No maybes, only love: Pakistani musicians were the real winners of 2023

The year proved that artists can thrive with or without Coke Studio—all we need is quality music

KARACHI:

Talha Anjum, one-half of Young Stunners, sent fans into a frenzy when he announced the release date for his full-length debut LP, Open Letter, back in February. Set to be the biggest, most idiosyncratic musical output of 2023, the album dropped ahead of his and Talha Yunus’s performance at the Wireless Music Festival with Travis Scott. The year already looked promising for a music industry—reset by Covid and revived by the new pop wave—that investors, international labels, aggregators, et al, seem to want a stake in.

Open Letter not only lived up to fan expectations but elevated Anjum as Pakistani music’s most vulnerable and sorted Hip-Hop artist. The record, which says more about him than the musical direction he is heading in, is a fifteen-track, God-sent, masterpiece that features guest appearances by Yunus, Kr$na, Rap Demon and JJ47. Needless to say, a lot has happened since.

Round-up and reflections

The year 2023 witnessed at least six more LPs that took everything believably “Pakistani” or “South-Asian”, and turned it on its head, creating ripples through the fabric of time and space. Ali Sethi (Intiha), Arooj Aftab (Love In Exile), Natasha Noorani (Ronaq), Talal Qureshi (TURBO), Slowspin (Talisman) and Natasha Humera Ejaz (Ordinary Miracle), delicately branched out, creating music that local and diaspora audiences could own and enjoy.

After setting the benchmark very high commercially with Pasoori last year, Sethi kicked off 2023 with Ghazab Kiya, Left-Right, and eventually dropped his collaborative LP, Intiha, with Nicolas Jaar. In it, he introduced a completely new way to perform ghazals and in doing so, created a micro-genre of sorts. His seamless delivery of Urdu poetry over ambient electronic music marked a departure from conventional ghazal music. Speaking of, ghazal artist Zeeshan Ali dropped Saadgi (New Stanza), Gardishon Ke, Tou Kya Ye Teh Hai, Barson Ke Intezar, and most recently, Dukh, filling a void – created by arbitrary acts of boisterousness – for traditional ghazal music.

Kashmir also came out with Zindagi, a feel-good album driven to lift spirits. Taha G explored themes of love, betrayal, longing and loneliness with Naakay, Naagin, Aankhon Mein Aansu, Andheri Raat and Paayal. He also signed a record deal with Sony. Maanu shined with 4U and Two Minutes while Shae Gill made her Coke Studio Global debut.

There were also some dream collaborations that transpired just as well in the studio as they did on paper. Hasan Raheem came out with his collaborative EP, Maybe, It’s Love, featuring Talwiinder, Talha Yunus, Talha Anjum, and Umair, among others. Songs like Wishes and Teray Naam brought back the old-school Hasan charm with a new perspective and improved production. Abdul Hannan collaborated with Annural Khalid for Kehdena. He also released an EP with Shahmeer Raza Khan titled Diya.

Natasha Noorani joined forces with Talal for her album Ronaq, carving a space for “lollypop” (read review here). Talal collaborated with a bunch of artists for his explosive and unique record, TURBO. Karakoram paired up with the maestro Faraz Anwer for a head-spinning banger, Gol Chakkar (read review here). While Faisal Kapadia turned novice with songs Jaadu and Hum Na Rahay – the latter with Zoha Zuberi.

While bedroom productions paved the way for a multitude of pop genres, new artists also popped up. A band called Aur came out of nowhere, much like Abdul Hannan or Hasan Raheem did back in the day, and broke all streaming charts. Their viral hit, Tu Hai Kahan, continues to mirror the industry's openness to fresh talent. Their swift recognition by Sony also hints at a broader acknowledgment of Pakistani music on the international stage. The resurgence of record labels like Sony and Universal Music has paved the way for a renewed commitment to diverse and experimental sounds. It has also hinted at the kind of money there is to be made.

I remember first asking Asim Azhar and Faisal Kapadia this months ago when Sony had just signed Taha G: Why are international labels suddenly interested in Pakistani artists? Asim, who is signed by Universal Music and Faisal, who has worked with Sony as part of Strings, credited the potential in Pakistani pop, which, owing to streaming, is finally transferring through borders and finding its market elsewhere in the world.

There is also comfort in knowing that artists are not limiting their worth to streams (we’re looking at you, Natasha Noorani) despite this “market boom” as some would call it, and instead, are focused on finding their voice. And if there’s anything 2023 has taught us, it is that irrespective of one’s listenership (which could be a direct consequence of one’s popularity) or platforms available, if an artist finds their voice, they can find their tribe – just like Anjum did.

One needs to also acknowledge that this is probably a first in many years in music that Pakistani artists have expanded their reach without music’s biggest stakeholder, Coke Studio, having any part to play. Some would argue that the growth is in fact a ripple effect of Coke Studio 14 and Pasoori’s success. Others would beg to differ, particularly artists who look back at their own year in music with The Express Tribune.

Year in the music business

The resurgence of record labels like Sony and Universal Music has paved the way for a renewed commitment to diverse and experimental sounds. It has also hinted at the kind of money there is to be made.

“It’s been a great year,” says Faisal Kapadia. “2022 ended with Phir Milengay and some new excitement. I did a couple of performances, started making new music and with digital platforms, things have been flourishing. There is no limit to distribution. There is a flipside, though; too much music is coming out,” he remarked. “Would the audience be able to consume all of that is the bigger question. Just like too much water can spill from a container, a lot of music can go to waste…” he warned.

Maanu spoke in a similar vein, “Coke Studio didn’t release this year despite which, the music scene has been flourishing. For me personally, the year has been great in terms of streaming. Songs like 4U and Left-Right allowed me to reach a lot more people than I could’ve before. It's also interesting to see how many people are releasing full length albums now. We are in a very streaming-oriented era of our industry and it's cool to witness. The gig season has been slow but we're soldiering on.”

Renowned producer and the brains behind The Legend of Maula Jatt soundtrack, Sarmad Ghafoor, looked back at the year with gratitude. Aside from basking in the success of the film, he recalled working on a lot of new music, including mixing and mastering Hassan & Roshaan’s album.

Taha, who’s currently battling some health issues, was not very thrilled at the question. “2023 has had its ups and downs for me,” he said. “I’ve been affected greatly by injuries that have led to changes in my physical appearance. Other than that, I’ve released some killer music, taken risks and stepped out of my comfort zone.”

The Dil Kay Isharay hit-maker added, “I think promotions have become easier now because of Spotify’s multiple programmes that make artists more accessible to listeners. I definitely didn’t have the resources or abilities to have my music discovered back in the day, however, that’s changed now. I do think there are more revenue streams for us now too, as more brands are picking up artists to write music for them. At times, the ability to also be an influencer has really changed the scope for us Pakistani musicians,” he shared.

The income of an artist is still cyclical, it is very much dependent on the season. But now, in the last 15 years, a music economy actually exists — Natasha Noorani

Natasha Noorani, while speaking to The Express Tribune about her album Ronaq last month, had also talked about the emergence of a “music economy”. “Two years ago, the major revenue streams were commercial work or concerts, that’s what the ecosystem looked like. A really good thing that streaming platforms have done is, they behave as major marketing units. You’re not really earning much because we live in the third world and so the clicks are not as profitable in the sense that I can rely on them for my monthly income. The income of an artist is still cyclical, it is very much dependent on the season. But now, in the last 15 years, a music economy actually exists,” she assured.

The Thandi singer cited the “active reset” post Covid that allowed artists to explore new music and new realms. “Artists earlier might not have been able to translate all of their art online in the way that Maanu or Hassan Raheem or Annural Khalid can now. But streaming has created this music economy because the audience and the musicians have, after a very long time, connected.”

Ghafoor, who has been part of the music business for three decades now, shared, “10 years ago, just four to five artists could make a living out of music, the rest had day jobs. Now, I know artists who can make 100,000 dollars a year just from Spotify.” Kapadia also noted, “Back in the Strings days, the only way we used to earn was through album royalties, and even from that, we’d be told that albums are being pirated so there hasn’t been much sale. You had to take that man’s word. Now, the more music you make, the more money you make. There is accountability.”

Zeeshan also quipped, “Mere account mein ab paise aatay hain. When you work hard, and when you get paid for it as an artist, it’s a different feeling. I didn’t know these streaming platforms actually paid. During Covid, artists learnt how to generate revenue through digital streams. Now, Bandcamp, YouTube, Spotify, they’re our best friends. I get paid enough to survive and make new music. ChatGPT will tell you how to distribute today. You don’t need labels. You can easily make your art and it will travel online and you will earn based on whether or not people like it.”

We can’t rely so heavily on streaming. The scale of our live shows needs to be improved. We still don’t have proper venues and hence, artists can’t tour — Maanu

Maanu, albeit, held a different viewpoint, “Artists mainly have two sources of income. Shows and streaming. Even abroad, artists like Drake, their revenue is generated through concerts. We can’t rely so heavily on streaming. The scale of our live shows needs to be improved. We still don’t have proper venues and hence, artists can’t tour. Our concert format is such that organisers always get the top five or six artists in the industry and put everyone on for 30 mins. This kind of model can’t be sustainable for very long.”

In fact, everyone I spoke to complained about the need for concert venues and live shows, solely focused on music. “Our live shows need to be properly designed to give fans the kind of experience they get internationally,” said Taha. “Our biggest hurdle is still our live scene. We don’t have music festivals, the kind that take place around the world. We need at least four to five music festivals, NOT FOOD FESTIVALS. We need them in big cities and smaller cities. Our live infrastructure needs to be such that it can cater specifically to artists and people who have come to enjoy music.”

The ‘CS14’ ripple effect

Natasha, who was part of the curatorial team for Coke Studio 14, also talked about its success, which many believe prompted the influx of opportunities for artists. “I was very much a party to all of this getting on the pulse as opposed to trying to create a pulse. And being a part of the team that reset the CS sound, I think the best thing that the brand Xulfi did was pick up on what was happening, as opposed to trying to create an act. He acknowledged that this is our music now and this is the music that people want to listen to. Its commendable that they managed to actually align with what’s happening around them. Instead of manufacturing a sound, they gave space to the sound that is coming out.”

Faisal Kapadia holds that while Pasoori and Coke Studio 14 broke all barriers in 2022, the success of Kahani Suno should say something. “Even I thought Coke Studio 14 and Pasoori were the limit. But Kahani Suno did so well without any brand support. Even songs by Abdul Hannan and Adnan Dhool are doing so well. I don’t think we are dependent on big platforms like CS anymore. Now, artists just need to find that connection with the audience.”

Maanu chimed in, “I don’t think the makers of Pasoori even anticipated the scale at which the song would blow up. And that's the beauty of music. Moments like these can keep happening and certainly can’t be ruled out as one offs. But I feel it’s a misconception that labels have become more interested in our artists because of Pasoori. Since Spotify came into Pakistan, labels have always been interested. We had a market developing. Pasoori did push it but artists like Young Stunners really pushed it as well in terms of working independently yet having a huge cross border following.”

Labels and all that jazz

Labels can have international shows for us, properly designed shows like Hasan Raheem’s Nautanki tour. Possibly even help with international collaborations — Taha G

Asked if labels could change the game for the better, Taha shared, “Labels can have international shows for us, properly designed shows like Hasan Raheem’s Nautanki tour. Possibly even help with international collaborations. They’ve definitely come into the scene due the surge in streams for Pakistani songs and I guess they want artists to sign in hopes of getting their music out to the world.” About his own record deal, he shared, “Sony has been incredibly helpful in marketing certain songs and we all want to bring out quality music. I am only halfway through my deal so I can’t say what the future holds but I’m excited.”

Like Zeeshan, Kapadia and Maanu, however, believe we don’t need labels and record deals anymore. “I'm an independent artist and I feel with labels, it can be a hit or a miss. One should always be conscious and vigilant and have a team of legal workers who understand the minute details of contracts you sign. On the flipside, artists here have always had to invest in their own music and videos so the idea of a label sounds very tempting. And labels entering the market are great for us as an industry as they'll bring in some structure. But it’s a double-edged sword.”

Kapadia remarked, “Labels are only showing interest in Pakistan because Pakistan has something to offer. All these international labels, their aim is not to promote Pakistani music, it’s, okay, this music is doing well, let’s make money out of it.” He, however, admitted, “International labels do give our artists exposure and opportunity to collaborate with international artists. Someone who is very well-established right now probably doesn’t need a record deal. But for someone who is relatively new, it’s a good thing.”

Taha adds, “We definitely have had more international collaborations this year and that really shows that music has no boundaries. We’ve all been shown that albums can work just as well if they have quality, an example of this would be Open Letter and Maybe, it’s Love. But I think the biggest achievement this year would be the acceptance for a new era of Pakistani music.”

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