What’s Nazia Hassan got to do with it?

Many believe Carpenter’s new song sounds familiar

Artists have long drawn inspiration from various sources, paying homage to their influences or reimagining past hits with a fresh spin. Inspiration or plagiarism — the lines between the two are not always clear but one thing is certain. Every such instance invites an animated debate on ownership and fandom battles.
The latest artist caught in this whirlwind is none other than Sabrina Carpenter, the 23-year-old American pop sensation. Her newly released track, Please Please Please, has garnered fans all over the world. However, in some corners of the Pakistani internet, eagle-eyed listeners and social media sleuths are spotting a striking resemblance to a beloved classic from the 1980s.
The song in question? Disco Deewane, the iconic duet by the late Pakistani pop queen Nazia Hassan and her brother Zoheb Hassan. The debate first surfaced when influencer-model Anzela Abbasi took to IG with a reel showing a brief side-by-side comparison. “She’s in her Nazia Hassan era,” she wrote in the caption.
Anzela, who was also recently named among Miss Universe Pakistan’s top 10 finalists for 2024, started a debate under her post, grabbing more than 20,000 likes. “‘Sampled’ is the wrong word, ‘stolen’ is the correct word, someone needs to sue! Good catch!” commented one disgruntled user while another nodded in agreement, “The resemblance is uncanny.”
Not all appeared to be in consensus. “But it’s so subtle that it could just be a coincidence?” one user pondered. As per others, there is no resemblance whatsoever. “Not really. I didn’t get the similarity,” declared one reply.
While the similarity in Carpenter’s song does suggest a possible sampling of Nazia’s hit, it’s hard to tell if it’s a coincidence or if the Espresso singer intended a clever, respectful nod to a legend. However, the resemblance ends before any passionate fan could cry theft. When all is said and done, this saga marks the meeting of two passionate fandoms, coming together and fangirling over their shared love for catchy pop music.