ISLAMABAD: Coke Studio Nu.WAV Qasam Shae Gill Afusic is the fifth release from the new Coke Studio platform, and it brings together two singers whose paths to fame could not be more different. The track, called Qasam, pairs Shae Gill with Afusic on an experimental pop song that mixes contemporary electronic production with the sound of the sarangi. It was released on November 1, and it is the latest step in a series that has been finding a large audience for new Pakistani music. For fans of both singers, the pairing was worth the wait.
The Shae Gill Pasoori one billion YouTube views record is the reason her name carries so much weight. Shae Gill made her Coke Studio debut alongside Ali Sethi in Season 14 with Pasoori, which went on to become the first locally produced Pakistani music video to cross one billion views on YouTube. That song turned her into a star overnight, and it showed that a Pakistani song could travel far beyond the country’s borders. Her voice on Qasam is softer and more reflective, and it suits the mood of the new track.
The Afusic Pal Pal UK Asian Music Chart success is the other half of the story. Afusic has grown from a digital first singer, songwriter and rapper into one of the prominent emerging voices in contemporary South Asian pop and hip hop. His breakout track Pal Pal reached audiences far beyond Pakistan, topping the UK Official Asian Music Chart and entering the Canadian Hot 100. Qasam is his second appearance on Coke Studio Nu.WAV, after Dil, the platform’s opening release, and it shows how fast his star is rising.
The Abdullah Kasumbi Qasam producer sarangi team shaped the sound of the track. Qasam is produced, arranged and mixed by Abdullah Kasumbi, with Gul Khan on sarangi and Sean Tallman handling the mastering. The executive producer is Kamal Khan. The sarangi gives the song its South Asian heart, while the electronic production gives it a modern edge. The combination is the point of the track, and it is what sets Nu.WAV apart from the main Coke Studio season, which works with a bigger band and a more traditional sound.
The Bristol Hotel Karachi Qasam music video is as much a part of the release as the song. The video was shot inside Karachi’s century old Bristol Hotel, with Hammad Sohail’s production design using the building’s existing character as part of the visual world. The old hotel, with its worn walls and high ceilings, gives the video a mood that a studio set could not match. The choice of location shows how the platform is trying to build a world around each song, not just a performance.
The Coke Studio Nu.WAV six releases Dil Shabnam series is now five songs in. The releases so far are Dil, Rangeen, Maheya, Shabnam and now Qasam, with one more to come. Shabnam, the fourth release, brought together Maanu and Zoha Waseem on a track produced by Talal Qureshi, and it explored two sides of a relationship where love, doubt and suspicion begin to blur. Dil, the opening release, was a hit in its own right, and the cinematographer Shahan Rao, who worked as second unit director of photography on the video, helped give it a striking look. The track gathered more than 30 million views online within a month of its launch.
The platform is a new way of doing Coke Studio. Instead of the long season with many artists and a house band, Nu.WAV releases one song at a time, each with its own world and its own team. The idea is to give new and emerging artists a stage, and to let each track find its own audience. The five releases so far have covered pop, hip hop, indie and electronic sounds, and the artists range from established names to newcomers. The approach has worked, with the early tracks finding millions of listeners.
The pairing on Qasam works because the two singers bring different strengths. Shae Gill brings the warmth and the reach of Pasoori, and Afusic brings the energy and the modern sound of Pal Pal. The sarangi ties them together, and the production lets both voices breathe. The song is not a loud anthem, and it is not trying to be one. It is a quieter track, and that is part of its charm. For listeners who know both singers, the collaboration feels natural, and for new listeners, it is a good place to start.
Readers should note that Qasam is the fifth of six planned releases, so one more song is still to come. The platform has not yet said when the final track will arrive, or who will sing it. What is clear is that Nu.WAV has found an audience, and that Qasam adds to a run of songs that have each brought something different. The next news to watch is the final release, and whether the platform returns for another round. For now, Qasam is out on Coke Studio’s official digital platforms, and the video is ready to watch.
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