{"id":3141,"date":"2023-09-12T00:46:07","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T00:46:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/chand-mahiya-and-asim-azhars-artistic-evolution-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-09-12T00:46:07","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T00:46:07","slug":"chand-mahiya-and-asim-azhars-artistic-evolution-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/chand-mahiya-and-asim-azhars-artistic-evolution-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Chand Mahiya’ and Asim Azhar’s artistic evolution | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nKARACHI:
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Asim Azhar has been serenading our hearts with his soulful melodies for over a decade now. His ability to weave intricate narratives into songs and his knack for crafting relatable, heartfelt numbers has earned him a huge following in Pakistan and beyond. Having started his musical journey at a tender age, he has grown to become a household name. And his latest offering, Chand Mahiya<\/em>, is a testament to his artistic evolution.<\/p>\n

The electropop track opens with a gentle tune as Asim croons softly to express his disdain. He scorns himself for falling so deeply in love with another while his singing reflects his vulnerability. Chand Mahiya<\/em> isn\u2019t a far cry from his previous outings, but it\u2019s Asim at his sturdiest, branding himself as the undefeatable doyen of romance. The song is an interplay between drama and dogma. Its lyrics infused with questions are part reflective and part confrontational. Albeit simple, they\u2019re not simplistic and cater to the dilemma of young people in love.<\/p>\n

Music for the soul<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although Asim has spent a decade in the music industry with his fans having practically grown up with him \u2013 \u201csome of them have kids now,\u201d he tells me over a phone call \u2013 his music is fresh to the ears and catering to the newer generation. That is not to say it lacks maturity, but that it\u2019s carefully distilled with only the most relevant emotions. Appealing a particular age-group is not on Asim\u2019s checklist, though. \u201cThe reason why I’m so lightheaded about things now is because I’m making songs that I want to make. I’m not putting a criterion around my music and I accept that the margin of failure is more when you start doing that. But I believe in longevity, in self-happiness and self-satisfaction,\u201d he shares with The Express Tribune<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Asim\u2019s tunes have always been catchy while carrying a distinct melodic sensitivity. As a kid who started out on YouTube, covering contemporary Western music, Asim grew to perform on Coke Studio<\/em>, sing anthems, OSTs and even ventured into playback singing. So much of his musical catalogue is decked by his contributions to various platforms. And while each of those may serve as career-defining moments for him, it\u2019s rare to hear Asim sing for his soul. But it is magical when he does \u2013 Jo Tu Na Mila<\/em> is his most-heard song for a reason.<\/p>\n

Unlike Jo Tu Na Mila<\/em>, though, his recent outings such as Chand Mahiya, Bulleya<\/em> and Habibi<\/em>, offer a more laidback approach, especially in terms of sound. Asim is shifting gears and the gradual but definite change in his music hints at his inclination towards a more indie way of life. \u201cI’m a sucker for experimenting. I feel that when an artist runs out of creative fuel, that\u2019s when experimentations and collaborations come into play. \u2018Collaboration\u2019 is a very important word,\u201d he stresses. \u201cAnd, you know, my new sound, that I’ve been releasing recently, I think it’s not a drastic change. You’ll never hear a drastic change for me. I always enjoy long visions and longevity. But obviously, I understand that the kind of audience that I cater to, it needs to be pushed out slowly, even the experiments, so it’s not difficult for them to digest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chand Mahiya in the making<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chand Mahiya<\/em> is a product of Asim having put together his home studio. It is also a result of perhaps his new-found perspective on love. \u201cI started working on this song when I set up my makeshift home studio. I would spend my nights trying to experiment and explore new sounds. And that’s how I came about this particular beat. And once I kind of had a structure, a melodic and a musical structure, I started writing. But the writing part is very interesting,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s based on a character who’s really enjoying his freedom. He travels a lot, does not believe in love, does not believe in anything spiritual, and just lives his days as they come. He doesn’t really enjoy relationships with strings attached or responsibilities. But then there’s this girl, who is the total opposite of his world, sweeps him off of his feet. And now he is complaining about losing his freedom. Love is a bittersweet feeling for him because at the back of his mind, somewhere, he always knew that there will a person who will come and you know, mess things up. And he loved his freedom, his uraan<\/em> (flight) so now he laments \u2018Chand mahiya, ye tune kya kiya<\/em> (my darling, what have you done, you cut my wings)\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asim primarily wanted to challenge himself with his latest expression of love. \u201cWhen you\u2019re falling for someone, it shouldn’t always be like \u2018Jabse maine tumko dekha mein pagal hogaya<\/em>, you know? I tried to make it interesting. There’s this part in my song where I say \u2018Mein tou khogaya, mein tou khogaya, ye kese hogaya? Dil mera puche ye sawal we\u2019<\/em>. That\u2019s where the character is wondering how he could let this happen. And the next stanza says \u2018Tujhe dekhun mein sapnon mein, ghairon mein, apnon mein, har chehra tera he deedar hai\u2019<\/em>. He’s helpless. He knows what comes with love; the beauty and the tragedy of love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Record deal with Universal Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

Asim maintains that the upcoming season will see the greatest number of releases from his end, not just because he\u2019s signed a three-year record deal with Universal Music, but also because he\u2019s got an EP in the pipeline. \u201cWe\u2019re going to follow up with a new song and a music video every other month. And with that being said, I’m also working on my debut EP, which will have, you know, more than a few songs,\u201d promises the singer.<\/p>\n

About his record deal, Asim delves, \u201cIt was quite amazing to get linked and work with an international entity like Universal. The best part about our relationship is that it\u2019s all about music; the quality and quantity, given that consistency is key for relevancy. So, we’re going to be releasing songs every other month. We’re going to be releasing a music video every other month. That’s something I hadn’t experienced as an independent artist because you can only do so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Labels in Pakistan<\/strong><\/p>\n

On that note, when asked about the limitations he has faced over 10 years as an independent artist in Pakistan, provided that he started out at a time when digital hadn\u2019t really picked up, Asim reflected, \u201cI was doing as much as I could but obviously there\u2019s a threshold when you’re self-producing, self-investing and creating. But I had to come to terms with the kind of environment that we had. I had to come to terms with there not being such outlets for music. Not speaking about others, I did the best I could in my capacity which is why I’m here. But definitely there is no denying that if we had structured companies\/labels for music, things would\u2019ve been easier. When I started out, we were dependent on TV, channels, and we could not rely on digital then. So, I have seen those times and I thank God that I understood there and then that nobody will come and save me.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Asim isn\u2019t the only one who\u2019s bagged a record deal with an international label lately. From the looks of Shae Gill\u2019s recent Coke Studio Global<\/em> outings, Universal Music seems to also have signed her up. And rumour has it that Taha G has signed a deal with Sony. So, what\u2019s suddenly pushing these labels to Pakistani artists, I ask. \u201cEver since Covid hit, somehow the Pakistani independent music scene has really hit it off. There\u2019s been a lot more freedom for independent artists because of companies like Spotify. It’s just been much less complicated for songs or art, to, you know, transfer through borders, cultures and just around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that is why companies like Universal and other big names may be investing here. Pakistani pop music has always brought its A-game, not from now, not from before \u2013 always. And the world knows that. So, it’s not like they’re cashing in on something. It’s just that they also realize that Pakistani art deserves better. And I think they just want to play their part in bringing Pakistani art to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rounding up a decade<\/strong><\/p>\n

About what he\u2019s learnt from his 10 years in the industry, Asim shares, \u201cI think spending 10 years here has taught me more about life than about the business. And I think that helps me curate the business side of it as well. Creatively, I’ve kind of let loose. But I’ve learned so much about people, about humans in general. You know, it’s nothing less than a PhD for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the most challenging song that he\u2019s ever had to do, the singer revealed, \u201cThe most challenging song that I’ve worked on was an OST for a project called Sinf-e-Aahan<\/em>. I’m always so proud to be a part of a project like that. It was about six to seven girls, their journey from getting stereotyped to eventually doing something extraordinary. That OST took me seven months to complete.\u201d Asim recalled being as invested in the serial in order to make the OST as any actor on the show. \u201cA lot of preparation went into it. I was as involved in the script as the rest of the cast and crew was. I had to study the script. I had to know every it’s in bits of the characters. In desi songs, the antra<\/em>, which is the second verse of the song, it\u2019s different than the first, it\u2019s like the breakdown and it’s usually longer. I had to write six different antras<\/em> \u2013 that means I had to write six to seven different stanzas on each of the girl\u2019s stories\u201d<\/p>\n

But his favourite from his catalogue is always his most recent song. \u201cMy favourite is Chand Mahiya<\/em>. It\u2019s always my latest song. I think it\u2019s a musician thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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