Hamnawa Select Aug '24

What’s notable in Pakistani music this August, on Spotify & YouTube.

You may notice some interesting trends in these playlists:

• Umair has released yet another album with Anjum. It’s only an EP sure, but this man’s output is something else.

• Lots more songs as part of EPs generally. Hasan Raheem, JJ47 have EPs. Ahsan has a full album. (For those confused by this lingo, EPs have less songs.) It’s useful to think of this new wave of Pakistani pop as starting in 2020. All of the new artists started launching singles and building an audience. The ones that stood out are now looking to make a name for themselves internationally, touring and building bigger infrastructure for themselves. Record labels have moved into Pakistan seeing this, and are signing artists with either their local or international arms. To do this they need to see portfolios of material, and so artists as a way of cementing themselves release EPs, and then full albums to establish an artistic credibility. As those first albums are out of the way, the need for a full portfolio diminishes, and then artists can go back to releasing singles. Occasionally as bodies of work get developed together, an EP adds to the overall credibility and may be part of a larger record label deal. So you’re seeing this wave of releases tell a larger story about the economics of the scene.

• We’re featuring a lot more songs in Pashto and Sindhi, which is a function both of more new releases and closer attention from us towards these musical scenes.

• The number of new artists that make it to these playlists every time is frankly amazing, and speaks to the excitement of new artists to join the scene. It’s also enabled by easier production tools through more accessible software and ready-made sample packs that can be assembled into songs without needing a full band or studio.