There were big cars, sunglasses, clunky jewellery and a whole lot of rap as contestants were seen performing on stage and dissing their adversaries in rap battles.

On Sunday, the programme’s season promo dropped, revealing it will begin airing from May 24 on Pixel Entertainment’s YouTube channel. This is a delay from an earlier timeline that would have had the show released around Eidul Fitr.

The show will have 12 up and coming rappers battling for the title of Rap Icon over the course of 10 episodes, executive producer Rizwan Siddiqui told Images in December. He said the goal was to “find the next Talha Anjum or next Bohemia”.

Contestants will have to take part in a number of rap-related challenges based around different themes and styles. Many of them will be eliminated as the show goes on, with the best making it into a “grand finale”.

While this is the first such show in Pakistan, the idea of mixing rap and reality TV isn’t new. The Rap Game ran in the US for five seasons between 2016 and 2019. Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow saw big names such as Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, DJ Khaled and Ludacris appear as judges.

Reality TV as a whole seemed to be having a revival in Pakistan in the last couple of years with shows like Masterchef and Shark Tank getting local adaptations. Pakistan Idol was also revived, but faces uncertainty with its finale indefinitely postponed in light of “regional tensions rising and calls for national austerity”.

There is still hope though, as Pakistan’s Got Talent may still be on the cards after Rap Icon.

The 49-year-old posted a video ‌on Instagram on Thursday from Brazil’s Maracana stadium to tease the track, which features Nigerian singer ​Burna Boy. The song will be ​released on May 14.

In the footage, the ⁠singer appears alongside a group of ​dancers dressed in the colours of several ​of the national teams taking part in the tournament, which will be held from June 11 to ​July 19 in Mexico, the United States ​and Canada.

The video also features the official match balls ‌from ⁠the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups, apparently referencing the tournaments in which Shakira played a prominent role musically.

The Latin pop ​star had ​also performed ⁠the official song for the 2010 World Cup in South ​Africa — ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’.

She ​performed ⁠her hit ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ and ‘La La La’ during ceremonies at the 2006 ⁠World ​Cup in Germany and ​the 2014 tournament in Brazil respectively.

A spokesperson for the singer said she had been “put into an induced coma by her doctors to aid her recovery”.

He acknowledged that Tyler’s fans were wishing her well and asked for “privacy at this difficult time” on her behalf. He said her team will “issue a further statement when we are able to”.

Earlier, a post on her official Instagram page said the singer was “recuperating” after emergency intestinal surgery.

The 74-year-old star, best known for her 1983 mega-hit ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, was operated on at a hospital in Faro in southern Portugal, the post said.

Tyler shot to fame in the 1970s with hits including ‘Lost in France’ and ‘It’s a Heartache’. ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ later topped the charts in both Britain and the United States.

“We are very sorry to announce that Bonnie has been admitted to hospital in Faro, Portugal, where she has a home, for emergency intestinal surgery,” the Instagram post on Wednesday said.

“The surgery went well and she is now recuperating,” it added.

The Grammy-nominated singer, who was born Gaynor Hopkins, is due to tour Europe later this year to mark 50 years since the release of ‘Lost in France’ which was her breakthrough hit in 1976.

Other hits include ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ in 1984 which featured on the soundtrack to the huge US box office success Footloose.

In 2013, Tyler represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, with the song ‘Believe In Me’, finishing in 19th place.

She was recognised in 2022 by the late Queen Elizabeth II, who before her death awarded her an honour for her five-decade-long music career.

Cover photo: AFP

The criminal complaint does not specify which substance the 44-year-old singer was allegedly using when she was arrested in early March.

Spears is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in a courtroom in Ventura County, which borders Los Angeles County.

She is not required to attend the hearing because the charge is a misdemeanour and can be represented by her attorney, prosecutors said in a statement.

Spears had phenomenal early music success in the late 1990s with hits like ‘…Baby One More Time’ but has largely stepped back from music in recent years.

Following her arrest, a representative for the singer described the incident as “completely inexcusable” and said Spears would “take the right steps and comply with the law.” Since then, she has checked herself into rehab.

Prosecutors said in their statement that Spears could avoid jail time by agreeing to a plea deal — a typical move in cases with no prior convictions, no injury, a low blood alcohol level and defendants who voluntarily enter a rehab programme.

Such a move would likely result in a guilty plea for reckless driving involving drugs and/or alcohol, which would see her placed on probation for 12 months. She would also have to take a court-ordered driver safety class and pay a fine.

“This offer will be extended to Ms Spears on Monday,” prosecutors said.

Following a public breakdown in 2007, Spears was placed under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears, who controlled her money and her personal life, even as she continued to perform high-profile concerts.

The conservatorship was dissolved by a Los Angeles court in 2021, after a groundswell of public support to “Free Britney.” In her 2023 memoir The Woman in Me, Spears insisted she never did hard drugs and that she did not have a drinking problem, but she admitted that she was taking Adderall, the ADHD medication.

The Swedish streaming giant said its “Verified by Spotify” badge marked by a green checkmark will begin appearing on artist profiles and in search results in the coming weeks, signalling that a profile has been reviewed and meets the platform’s standards for authenticity.

Profiles that primarily represent AI-generated music or AI-created personas will not be eligible for the badge, the company said in a blog post.

“In the AI era, it’s more important than ever to be able to trust the authenticity of the music you listen to,” Spotify said.

To earn verification, artists must demonstrate sustained listener engagement over time, comply with Spotify’s platform rules and show signs of a genuine presence both on and off the platform, such as concert dates, merchandise and linked social media accounts.

The company said more than 99 per cent of artists that listeners actively search for will be verified at launch, representing hundreds of thousands of musicians the majority of them independent spanning genres and geographies.

Originally published in Dawn, May 1st, 2026

Cover photo: Spotify

Taylor Swift topped the ranking for artists while Bad Bunny and The Weeknd took home the titles for most popular album and song.

K-pop superstars BTS were the most streamed group, 12th overall among all acts, and Coldplay were the most popular English-language group, landing at number 17 on the list.

Check out the full lists:

Most Streamed Artists of All Time

1. Taylor Swift

2. Bad Bunny

3. Drake

4. The Weeknd

5. Ariana Grande

6. Ed Sheeran

7. Justin Bieber

8. Billie Eilish

9. Eminem

10. Kanye West

11. Travis Scott

12. BTS

13. Post Malone

14. Bruno Mars

15. J Balvin

16. Rihanna

17. Coldplay

18. Kendrick Lamar

19. Future

20. Juice WRLD

Most Streamed Albums of All Time

1. Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny

2. Starboy by The Weeknd

3. ÷ (Deluxe) by Ed Sheeran

4. Sour by Olivia Rodrigo

5. After Hours by The Weeknd

6. SOS by SZA

7. Hollywood’s Bleeding by Post Malone

8. Lover by Taylor Swift

9. AM by Arctic Monkeys

10. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish

11. Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa

12. Beerbongs & Bentleys by Post Malone

13. ? by XXXTentacion

14. Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) By Karol G

15. YHLQMDLG by Bad Bunny

16. Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars

17. Views by Drake

18. Midnights by Taylor Swift

19. Scorpion by Drake

20. Beauty Behind the Madness by The Weeknd

Most Streamed Songs of All Time

1. ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd

2. ‘Shape of You’ by Ed Sheeran

3. ‘Sweater Weather’ by The Neighbourhood

4. ‘Starboy’ by The Weeknd, Daft Punk

5. ‘As It Was’ by Harry Styles

6. ‘Someone You Loved’ by Lewis Capaldi

7. ‘Sunflower – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ by Post Malone, Swae Lee

8. ‘One Dance’ by Drake, Wizkid, Kyla

9. ‘Perfect’ by Ed Sheeran

10. ‘Stay (with Justin Bieber)’ by the Kid Laroi, Justin Bieber

11. ‘Believer’ by Imagine Dragons

12. ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ by Arctic Monkeys

13. ‘Heat Waves’ by Glass Animals

14. ‘Lovely (with Khalid)’ by Billie Eilish, Khalid

15. ‘Yellow’ by Coldplay

16. ‘The Night We Met’ by Lord Huron

17. ‘Closer’ by the Chainsmokers, Halsey

18. ‘Birds of a Feather’ by Billie Eilish

19. ‘Riptide’ by Vance Joy

20. ‘Die With a Smile’ by Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars

The lists provide an insight into the listening habits of Spotify’s 290 million subscribers but is skewed towards more recent releases owing to an increase in the platform’s subscriber base.

More such lists and data are expected to be released in the coming days as the anniversary celebrations continue.

Sitting next to host Kareem Rahma on a train in New York, the singer saved his most “controversial” take for the end, which was that, “American Zionists get the benefits of white privileged people, but talk like they are black people during slavery.”

His answer got a nod of approval from Rahma. Casablancas went on to say he found it “shocking” when they spoke about being “afraid” and “oppressed”.

Rahma recalled a time he faced a similar situation. “I’m like you are going to a wedding in Tel Aviv right now when there are 80,000 dead people, and more, 80,000 plus dead people, including women and children, half a mile away.

Casablancas said he didn’t think it was wrong to say this and his response to anyone bringing up Hamas and the October 7 attacks was, “Yes, bad, but you know, Native American rebellions didn’t mean it was okay to do what we did. Slave rebellions that were violent didn’t mean that slavery is not bad.”

When the host called such people “media illiterate”, the singer said indoctrination was a strong thing and that you can’t be mad at people for believing something when it was “rammed down their throats”.

In a separate take, Casablancas said he believed people from both sides of the political spectrum need to come together to fight the “real billionaire gang agenda villains”.

When Rahma compared that to class conflict, the singer said it was a little more nuanced, but essentially “it’s not left versus right, it’s top versus bottom”.

He went on to clarify that he meant the wealthy elite should be kept away from politics as a “separation of private wealth from state power”.

“If you want to be a billionaire, the only influence you can have is voting, you know, but you can’t deceive people or you know, own newspapers,” the singer said.

This is not the first time Casablancas or his band have made their position clear on political issues clear. During their performance at Coachella last week, The Strokes displayed pictures of world leaders deposed by Western-backed elements including Congo’s Patrice Lumumba, Chile’s Salvador Allende and Iran’s Mohammad Mosaddegh.

The on-stage montage ended with with a message about the 30 universities destroyed in Iran by US-Israeli airstrikes and footage of the demolition of Gaza’s Al-Isra University by Israeli forces.

The letter from the No Music for Genocide campaign calls the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) out for continuing to include Israel in the annual Eurovision Song Contest despite the state’s ongoing killings in Palestine.

Referring to Israel’s brutal 2023 invasion of Gaza, it says audiences at the event will “find Israel celebrated on stage despite its ongoing genocide in Gaza, while Russia remains banned for its illegal invasion of Ukraine” for the “third year running”.

The letter rejects “Eurovision being used to whitewash and normalise Israel’s genocide, siege and brutal military occupation against Palestinians” and commended broadcasters from Spain, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands for refusing to participate in the competition unless Israeli broadcaster KAN was excluded.

Calling the EBU “hypocritical”, the letter said the organisation believed letting Russia participate after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine would bring “disrepute” to Eurovision, “Yet more than 30 months of genocide in Gaza… aren’t considered sufficient to apply the same policy to Israel.”

The artists said they refuse to be silent “when children in Israeli prisons endure beatings for humming a tune. When all that’s left of nearly every stage, studio, bookshop and university in Gaza is piles of rubble, under which slaughtered bodies still await recovery and proper burial.”

The No Music for Genocide campaign started as a group of over 400 musicians geo-blocking their music in Israel. The movement was inspired by a similar boycott of Israeli institutions by film workers including big names such as Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield and Mark Ruffalo.

Simultaneously, over 1,000 literary figures, including winners of the Booker, Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes for Literature, have pledged not to work with Israeli publishers, festivals, literary agencies and publications “complicit in violating Palestinian rights”.

HYBE, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment said in a statement they are preparing to set up a joint venture ​to develop the “Fanomenon” event, a large-scale festival aimed at showcasing Korean ​popular culture to a global audience.

The talks also involve the ⁠government’s Popular Culture Exchange Committee, as the companies look for new ways ​to expand K-pop’s global footprint through industry-wide cooperation rather than individual company projects.

Fanomenon — ​a term combining “fan” and “phenomenon” — was unveiled last year by JYP founder Park Jin-young, who co-chairs the committee.

At its launch in October, Park said the ambition was to create a ​recurring mega festival starting in South Korea and eventually touring cities worldwide, ​with the aim of rivalling leading international music festivals such as Coachella.

Under Park’s vision, ‌the festival ⁠could begin as early as 2027 in South Korea, followed by overseas editions from 2028, featuring a broad lineup spanning K-pop and other elements of Korean popular culture.

The discussions come amid a broader push by President Lee ​Jae Myung to ​promote the K-pop ⁠industry, after assigning Park to spearhead those efforts and pledging strong government backing while staying out of artistic decisions.

The ​companies stressed, however, that discussions remained at an early stage ​and ⁠no concrete business plans, schedules or operating structures had been finalised. They said the joint venture was being considered as a possible model for cooperation and that ⁠required procedures, ​including filing with the Fair Trade Commission, ​were under way.

Decisions will be made cautiously as talks continue, the companies said, taking into account ​market conditions and views across the industry.

I love the experimental, avant-garde nature of Raheem’s work in ‘Bewajah’. I suspect that most people may not love the song at first, but will grow to do so over time.

‘Bewajah’ is a song that feels both intimate and deeply rooted in place. Known for blending contemporary pop with the sonic textures of his northern heritage, Raheem continues to carve a space where modern longing meets the cultural memory of Gilgit-Baltistan.

‘Bewajah’ unfolds as a melancholic dialogue — two perspectives suspended in emotional limbo. Built on sparse, traditional percussion and a stripped-back melodic structure, the song leans into stillness, allowing the weight of unsaid words to linger. Raheem’s vocal delivery is restrained yet piercing, echoing the isolation of mountain landscapes that seem to inform both his sound and sensibility.

In his latest single, ‘Bewajah’, Hasan Raheem transforms a story of love and miscommunication into something far more expansive that is rooted in the language, landscapes and traditions of Gilgit-Baltistan

What makes this track interesting is that the producer, Umair Tahir, has layered several tracks of percussion over each other — one even sounds oddly similar to the galloping sound of horses’ hooves. The vocal tracks are layered over each other, making the song sound like something out of a vivid dream, wherein one reality merges into another.

The first verse introduces a man who chooses separation over inevitable betrayal, portraying a relationship starved of emotional reassurance. His longing is quiet but persistent; he waits, he hopes and, ultimately, he withdraws. His reference to his partner’s sarkashi [rebellion] suggests not just defiance, but a kind of emotional distance he cannot bridge.

The narrative then pivots. In a mirrored monologue, a woman’s lyrical persona interrogates the relationship from her own vantage point — questioning whether love ever truly existed. Her grief is sharper, edged with accusation. She speaks of unmet needs, of carrying the burden of his unresolved pain, and ultimately reframes the break-up as his failure to stay emotionally present.

What elevates ‘Bewajah’ beyond a conventional break-up ballad is its linguistic and cultural layering. Raheem weaves in Shina (a language spoken in Gilgit-Baltistan) during the bridge — a deliberate artistic choice that grounds the song in his heritage. In doing so, he not only expands the sonic palette of Pakistani pop but also introduces wider audiences to a language and cultural identity often underrepresented in mainstream media.

Across his work, Raheem has quietly positioned himself as a cultural conduit, bringing elements of Gilgiti life — its rhythms, dialects and emotional landscapes — into the national consciousness. The music video deepens this connection to the place.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of northern Pakistan, it centres on a game of polo — not the manicured, codified version familiar to global audiences, but the raw, high-altitude freestyle variant played in the mountains. This form of polo, most famously showcased at the Shandur Polo Festival, is often described as the “game of kings” in its most primal form: no referees, minimal rules and an intensity that mirrors both the terrain and the people.

Polo itself carries centuries of history, tracing back to ancient Central Asia before evolving across regions such as Persia, Tibet and the northern areas of present-day Pakistan. In Shandur Pass — home to one of the highest polo grounds in the world — the sport becomes more than a game; it is a cultural ritual, a communal gathering, and a symbol of identity. By situating ‘Bewajah’ within this setting, Raheem draws a powerful parallel between the chaos of the sport and the emotional turbulence of love and loss.

Visually, the contrast is striking. Dressed in white and subtly adorned, Raheem stands apart from the largely black-clad crowd, embodying both observer and participant. As horses thunder across the field and snow-capped peaks loom in the distance, his introspection gives way to immersion — suggesting that, like the players, he too is caught in something uncontrollable.

In promoting the video, Raheem made it a point to highlight that this is not the “gentrified” version of polo seen internationally, but a freer, more visceral form. His invitation to audiences — to witness it in person, to understand it — feels consistent with his broader artistic mission: to not just make music, but to open windows into a culture often overlooked.

In that respect, Raheem has always left little easter eggs in his music and social media presence that pay homage to his heritage and culture in Gilgit-Baltistan.

In ‘Joona’, for example, he performs a verse in Shina in the middle of the song. In ‘Sweetu’, he is seen walking on the streets of Gilgit-Baltistan with his co-artists. His wedding, which went viral, showed him never missing an opportunity to perform his traditional dance and celebrate the unique colours of his culture. In his own way, he constantly promotes and educates people about his culture. Gilgit-Baltistan couldn’t have asked for a better ambassador.

With ‘Bewajah’, Raheem doesn’t just tell a story of heartbreak. He situates it within geography, language and tradition… reminding listeners that even the most personal emotions are shaped by where we come from.

Originally published in Dawn, ICON, April 12th, 2026

Ahmed shared the list of songs to his Instagram along with a caption that spoke to his passion for the project.

“Our dream for the Bait soundtrack was making something never done before. To smash together different genres and cultural influences, just like the show did. We reached out to our favourite artists from UK MC’s, to West coast US Bhangra acts to Pakistani and Indian rappers,” read the caption of the post.

“From legendary innovators like Jay Sean, to those crossing musical borders today Talwiinder, Young Stunners, Raf Sappera, and Kr$na. From London heroes CASISDEAD, Shabba D, & AJ Tracey, to global soul divas like Arooj Aftab, Natasha Noorani, and Jorja Smith, to the crazy new wave sound of Twins, UPPAL, Manni Dee, Nayana IZ, Billy Khan, and Anish Kumar,” he said.

“Nothing communicates a culture more than its music, so this is us, right now: from UK grime and garage, Bhangra, cinematic soul, house, drum’n’bass, to 80s synth. This is our way of thanking you for the support you gave the show, and this our love letter to where we are from: Birmingham, Bay Area, and Bombay. There’s no place like home… So we have to build it.”

Ahmed ended his note with a shout out to all the artists involved and who “made this so special”.

Some of those artists were Talwinder, Ahmed himself who hops on the track ‘We Good?’ With Casisdead and Manni Dee and again on ‘Saya’ with Noorani and Abdullah Siddiqui, Jay Sean, Abdullah Maharvi, Billy Khan and ADP who collaborated for ‘Nach Le’, Aftab whose soulful Urdu rendition of ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ with Anish Kumar made our hearts happy and the Young Stunners and Jokhay who performed ‘Shikaar’.

Bait tells the story of Shah Latif, a down-on-his-luck actor hoping to star as the next James Bond, while navigating life in migration, identity and culture changes.

Since the music streaming platform launched in 2021, listeners have created over 15 million user-generated playlists, highlighting how actively audiences are curating and shaping their own music journeys.

According to the platform, today, the average Spotify listener in Pakistan streams more than 140 different artists per year, which it believes points to a discovery-driven audience where exploring new music is the norm.

From Pakistani hip hop, Pakistani pop, and qawwali to regional sounds, the platform said listeners in the country are embracing a wide range of genres, reflecting a music culture that blends tradition with contemporary influences and continues to evolve rapidly. As listening becomes more diverse, more listeners are discovering and engaging with Pakistani artists, with local music continuing to grow on Spotify. Since 2021, total plays of Pakistani artists on the platform have grown more than sevenfold.

It boasted the success of playlists like “Pakka Hit Hai,” which it says has become a home for the country’s biggest contemporary hits, as well as “ICON Pakistan,” which celebrates the legacy of Pakistan’s most influential artists.

Since Spotify launched, the number of Pakistani artists on the platform has grown by nearly 75 per cent, as more creators enter the space and reach audiences both locally and globally.

The platform also released data on its most streamed Pakistani musicians in the last five years.

Most-streamed Pakistani artists in Pakistan in the last five years

1. Talha Anjum
2. Atif Aslam
3. Umair
4. Hasan Raheem
5. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Most-streamed Pakistani tracks in Pakistan in the last five years

1. ‘Jhol’ by Maanu and Annural Khalid
2. ‘Pal Pal’ by Afusic, AliSoomroMusic
3. ‘Wishes’ by Hasan Raheem, Umair, Talwiinder
4. ‘Bikhra’ by Abdul Hannan, Rovalio
5. ‘Maand’ by Bayaan, Hasan Raheem, Rovalio

The pop superstar, who has won more AMAs than any other artist in the show’s history, received six nominations ​last year.

The ‘Bad Blood’ singer’s Eras Tour, which launched in 2023, ​became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, while her ⁠move to re-record her early albums has been widely credited with encouraging ​artists to seek greater ownership of their work.

Close behind Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, ​Olivia Dean, SOMBR and Morgan Wallen each earned seven nominations. Carpenter is also in the running for Artist of the Year, while Dean and SOMBR picked up their ​first-ever AMA nominations, including for New Artist of the Year.

Other nominees ​include the singing voices behind Netflix’s Oscar-winning animated musical KPop Demon Hunters. EJAE, Audrey Nuna ‌and Rei ⁠Ami received nominations for Song of the Year, Best Vocal Performance and Best Pop Song for ‘Golden,’ a chart-topping hit from the film. A win in any category would mark the group’s first American Music Award.

Fans will ​vote for the ​winners, which will ⁠be revealed at a live ceremony hosted by actor and singer Queen Latifah in Las Vegas on May ​25. The show will air live on CBS and ​Paramount+.

A Grammy, ⁠Emmy and Golden Globe winner, Queen Latifah has been a fixture in music, film and television for decades, with credits including hip-hop albums and an ⁠Oscar-nominated ​film role.

Nominations were determined by the AMA ​organisers based on performance on Billboard music charts, streaming and album sales, radio airplay and social ​media engagement.

Billy Idol, chanteuse Sade, metal legends Iron Maiden and Manchester outfits Joy Division and New Order were also honoured, along with hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and velvet-voiced crooner Luther Vandross.

The announcements of the honourees came in a live episode of the American Idol competition, helmed by rockers Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.

“Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is music’s highest honour,” said the organisation’s chairman John Sykes.

“We look forward to celebrating these remarkable artists at this year’s ceremony — it’s going to be an unforgettable night.”

The induction ceremony — which doubles as a star-studded concert gala rife with tributes to the honourees — will be held on November 14 in Los Angeles.

Eligible nominees into the Rock Hall must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to being nominated.

Phil Collins, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan are first-time nominees. Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division, New Order, Oasis, and Sade have all been nominated in the past, but were not selected for induction.

The 2025 class of inductees included Outkast, White Stripes and Cyndi Lauper.

No mehndi celebration in the 90s felt complete without ‘Zara Dholki Baja Goriyo’. No child drifted off to sleep without ‘Chanda Mama Door Ke’. No birthday could be celebrated without ‘Tum Jiyo Hazaron Saal’. No lovers’ quarrel truly ended without ‘Acha Ji Main Haari Chalo’. No journey ever began without ‘Hawa Ke Saath, Ghata Ke Sang Sang’. No moment of romance was whole without ‘Tumse Milke Aisa Laga’ and admit it, no shower felt complete without ‘Thande Thande Pani Se’.

Bhosle was part of the lives of many, like me, yet her journey was never a bed of roses. Born in 1933 into a family already defined by the towering legacy of Lata Mangeshkar, she faced the immense challenge of stepping out of her sister’s shadow and establishing her own identity in music. She never had the luxury of choosing songs like Lata did and sang whatever came her way. While her younger sister Usha Mangeshkar did not achieve the same level of prominence, Bhosle eventually found her path through perseverance, talent, and the opportunities that came her way.

The collaborators she worked with — be it OP Nayyar, SD Burman, RD Burman, or AR Rahman — reflected how perfectly her timing aligned with changing musical eras, allowing her talent to flourish across generations.

When Nayyar decided not to work with Lata, he relied on Bhosle and they produced songs like ‘Maang Ke Saath Tumhara’ and ‘Urain Jab jab Zulfain Teri’ (Naya Daur, 1957), ‘Aye Meherbaan’ (Howrah Bridge, 1958), ‘Bahut Shukriya’ and ‘Aap Yunhi Agar’ (Ek Musafir Ek Haseena, 1962), ‘Deewana Hua Baadal’ and ‘Ishaaro Ishaaro’ (Kashmir ki Kali, 1964), ‘Jaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge’ and ‘Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfo’ (Mere Sanam, 1965) and ‘Ao Huzoor Tumko’ and ‘Kajra Muhabbat Wala’ (Keemat, 1968).

A tussle between music director SD Burman and Lata created a rift between the two that lasted from 1958 to 1962, and Bhosle benefited from it. ‘Chor Do Aanchal’, ‘Haal Kaisa Hai Janab Ka’, ‘Acha Ji Main Haari’, ‘Ab Ke Baras Bhej Bhaiya Ko Babul’, ‘Tujhe Mili Roshni Mujhko Andhera’, ‘Koi Aya Dhadkan Kahti Hai’, ‘Dhalki Jaye Chunariya Hamari Ho Ram’ and ‘Raat Akeli Hai’ from Jewel Thief were simply outstanding.

Later, the 70s and 80s defined the Asha-RD era, a musician six years younger than her and the son of her guru. Though RD Burman and Bhosle married in 1980, the list of hit songs they produced from 1966 to 1993 is tremendous. Be it Teesri Manzil’s peppy ‘Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera’, the hippy ‘Dum Maro Dum’, the jazzy ‘Jaane Jaan Dhoondta Phir Raha’, or the cabaret classic ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aaja’, the sultry ‘Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo’, the playful ‘Chori Chori Solah Singar’, the melodious ‘Do Lafzon Ki Hai’, or the deeply reflective ‘Mera Kuch Saamaan’ — each song showcased a different shade of her brilliance. Even the songs in Rangeela, Taal or Lagaan by the techy AR Rehman were a piece of cake for Bhosle, who had no qualms in changing gears.

She also had a brief contact with Pakistan, though she never actually crossed the border. At the time, Pakistan had a very similarly-named actor, Asha Posley, the heroine of the very first movie produced in Pakistan, Teri Yaad. The movie starred Posley alongside Nasir Khan, Dilip Kumar’s brother. At the time, Bhosle was in Bombay and was still known as Asha Mangeshkar.

Posley was born Sabira Begum and was rechristened by the legendary music director Ghulam Haider, who also played a key role in shaping the careers of Lata Mangeshkar. Posley was the daughter of music director Inayat Ali Nath and came from a musically gifted family — her sister, Kausar Parveen, was also a well-known singer in the 1950s. Although senior to both Lata and Bhosle, Posley had already made her debut as a supporting actor in the Punjabi film Gawandi (1942) long before any of the Mangeshkars entered the picture.

When Asha Mangeshkar eventually married Ganpatrao Bhosle she became Asha Bhosle, a name strikingly similar to Asha Posley, which led to occasional bouts of confusion and brief controversy.

Collaboration with Pakistanis

By the 1990s, only a handful of songs by Bollywood singers were recorded in Pakistan — often as personal favours (like Hemant Kumar for Muslehuddin in Humsafar, 1959) or through last-minute arrangements (such as Talat Mehmood for Fazl Karim Fazli for Chiragh Jalta Raha 1962).

Bhosle became the first major female voice to record multiple songs for a Pakistani film, lending her voice to Adnan Sami Khan’s Sargam 1995. Tracks like ‘Pyar Bina Jeena Nahin Jeena’, ‘Barse Baadal Dil Mein Hulchul’, ‘Pyar Hai Yehi To Pyar Hai’, and the evergreen ‘Zara Dholki Bajao Goriyo’ went on to become anthems for the generation born in the 1990s.

The leading lady of Sargam, Zeba Bakhtiar — who knew Bhosle personally from her Bollywood days and had travelled with her to India for several shows — played a key role in bringing her on board. Speaking to Images, she recalled Bhosle as “lovely, affectionate, and extremely kind”. However, she also expressed regret that Bhosle’s songs in Sargam were later dubbed by Hadiqa Kiani due to censorship concerns, as India–Pakistan relations in the 1990s were not particularly cordial.

Adnan Sami Khan — the music director and leading man of Sargam who was once married to Bakhtiar — shared close ties with the Burman family. He later collaborated with Bhosle again for Badaltey Mausam.

The album received a warm response upon its release in Pakistan in 1997, but when it was released in India, it became a massive hit. The song ‘Kabhi Tu Nazar Milao’ turned into a chartbuster and eventually paved the way for Adnan’s move to India, with significant support from Bhosle.

After Sargam, Bhosle collaborated once again with another Pakistani legend, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan who was composing for Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya 1997. The introductory song for Miss World 1994 Aishwarya Rai, ‘Thoda Sa Pagla Thoda Deewana’, carried an energy that only Bhosle could bring. The duet with Udit Narayan, ‘Jaagi Hui Fizayein Hain’, was equally impressive.

Bhosle was also part of the soundtrack of Javed Fazil’s Mein Ek Din Laut Kay Aaoon Ga, where she sang a duet with Jawad Ahmad, also the music director of the film. Ahmad recalled to Images recording the song with her. “I had the privilege of working with her in 2007 on the film Mein Ek Din Laut Kay Aaoon Ga, where I recorded a song titled ‘Dil Ke Taar Baje’ with her in India at Jagjit Singh’s studio. She was not only an extraordinary singer but also a gracious, humble, and encouraging personality. Despite her legendary status, she treated everyone with kindness and respect, and even engaged deeply with the creative process, refining her performance with great artistry,” he said.

“I still remember how she once sang a line differently to add her signature style, then graciously adjusted it after discussion, reflecting her openness and professionalism. Working with her was an unforgettable experience. She belongs among the greatest voices of South Asian music, alongside legends like Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan. Her voice and legacy will continue to inspire generations, and she will always be remembered with love, admiration, and prayers across the world.”

In 2005, Bhosle released an album as a tribute to legendary ghazal maestros Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali and Farida Khanum. The album featured eight of her favourite ghazals, reinterpreting timeless classics with her own expressive style. It included renditions such as ‘Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo’, Ghulam Ali’s ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Aawargi’ and ‘Dil Mein Ek Lahar’, along with Mehdi Hassan’s ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’, ‘Rafta Rafta’, and ‘Mujhe Tum Nazar Se’.

She also appeared as a guest on Sur Kshetra, a collaborative musical talent show between India and Pakistan. Aired in 2012, it was a musical battle between teams of two neighbouring countries that brought together a truly iconic judging panel featuring three legendary voices of South Asia: Bhosle, Runa Laila, and Abida Parveen.

Their presence transformed the competition into a celebration of music beyond borders, where classical depth, playback brilliance, and Sufi spirituality met on one stage. Together, they represented the golden era and timeless diversity of South Asian music, making the show not just a contest, but a historic meeting of legends.

Ironically, Bhosle made her debut when India and Pakistan were one, and one of her last famous songs was ‘Prem Me Tore’ for Begum Jaan in 2017, which depicted Partition.

Bhosle was far more than a legendary playback singer — she was a living bridge across eras, borders, and musical traditions. From the golden age of Indian cinema to cross-border collaborations in Pakistan, her voice evolved with time while never losing its emotional depth, versatility, or freshness. Whether in classic duets, playful cabaret numbers, romantic melodies, or modern experimental tracks, she continuously reinvented herself and expanded the possibilities of what South Asian music could be.

The 92-year-old had been hospitalised in Mumbai on Saturday night for what her granddaughter described on social media as “extreme exhaustion” and “a chest infection”. Her son confirmed her death, saying her last rites would be held on Monday.

“My mother passed away today. People can pay their last respects to her at 11am tomorrow at Casa Grande, Lower Parel, where she lived. Her last rites will be performed at 4pm tomorrow at Shivaji Park.“

Bhosle, the sister of the late Lata Mangeshkar, was a legend in her own right. She held the Guinness World Record for Most Studio Singles Recorded, having achieved the feat in 2011. She had sung 11,000 solo, duet and chorus backed songs in over 20 Indian languages at the time.

She was known for songs such as ‘Sapne Mein’, ‘Intaha Ho Gai Intezar Ki’ and ‘Kehdoon Tumhen’ among many, many others. 

Born in 1933 into the Mangeshkar family, Bhosle began performing when she was just nine years old and recorded her first song for a film in 1943, according to The Hindustan Times. Her father was the legendary classical vocalist Dinananth Mangeshkar.

Her storied career spanned well over half a century and she was the recipient of two National Film Awards, seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for her contribution to Indian cinema. She also received Grammy nominations for the collaborative album Legacy with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in 1997 and You’ve Stolen My Heart in 2006.

The Hindustan Times noted that while she was typecast into singing just cabaret numbers or dances that would today be called item songs in her early days, Bhosle diversified, singing even ghazals in Umrao Jaan.

Bhosle also starred in films. As a child she acted in Marathi-language films Te Maze Baal and Badi Maa. In 2013 she starred in Mai, a story of an old woman suffering from Alzheimers and being tossed between her four children.

At the age of 16, Bhosle eloped against her family’s wishes with 31-year-old Ganpatrao Bhosle, her personal secretary. She later broke off the marriage when her in-laws reportedly mistreated her. They separated in 1960 after three kids together.

In 1980, she married composer Rahul Dev Barman, who passed away in 1994.

The singer made his anticipated return to music with his latest single ‘O’ Re Saajna’, which was released on Friday.

The song is a slow, melancholic number about lost love and the memories it leaves behind in its wake. The soft acoustic tones are reminiscent of Maqsood’s peak as a musician when his love songs as part of Strings were at the top of everyone’s playlists.

His sweet voice does well to serenade listeners, with the Urdu lyrics really getting the message across emotionally.

Now, while he wrote, composed and sang ‘O’ Re Saajna’, the singer was notably absent from the music video. Instead, we got BM, the adorable, forlorn puppet version of Maqsood, who is arguably the best thing about the entire release.

BM spends the video reminiscing about what we imagine is another puppet he fell in love with but had to leave behind. In his state of desolation, he goes to the beach to clear his head and when that doesn’t work, he wanders the streets of Karachi as if he were looking for something — we can’t really tell what.

While much of his audience knows Maqsood for his music, especially his work with Faisal Kapadia as part of Strings, the singer is also an accomplished puppeteer. He is the force behind Pakkay Dost, a locally made children’s TV puppet show — think Sesame Street, but in Pakistan. He’s used the platform to promote Urdu as a language and even taught lessons on inclusivity.

So, naturally, he was the hand behind BM, which makes the whole thing even better, we get to see Maqsood blend two of his art forms together to make something truly special.

Organiser Festival Republic said his permission to enter and perform in Britain had been withdrawn on Tuesday and the three-day event had been cancelled and refunds would be issued to all ticket holders.

The decision followed mounting pressure on the government after Kanye West, now known as Ye, was named a headline act on April 1. Several major companies withdrew sponsorship, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the artist should never have been invited.

“We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values,” Starmer said.

Authorities said Ye was denied entry on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.

Ye offered to meet Jewish community

Earlier on Tuesday, Ye offered to meet Britain’s Jewish community, saying his only goal was to come to London and present a show of change, “bringing unity, peace and love through music”.

He said he was aware of the controversy surrounding his planned Wireless appearance.

“I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen,” he said. “I know words aren’t enough — I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”

He has performed in the US and Mexico City this year but was barred from Australia last July after releasing ‘Heil Hitler’, a song promoting Nazism. He also advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website.

In January, he took out a full‑page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal to apologise for his behaviour, which he attributed to an undiagnosed brain injury and untreated bipolar disorder, and renounced past expressions of admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Minister decries pattern of behaviour

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Ye’s actions amounted to a “pattern of behaviour”, citing the song and merchandise, and accused him of using mental health as an excuse.

Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn had previously said Ye’s comments were “abhorrent” but defended the booking, arguing against denying artists second chances.

Jewish groups welcomed the visa decision. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said meaningful engagement would require genuine remorse, while the Jewish Leadership Council had condemned the booking amid a rise in antisemitic attacks.

Ye, 48, has not performed in Britain since headlining Glastonbury in 2015. Sponsors including Diageo, Pepsi and Anheuser‑Busch InBev withdrew support for Wireless, while PayPal said its branding would not appear in future Wireless promotion material.

At the height of Beatlemania in 1966, when the quartet was the world’s most famous pop group, the Beatles staged five summer performances in Tokyo in front of screaming fans.

Crowds reportedly thronged their hotel, where they stayed in the finest suite.

Then in 2009, more than 100 photos shot during the gigs “were discovered on a shelf” inside an office at the concert venue Nippon Budokan, the arena’s operator told AFP.

But the 19 rolls of negative film – reportedly wrapped in paper and labelled in such a way that it suggested they belonged to Japanese newspaper the Yomiuri Shimbun — remained “stored as they were” until recently, the operator in a statement.

However, as the 60th anniversary of the Japan tour approached, the venue operator asked a Beatles expert to examine the negatives, and “his assessment revealed that the photos appear to have never been published” in newspapers or other media.

Among the photos released by the concert venue is a shot of John Lennon smiling beside a Japanese doll that resembles a figurine featuring on the album cover of the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The global stars were under tight security during their visit, but the doll may have been purchased during a hurried shopping trip, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily said.

The newspaper is investigating who took the photos and why the negatives had been kept in Nippon Budokan despite being wrapped in paper labelled The Yomiuri Shimbun archives room, it said.

The photos capture “the atmosphere of that one and only Japan tour — now remembered as a historic event — as well as various moments from their stay in Japan,” the Nippon Budokan statement said.

The announcement came as a surprise to fans, as the details of Mark’s contract period had not been publicly disclosed and there had been no prior indication of his departure.

“After a long period of careful and thoughtful discussion with Mark regarding his future activities, we have mutually agreed to conclude his exclusive contract as of April 8,” SM Entertainment said in a statement. “Mark will conclude all activities as a member of NCT, including NCT 127 and NCT Dream.”

Mark debuted with NCT in 2016 and reportedly signed a 10-year contract with the agency.

The company added that, moving forward, NCT 127 will continue as a seven-member group consisting of Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo and Haechan. NCT Dream will continue as a six-member group consisting of Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung.

SM Entertainment said it will continue to support the remaining members’ activities and expressed appreciation for fans’ ongoing support.

This story was originally published on The Korea Herald, an ANN partner of Dawn

Calling Springsteen “a dried-up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon”, Trump said his right-wing supporters should keep away from the singer’s concerts.

The shows are “overpriced” and “suck”, 79-year-old Trump wrote on his Truth Social site in a post filled with his trademark insults and boasts about his record as president.

Springsteen, a major US rock figure for more than half a century and winner of 20 Grammys, has been outspoken against Trump’s bid to carry out mass deportations of undocumented migrants.

The raids, often by masked agents, have prompted widespread anger but are popular in Trump’s core right-wing base.

On Saturday, Springsteen headlined a “No Kings” rally in the northern city of Minneapolis months after the city became a protest flashpoint. Organisers estimated around 200,000 people attended the event.

In January the veteran singer released his song ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ in response to the crackdown, where masked immigration agents shot dead two protesting US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Springsteen’s song calls the immigration agents “King Trump’s private army”.

Originally published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2026

Reacting to news from an Indian publication claiming filmmakers paid INR4.5 million to use a 40-year-old Pakistani song in the film Dhurandhar, Khan asked why Pakistani films and dramas don’t use older Pakistani songs that are loved by generations.

“Have we stopped recognising our own legends or simply lost touch with our own legacy,” the actor asked, lamenting that half of the next generation doesn’t know the classics.

She regretted their underutilisation in Pakistan when an “other industry pays millions to use them for [a] few minutes”. She said the universal appeal of the songs was evidenced by their popularity among Gen Z despite being “decades old”.

Khan said this was because “the art of the music is pure”.

The actor was responding to a report on singer Hassan Jahangir, who claimed in an interview with Nida Yasir last month that the team behind Dhurandhar paid him $50,000 to use his song ‘Hawa Hawa’ in the movie.

The track was used in a scene introducing the character of SP Chaudhry Aslam — a fictionalised caricature of the late real-life Karachi cop, played by Sanjay Dutt.

Before Khan expressed her disappointment at Pakistan failing to embrace its own cultural heritage, Indian netizens were furious at Bollywood for doing so.

Indian fans felt betrayed to hear a Pakistani had been compensated in connection to such an overtly anti-Pakistan film. Some even pointed to the film’s sequel, which has Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Dil Pe Zakham Khate Hain’ on its soundtrack.

In a statement on Instagram, the programme’s organisers said they were set to continue the show after taking a pause during Ramazan “with the finale just weeks away”. However, it said, “as the situation around us evolved, it became clear that the mood of the nation had shifted”.

The organisers said it “did not feel right” to continue a celebration at their scale during a time when the country is faced with “ regional tensions rising and calls for national austerity”.

Pakistan Idol, they said, stood for “joy, pride, and the collective spirit of this country” and they felt the finale, a moment of national celebration, “deserves to happen at a time when Pakistan can truly embrace it”.

Addressing the show’s contestants, organisers said their journey on the show was “not over” and their moment to shine was “not lost. It is simply waiting.”

They also thanked audiences, whose “love, support, and belief in this platform mean everything”. They pledged to return, “When Pakistan is ready to celebrate again.”

In its second season, Pakistan Idol consistently remained the talk of the town, starting with controversy over its selection of judges and continuing into its last few episodes before Ramazan where stars such as Farhan Saeed, Asim Azhar and Shuja Haider appeared as guests and treated the audience to stage performances. Alamgir, the 70s pop icon, even appeared on an episode and sang a medley of his songs.

The show is also one of several reality shows and TV competitions that have sprung up recently. Masterchef saw a revival in Pakistan last year and Shark Tank held its inaugural run. Upcoming entrants include Pakistan’s Got Talent — a local franchise of the British series — and Rap Icon Pakistan.

Well, the album just got a whole lot more South Asian now that we know one of the tracks is named ‘Nusrat’ after a distant aunt of his — we’re kidding, it’s named after Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Shehenshah-e-Qawwali.

Malik played a game of Guess the Artist with Jack Coyne of the Track Star podcast and when Khan’s song ‘Mast Mast Dum Mast’ was played, he took his time to enjoy the music before guessing correctly.

After the guess, he told Coyne one of the songs on the album was named after the maestro.

The singer was quick to point out how he wasn’t alone in being inspired by the legendary qawwal, giving the example of Jeff Buckley, a devoted admirer who even covered Khan’s ‘Halka Halka Suroor’.

Malik hinted his own fans may be in for something similar with his song ‘Nusrat’.

This isn’t the first time he’s dropped hints like this. During a live Q&A session with fans, he described the difference between his next album and the rest of his discography, saying, “There’s a lot more Indian influence, Pakistani influence and South Asian vibes going on… it was the basis for the production.”

He told fans he found himself singing “qawwali-kinda sounding stuff and sufi-sounding things”. He said he had employed “more of my knowledge of my heritage and the things that have inspired me and put it into my music”.

Set to traditional percussion tunes as a pair of monologues between two lovers, the first verse of the song sees a man asking his beloved to part ways before they end up hurting each other with disloyalty.

He describes a relationship without emotional care, one in which the man waits and waits but never receives the reassurance he needs from his partner. He tells her she’s a great conversationalist, but her “sarkashi (rebellion)” made her leave him without a second thought.

Then for the second verse, the vantage point shifts to the woman, who has the same question for the man: did you ever even love me? She asks where she had fallen short in the relationship, if her eyes were not “intoxicating enough” and why he couldn’t satisfy her when all she needed out from him was a smile.

She says he couldn’t handle his own emotional baggage and that she had suffered through his misery and deceit. As for their parting, she blames him for disconnecting first, emotionally.

Aside from the verses, written in a kind of Urdu some of Raheem’s listeners might be unfamiliar with, the bridge is written in Shina, a language spoken in Gilgit-Baltistan.

While the song is great and the lyrics are meaningful, the best part is probably the equestrian-themed music video.

Yes, the music video for this song about love and loss is set largely in a polo match, with the singer bejewelled and dressed in white, contrasting sharply against the rest of the black-clad crowd.

As the horses gallop in front of them and snow-capped peaks stand guard behind, Raheem seems initially lost in thought before getting fully engrossed in the strong emotions of the game.

In the caption of his Instagram post, he explained the game being played wasn’t the gentrified style of polo played internationally. This was freestyle polo, a variety played famously at the Shandur Polo Festival without rules and referees.

He encouraged people to learn more about the sport, even telling them they’re missing out in life if they haven’t seen a game in-person.

Maren Wade said in ‌the complaint, that marketing for Swift’s album threatened to “drown out” her long-running Confessions of a Showgirl stage show and asked the court to block Swift from creating confusion with her ​album title.

Spokespeople for Swift and her label Universal Music Group, ​also a defendant, did not immediately respond to a request ⁠for comment.

Wade’s attorney Jaymie Parkkinen said they “have great respect for Swift’s talent ​and success, but trademark law exists to ensure that creators at all ​levels can protect what they’ve built”.

The Life of a Showgirl, Swift’s 12th album, was released in October and shattered Spotify streaming records on its way to becoming the biggest-selling album ​of 2025.

Wade said in the complaint that she began writing her ‘Confessions of ​a Showgirl’ column for Las Vegas Weekly in 2014.

She said she has since toured ‌a ⁠stage show with the same name featuring “candid and often humorous accounts of the challenges and absurdities of a career in the entertainment industry, from getting stuck inside a giant birthday cake to impersonating a Madonna impersonator”.

The ​US Patent and Trademark ​Office rejected ⁠Swift’s application last year for a federal “Life of a Showgirl” trademark covering “musical performances and live entertainment services,” citing potential ​confusion with Wade’s pre-existing “Confessions of a Showgirl” trademark.

Wade said ​in ⁠the complaint that Swift’s continued use of the “Life of a Showgirl” name “drowns out” her trademark “until consumers begin to assume that the original is the imitation.”

“What ⁠Plaintiff had ​built over 12 years, Defendants threatened to ​swallow in weeks,” Wade said.

Wade requested a court order blocking Swift’s use of her “Showgirl” brand ​and unspecified monetary damages.

Room Jhoom, a collaboration between Sethi and American drummer and composer Gregory Rogove, started as a full-length follow-up to the song, but has since evolved into a fusion piece of both of their styles — soft Sufi for Sethi and fast-paced Caribbean for Rogove. It is expected to release on May 22.

In an Instagram post detailing the thought process behind the album, Sethi had a lot to say about his journey so far through life. He said he had spent his his past in the pursuit of precision, believing “truth and beauty were external, somewhere over there and all I had to do was strive hard enough, practice long enough, to get there”.

This, he said, made him neglect what was within himself and only changed once he paid heed to an inner voice asking him “to seek freedom, to lay roots in new soil [and] to pin my hopes on a new horizon”.

The singer regretted how deviation from established norms and practices was one of the greatest taboos in his culture and especially in the Indian music traditions he followed, but said, “at this point, to don the garb of disrepute and step into the proverbial wilderness was a matter of survival”.

That is where Room Jhoom got its life from, a fusion of East and West made possible due to Sethi’s exposure to and interaction with Western musicians who encouraged him to bend the rules that defined his ragas in the past.

He said the music contained in the album was all about trust, trust in the process of collaboration and in his own intuition.

The album is the singer’s second, after his debut Love Language dropped in August. Sethi described it at the time as an album, but also a cabaret and a mehfil. Keeping with the theme of taking inspiration from his past, Sethi said all three forms had deeply influenced his imagination growing up.

The 15-song album, which releases on April 17, is named after a South Indian vocal technique of making percussion sounds with the mouth. Malik said the technique was used in some of the songs while answering questions during session on TalkShopLive.

Responding to a fan who asked how this album differed from the rest of his discography, the singer said, “There’s a lot more Indian influence, Pakistani influence and South Asian vibes going on… it was the basis for the production.” He told fans he found himself singing “qawwali-kinda sounding stuff and sufi-sounding things”.

Another fan asked if Malik had learned anything new about his heritage during the project, to which he replied that he hadn’t. The idea, he said, was to “employ more of my knowledge of my heritage and the things that have inspired me and put it into my music”.

The singer said whenever he put Indian influences in his music, it felt more like a “me song, y’know, it’s not just for anybody, it has to be me [singing]”.

The album cover, which features a shot of the singer fused with an image of a snow leopard. When quizzed about its meaning, he said, “The snow leopard is an animal that is native [to] South Asia, Pakistan, them kind of places. So, it just made sense to me that we use something that is symbolic in that sense on the cover.”

One user asked Malik if any Indian singers inspired him and he said he especially loved a song Sonu Nigam sang for the film Agneepath — he couldn’t remember the song’s name, but a fan later said it was ‘Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin’.

Cover photo: Zayn Malik/Instagram

In one of her moments on stage ​at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Swift encouraged artists to give ​themselves time to learn a craft without seeking immediate feedback on ⁠the Internet. The singer said she had spent “thousands of hours” as a ​teenager playing her guitar, writing songs, making mistakes and learning from them — in ​private.

“I’m a firm believer that anything you feed your mind, it will internalise, and anything you feed the Internet it will attempt to kill,” she said as she held the ​album of the year trophy. “And I don’t want that for your dreams.”

Swift, who ​wore a seafoam green velvet corset and matching miniskirt with light pink bead accents, also ‌took ⁠home awards including Song of the Year and Best Music Video for ‘The Fate of Ophelia’.

Olympic figure skating gold medalist Alysa Liu presented the Artist of the Year award to Swift, who gushed about Liu’s Olympic performance. “You brought me so ​much happiness,” Swift said.

Earlier, ​Swift told the ⁠crowd that Showgirl was inspired by the positivity she felt from fans on her record-breaking Eras Tour.

“The album came out ​with this energy of just feeling really happy and strong ​and confident ⁠and free. And so I want to say thank you to the fans for giving me that feeling,” Swift said.

Her daily life with fiancé Travis Kelce provides ⁠similar ​energy, Swift said. “So thanks for all the vibes,” ​she said to the NFL star, who was seated in the front row wearing a brown leather ​jacket. The pair announced their engagement in August.

If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, Arooj Aftab has you covered with her latest release, an Urdu rendition of the 1983 synth-pop classic ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’.

Released as part of the soundtrack for Riz Ahmed’s new series BAIT, the song — which can maybe also be called ‘Sunehray Khwabon (Ka Khel Hai)’ — is a fusion of the original song’s dark undertones with a peppering of sitar notes and the most closely translated lyrics that could be fit in.

The song is a collaboration between Pakistan’s first Grammy winner and British-Indian DJ Anish Kumar. Aftab was seen at the launch party for BAIT, where Ahmed introduced her as “The Kate Bush of Pakistan”.

Natasha Noorani was there too, and we can’t help but wonder if she’s preparing a surprise for us.

The track’s release follows the earlier unveiling of another song from the show. ‘The Price of it All’ from English R&B singer Jorja Smith carries similar melancholic tones. Both songs speak to the show’s more heavy-hearted subject matter, even though it appears to be somewhat of a comedy.

BAIT, which began streaming on Amazon Prime on March 25, follows Shah Latif (Ahmed), who faces a sudden and severe existential crisis after auditioning for his — and really, every actor’s — dream role: James Bond.

The cast and crew are full of desi flavour, with Guz Khan and Sajid Hassan part of the star cast and half the episodes of the show being directed by Pakistani-American director Bassam Tariq.

Aftab has also been busy with new releases lately, with her last song, a cover of the 1950 Broadway number ‘Lilac Wine’, forming part of a charity album aimed at raising money and awareness for children suffering under armed conflict.

She was joined by award winning musician Beck for that song and the album included several familiar names like Olivia Rodrigo, King Krule and Sinnead O’Connor.