Aima Baig reveals debut album 'Guriya' is tribute to late mother

Singer Aima Baig shared that her upcoming debut album Guriya was inspired by the memory of her late mother, describing the project as a journey of grief, healing and self-discovery.

In an interview, she shared that the album marked a new chapter in her life after learning to live with the loss of her mother, who passed away in 2017. 

“My mother was called Guriya, and I still run out of words when I try to speak about her. Grief keeps changing as your life changes. As I grow older, I understand more acutely how much I needed her, and I miss her every day. Coping with that absence can be frustrating and deeply painful,” the singer shared.

Aima added, “This album is not my rebuttal to the noise. It is my story, offered on my own terms."

Despite the success the singer has achieved, she noted that she would trade anything to have her mother by her side. “If I could trade every good thing written in my fate to have my mother here, I would. I would have traded almost anything, even my own life, for hers," she said.

Further, Aima described the process of creating Guriya as emotionally overwhelming, saying it often involved revisiting memories of her mother and going through her belongings. According to the singer, the process of making the album was “brutal, beautiful and full of tears."

She also revealed that several artists contributed to the album, including Atif Aslam, Asim Azhar, Qasim Hasan, Raheel and Mubashir.

Beyond the music, she reflected on navigating public life, saying spending time in London while working on new projects gave her some much-needed distance from the pressures she associated with fame in Pakistan. “London became the detox I needed. I needed distance from the drama that can surround the glamour, from sadness, depression and even the writer’s block I had been carrying,” Aima said.

The singer also addressed the controversy surrounding a leaked video allegedly showing her and singer Bilal Saeed intoxicated in London, clarifying that the footage was recorded during the filming of a project.

“It can be frustrating because what happens away from the camera is often private and personal,” she said.

Aima added, however, that the viral attention unexpectedly generated interest in the unreleased track. “Ironically, the entire episode became an extraordinary promotional campaign for a song we had not even finished shooting,” she stated.

She also rejected criticism that the incident reflected poorly on Pakistan. “There were comments about how we represent Pakistan, but whenever we are called upon to represent our country, we do it with enormous love and care,” the singer said.

Reflecting on growing up in the spotlight, the 31-year-old noted that much of her adolescence unfolded in front of the public, from personal struggles to professional milestones.

She added that the public's perception of her often differed from who she really is. “The biggest misconception is that the chaos people witnessed is who I am. They know the controversy; they do not necessarily know me,” Aima said.

Further, the singer noted, “What matters to me now is being recognised for the right reasons: the music, the skill, the writing or a performance that genuinely moved someone. I am not looking for attention simply for the sake of remaining visible.”

While Aima has yet to reveal a release date for Guriya, she has been teasing new music and upcoming projects across her social media, building anticipation for what the singer described as her most personal work to date.