Best of 2025 – Shahmir's picks

Pal Pal - Afusic, Ali Soomro

I called dibs on this song before any of the other writers could take this because I knew it would be on everyone else’s list too. This is a song you knew would be a hit as soon as you heard it. I personally had not heard of either artist before this but this was an amazing introduction into their music, which I would suggest our readers to dive into more as well

Now for the song itself, it’s just so holistically good – from Afusic’s delivery and melodies to the beat that is subtle but punchy in its own right. The chorus is so incredibly catchy that nothing really matched it or could have.

Super excited to see what these two keep bringing in the future.

Kinaaray - Abdul Hannan

Abdul Hannan stands outside of the past and present of the Pakistani music scene. He has the voice and predisposition that could easily belong to the earlier era of rock musicians in the country but also the aesthetic & taste that is very modern pop oriented.

I think Kinaaray is a perfect example of all of his sensibilities in full swing. The drums are so sharp and crisp, the flute is so serene and the vocals are honey like. I look forward to hearing him carve out his own space in the pop landscape of the country.

HAWA ANEY DE - Talha Anjum, Umair

I am a very big fan of Umair. I believe he is the most talented producer in this country and the fact that he is still so young makes the prospect of his production maturing further with the years even more exciting.

Hawa Aney De is a perfect example of a clear yet very subtle shift in sound. His incorporation of more interesting sounds makes this beat extremely interesting and a bop at the same time. The song was stuck in my head for days. Umair & Talha are such an excellent duo as well that results in an extremely potent song with incredible punchlines & bars. The song is still on repeat for me and the video is also excellent,

Daayein Baayein - Eid Milan

Songs less than 2 minutes are almost always hard to pull off without sounding half baked. Ideas only start to flourish before they are cut off under the guise of experimentation. Happy to say that this is not the case with Daayein Baayein by Eid Milan.

This was one of the catchiest songs to come out of Pakistan in 2025, to my ears at least. The specific lo-fi texture of the guitar in that beat is just so sweet and mixed with the sticky and simple hook from Hassan makes this an excellent tune.

I hope this group keeps releasing more because it clearly looks like an outlet for a bit more left-field or creative songs.

KISSMYSHOE - Ashir, Ibrahim Zaheer

I believe this song deserved more attention last year. It is a very straightforward song with a no-frills attitude - two qualities that make it an extremely potent song as well. A very strong and razor-like lyrical delivery over a beat that flourishes in the low end

I would also suggest our readers to listen to the full EP by Ashir & Ibrahim for more songs like these.