Best of 2025 – Zeerak's picks

CLOSE2ME - Talal Qureshi, Annural Khalid

Annural Khalid is perhaps best known for acoustic ballads. My earliest introduction to her was on a Miracle Mangal recording, singing a melody reminiscent of 2000s Pakistani rock on top of an Umair production. This song reminds me of that genre of Annural, which I feel is more exploratory. This song has a pronounced, quick beat from Talal. But Annural’s lyrics are lost and introspective. It is an anthem of self-doubt delivered with contrasting confidence. She slips from Urdu to English to Punjabi with no fuss. Perhaps it is the combination of doubt and multi-lingualism that draws me to this song, feeling like it describes an experience many like me who are in between languages in modern Pakistan feel.

Jaun Mein Kahaan - Kashmir

When Kashmir won Pepsi Battle of the Bands in 2017, a rock band show at a time when rock seemed to be dying, there was good reason to fear that this music may not last in the industry. Because among the many failings of music as in industry, being fickle is up there.

Yet what I find heartwarming is that Kashmir have not only survived but that they have added a new sound to their arsenal. By combining with Waleed Ahmed, also known as Janoobi Khargosh, they’ve moved their sound to a synth-pop core with distinct rock elements such as the clear choruses with vocal callbacks. And while Kashmir are continuing to reinvent themselves, rock seems to be coming back. What a great time to have an established band.

S.M.O.O.T.H - Miracle Mangal, Rithmetic, CGF

I find CGF’s vocal delivery badass. They rap in Urdu but they are not trapped by the aura of ‘Urdu rap’, which is often referenced in the Young Stunners universe of hip hop. They draw from English rap without being totally burger. They don’t really enunciate but who cares, it’s actually kind of endearing. This Rithmetic beat prompts an instant headbang. But the real attraction of this recording is when the flow goes up a gear into high-speed. It’s just slow enough to be fun but fast enough to be one step ahead of you. After a lot of listening, I continue to find this song extremely enjoyable.

raat ki rani (Khruangbin Remix) – Arooj Aftab, Khruangbin

I saw Arooj Aftab live after her 2024 album Night Reign was released. From what she said on stage, I understood that Raat Ki Rani was meant to be the hit single off Night Reign. While it appears that the version off the album did not reach the heights of her Grammy-winning Mohabbat, I still find Raat Ki Rani an impressive addition to Arooj Aftab’s repertoire.

One way to tell the quality of a composition, is to see how well it holds up to different arrangements. And every version of Raat Ki Rani I hear I like more than the last. My favorite version is actually the live performance on Late Night with Stephen Colbert, but this remix from American musicians Khruangbin is also great. In the album version, there is a ton of empty space. As Khruangbin adds a quicker beat, the empty space goes away and the vocal flows in and out of a more catchable rhythm. It’s a testament to the track’s strength that it can transform from a minimalist jazzy recording into a rhythmic danceable number without losing its soul.