Abdul Hannan marks 30th birthday with Umrah

Singer reflects on career that took him from computer science, engineering to the top of Pakistan’s streaming charts

Singer-songwriter Abdul Hannan marked his 30th birthday on September 4 with a pilgrimage to Makkah rather than a conventional celebration.

Taking to Instagram, the Iraaday hitmaker shared a series of photos from his journey, captioning the post: “Alhamdulillah! This is how I decided to enter my 30's. Prayed for everyone.”

 

 

 

 

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Hannan’s path to becoming one of Pakistan’s most streamed artists began far from the recording studio.

A computer science graduate of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences, Hannan had a corporate engineering offer waiting for him in Berlin after completing university during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the corporate route did not feel like his own, and he ultimately chose to pursue music full-time.

That decision produced breakout singles Iraaday and Bikhra, both of which remained at the top of the charts for more than 100 weeks. His 2024 Coke Studio appearance on O Yaara, alongside Kaavish, further cemented his crossover into the mainstream.

Hannan has also spoken about his ambitions beyond recorded music, particularly his desire to reshape Pakistan’s live concert circuit. Frustrated by what he sees as limitations in the country’s usual sound production and staging, he has expressed plans to introduce immersive visuals and interactive elements inspired by acts such as Coldplay through what he calls “The Abdul Hannan Experience.”

His rise has also been reflected in Spotify’s regional listening data.

A previous breakdown of listening habits by city found Hannan among the five most-streamed local artists in Sindh, alongside Atif Aslam, Young Stunners, Hasan Raheem and Asim Azhar. In Karachi, both Iraaday and Bikhra ranked among the city’s most-played tracks, trailing only King’s Tu Aake Dekh Le.