Bilal Khan: ‘Written’ in the stars

Singer Bilal Khan gives fans a glimpse of his first single “Chupee”.

LAHORE:

Singer Bilal Khan surprised his fans on Tuesday by announcing on his Facebook page that the name of his next album will be titled Maktoob, which is an Arabic word for “written”. He found inspiration for the name of the album in Paulo Coelho’s book The Alchemist where he first came across the term ‘Maktoob’. By only uploading a teaser of the first single “Chupee”, he has proven that there is nothing slowing him down.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the artist revealed the concept of his album. “It’s a common belief that things are pre-written and designed by fate, so if they’re already set in stone and we have little control over them, all we can really do is be more positive when they happen,” said Khan.

Khan, a Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) alumnus, made an impressive entrance in the industry with his song “Bachana”. He then scored big with the audiences with his original song “Tou Kia Hua” on “Coke Studio”. Ever since then, Khan has been busy with several brand endorsements.

The singer, who has been working on the album for more than a year, said about his new songs, “Although the songs are quite simple, they are more positive and the lyrical content is more complex. The songs haven’t been designed to top charts or sell albums; they should just connect with audiences emotionally.”

For now, Khan’s biggest goal is to keep writing music and ensuring that his priorities are in order. “I have changed as a person, I care less about how many hits I have; I am more interested in how many people can relate to it,” added Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2012.