is the saving grace for an otherwise generic tune. “Talwiinder clearly overshadowed him,” read one post while another forthrightly declared, “This song would’ve been a flop without Talwiinder.”