For the music video, he changes things up even more, replacing Rishi Kapoor with himself, the mountains with the streets of Karachi and the heroine with yearning — yeah, this is clearly the same guy who sang ‘Jo Tu Na Mila’.

The video begins with our hero arriving in the city of lights and frantically looking for something — or someone. He asks the guards at the gate, looks around and then gets into an old-timey taxi to take his search elsewhere.

“Jaane kahan hai, kahan phir rahi. Mein dhoondoon tera jo guzar ho kahin (Where is she, where is she roaming. I look to see if you’re passing through somewhere).” We find out that the singer is indeed searching for a girl and that she promised to meet him, but has now ghosted him.

We get a taste of Kumar’s original vocals before Azhar keeps wondering aloud, “Tu hai kahan? Tu hai kaha-ha-han? (Where are you?)”

We then get even more details about the relationship between him and the mystery girl when he sings about her wanting space but them being made for each other. He asks her to have mercy on him, “You know I can’t wait, peeche na bhaga (don’t make me chase after you).”

After all his adventures across Karachi, we end up at the final scene with Azhar sleeping at home and being shaken awake by a barrage of texts from a “Pari” who is apparently waiting for him at the airport.

Did he sleep in and miss his flight? Did he give her the wrong time? Why couldn’t he have called her to clarify — he even asks if he should in the song. We have more questions than we have answers, but maybe that means something too.

But there’s a detail in the fine print below Swift’s name that someone could easily miss at first glance. In the piece, Forbes confirms that the country singer is the wealthiest female musician of all time with a total net worth of $2 billion.

The list recognised Swift for her influence on the music industry as “one of the most commercially successful songwriters of all time”. It said she “leveraged her star power to re-record most of her discography” in 2020, taking back the royalties to her music and inspiring other artists to do the same.

“In 2024, Swift reached billionaire status thanks to The Eras Tour, which became the highest-grossing concert tour in history with revenue of $2.2bn,” Forbes noted. It added that she used around $360 million of the funds to buy back the rights to all her master recordings last year.

“By March 2026, her net worth doubled to $2bn, making her the richest female musician in history,” the list said.

According to her profile on Forbes, “Her fortune includes nearly $800m amassed from royalties and touring, plus a music catalogue worth an estimated $600m and some $110m in real estate.”

The star continues to set records, recently becoming the most streamed artist of all time on Spotify, which had released its top 20 ranking earlier this year for its 20th anniversary.

She also posted a note on the subject thanking her friends, family and well-wishers, asking them not to share unverified information about her.

Rumours circulating on the internet claimed Syed had died, with fans grieving the loss of a titan of Pakistani music. Naturally, when they reached the singer herself, she addressed the situation by talking to her fans personally.

“I have come to know that rumours are being spread about my health. I am absolutely fine, by the grace of God. I am living a really good life in New York. Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes,” Syed said.

The written statement read, “I have come to learn that false reports of my passing are being circulated on social media. These are not true. Alhamdulillah, I am alive, well and in good health. I request everyone not to share this false news and to help correct the misinformation wherever it appears. Thank you.”

She wrote she was “deeply touched by the concern, kindness, and affection shown by the many people who reached out to me after seeing these reports”.

Designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin also helped dispel the rumours by posting a picture of the singer and saying she was “alive, well and in good health”. Bushra Ansari posted Syed’s video message to her own account.

The internet occasionally likes to kill people off before their time. Most recently, Indian actor Dharmendra was declared dead by Indian media during a hospitalisation in November. He was alive and passed away a couple of weeks later.

In Pakistan, actor Sakina Samo was rumoured to have succumbed to Covid-19 at the height of the 2020 pandemic. She is still alive and well, having recovered from the virus after a stint of self-isolation.

“Suman ji died at around 8pm at her residence in Lokhandwala due to old age. She died peacefully. Over the last few days, she had been listening to her own songs,” Mangala Khadilkar, who wrote the acclaimed Marathi biography Suman Sugandh on the singer, told the Press Trust of India.

The singer rose to fame in the 1960s and 70s, she was known across the subcontinent for her film tracks such as ‘Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche’ from Brahmachari (1968), ‘Na Na Karte Pyar’ from Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965) and ‘Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye’ from Rajkumar (1964).

During the course of her career, she sang 740 songs in 11 different languages, including 140 duets with Mohammed Rafi — another legend of Indian music. Beyond film music, her repertoire included bhajans, ghazals, and thumris.

Kalyanpur’s soft vocals were often compared to Lata Mangeshkar — arguably the biggest name in Bollywood playback singing — with many listeners confusing the two.

Kalyanpur always dismissed the comparison. In a 2022 interview, she called Mangeshkar a close friend.

“Everyone loved her songs and she will remain immortal. We recorded a duet together for the film Chaand. Every time I met her, it felt like meeting a close friend. I believe she felt the same,” she said.

Tributes poured in for the singer, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sent condolences to her family and said he was “anguished” by her passing.

“Her melodious voice and soulful renditions enriched our cultural world. Through her songs, she created a special place among music lovers and admirers of Indian cinema,” He said.

Kalyanpur is survived by her daughter Charu. Her last rites will be performed in Mumbai on Monday (today).

Cover photo: Press Information Bureau / Government of India

Of course, when half of a couple is singer Annural Khalid, the song has to be her own. That’s what ‘Falling4U’ is — a bride’s ode to her loving husband.

With Khalid’s signature soft vocals and an acoustic guitar forming much of the musical accompaniment, the song is mellow, calmingly so. The point, however, lies in the simple but meaningful lyrics.

As if describing her own struggles before getting married, Khalid starts her song with, “Bechayn kab se, hum hain baithay. Din raat kitaabon main, tujh ko dhoondain. (I have been sitting restless for so long. Day and night, I have searched for you in books).”

She goes on to describe the love she has for her husband Moeez, whose picture with the singer is front and centre on the album’s cover, with words like “behisaab (immeasurable)” and “beshumaar (uncountable)”.

Later, she says, “Chali jase hawain, dheemay dheemay, teri ore mujhe kyu yeh lay chalin? Jaisay, teray hi liye to main hoon bani. (As the winds blew gently, why did they push me in your direction? Like I was made for you).”

The evidently enamoured singer surprised fans in April with news of her wedding, which she sprung up on everyone with a black and white picture of her and Moeez’s hands captioned “Mr and Mrs”.

‘Falling4U’ is Khalid’s first release since tying the knot and a very fitting one at that. A promo for the song on Instagram had a montage of Moeez’s baby pictures and shots of them together. A message on the video read, “To my husband, for today and for every ordinary little day that turns extraordinary with you. And to our families… thank you for the love, softness and grace that we now carry forward.”

He shared a clip from the show, which just dropped its second season on Thursday.

“Eid Mubarak from Deli Boys season 2 which just dropped,” he wrote in his caption, asking people to spot the “fake qawwal” in episode five.

In the clip, Sethi sings ‘Chaap Tilak’ while Poorna Jagannathan dances along.

We totally should have seen this coming, given how the soundtrack for Bait, Riz Ahmed’s new show on a British-Pakistani actor hoping to become the next James Bond, was a celebration of all things desi music.

The second season of the Hulu dark comedy Deli Boys, stars Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh and Jagannathan, and has added five new names to its cast. Fred Armisen is set to join as a major character, which was announced back in August, Andrew Rannells and Kumail Nanjiani have been cast as recurring characters, while Robin Thede and Lilly Singh will be joining the show as guest stars.

Created by Abdullah Saeed, the show follows Pakistani-American brothers Mir and Raj Dar (Ali and Sheikh) who have lost everything and are now preparing to take over their father’s criminal empire.

The show, which received acclaim for its representation of Pakistani Americans and it’s comedic content, was renewed for its second season in August. The 10-episode first season — which includes a cameo by Pakistani fashion designer HSY — can be watched on Hulu and Disney+.

The group also claimed Best Male K-pop Artist and Song of the Summer for ​the single ‘Swim’.

BTS prevailed in a high-powered Artist of the Year category that included Taylor Swift, winner of the most ​AMAs of any musician over her career, as well as Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, ⁠Lady Gaga and others.

“We made it once again!” BTS member RM told screaming fans inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in ​Las Vegas. BTS won the same honour in 2021.

“Our biggest thanks and gratitude, as always, goes to the ARMYs all ​over the world,” RM added, referring to the nickname for BTS fans. “You have stood by us for the past 13 years.”

The red-carpet gala, which aired live on CBS and Paramount+, opened with members of BTS in a pre-recorded performance of ‘Hooligan’ from a recent Vegas concert.

BTS went on ​hiatus in 2022 when all seven members took part in South Korea’s mandatory military service. In March, they returned with their ​fifth studio album Arirang. The album topped the Billboard 200 chart for two weeks, a first for a K-pop group or artist.

In other AMA ‌wins ⁠for K-pop, the Song of the Year award went to EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, the voices behind the fictional group HUNTR/X and ‘Golden’, the upbeat tune from the Netflix animated movie KPop Demon Hunters. The trio won three AMAs in total.

Katseye, a global girl group with members from four countries, also took home three awards including New Artist of the Year.

Swift had ​been the leading nominee heading ​into the ceremony, with eight ⁠nods including Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl and Song of the Year for ‘The Fate of Ophelia’. She did not win in any of the categories and did ​not attend the event.

Carpenter, also a no-show, earned Album of the Year for Man’s Best ​Friend and two ⁠other awards.

Twenty-year-old indie musician Sombr scored three trophies including Best Rock/Alternative Song for ‘Back to Friends’.

“I wrote this song when I was 19 and depressed all by myself in my bedroom,” he said on stage. “So being here, I never would have expected that.”

Billy Idol, ⁠an ​icon of 1980s rock, received a lifetime achievement honour. The 70-year-old reflected ​on starting a career in punk rock in 1976.

“We thought it may last only about six months, let alone 50 years,” Idol said before performing ​rousing versions of ‘Eyes Without a Face’ and ‘Dancing with Myself’.

Rollins had recorded the confidently titled Jazz Colossus album in 1956, but the saxophonist remained wracked with self-doubt.

So, in the summer of 1959, he ​began to play on the windswept pedestrian walkway of New York’s Williamsburg Bridge. Initially a place where he could avoid disturbing his pregnant neighbour, the walkway became the site ‌of endless practice.

“What made me withdraw and go to the bridge was how I felt about my own playing,” Rollins told the Guardian newspaper in 2022. “I knew I was dissatisfied.”

He ended up spending more than two years there, often for 14 or 15 hours a day.

“Of course, sometimes I’d come down to go to the bathroom, or I’d go to a bar I liked where I might have a cognac,” he said. “But then I’d go right back up.”

The resulting record, The Bridge, was not a ​complete break from his previous style but took his soloing and improvisation to a new level. A review in the Jazz Journal at the time said Rollins was able “to extract the last ​ounce of meaning from a particular phrase taken from the melody of the song”.

The record also set him on a course to becoming one of the most ⁠acclaimed performers of his generation, alongside John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter.

Rollins died at his home in Woodstock, New York, according to a statement released on Monday.

I was just immersed in it

Born on September 7, 1930, ​Walter Theodore Rollins grew up in Harlem surrounded by music.

Both his brother and sister studied violin and piano. Pianist Fats Waller lived in the neighbourhood. Sonny, as he was known from an early age, recalled how he ​instinctively knew that Waller’s music was right for him — “like a baby getting a bottle or something,” he told PBS NewsHour.

His idol, saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, lived nearby, too.

On his way to school, Rollins walked past the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom — both venues at the heart of the New York jazz world. “I was just immersed in it from the beginning really,” he said.

A child prodigy, Rollins was influenced by saxophonist Charlie Parker and mentored by pianist Thelonious Monk. Early opportunities came calling ​in the late 1950s when he played with leading jazz artists such as Art Blakey, Bud Powell and Miles Davis.

He wrote some of Davis’ best-known early pieces, including ‘Oleo’ and ‘Airegin’.

Saxophone Colossus included the calypso-inspired ‘St Thomas’, starting a ​long association with the music beloved by his parents, who hailed from the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Rollins’ often marathon, hard-blowing solos earned him a reputation as the greatest jazz saxophone improviser.

He told PBS he would go on stage with his ‌mind blank and ⁠no plan for his solos beyond an awareness of the structure of the piece. “Improvising on it, that I leave completely to the forces,” he said. “Sometimes I’m surprised by what comes out.”

Rollins also innovated by using his sax as a rhythm section instrument.

Albums included the soundtrack to the film Alfie, and East Broadway Run Down, both recorded in 1966.

His devil-may-care compositions for Alfie captured the mood of that movie as successfully as Davis’ haunting music had done for Louis Malle’s Elevator to the Gallows eight years earlier.

I’m the last guy

Things could have turned out very differently for Rollins. In 1950 he was arrested for armed robbery and spent 10 months in jail.

“In retrospect, it was ​the first of my sabbaticals! Unlike the others, ​it wasn’t self-imposed. But it was a learning ⁠place,” Rollins said about his time behind bars in an interview with Uncut magazine.

“The prison was a brutal place, but fortunately I was involved in the music, and I largely avoided the brutality.”

In 1952, he was re-arrested for breaking the terms of his parole by using heroin, a habit he later swapped for an exercise ​regime and yoga practice, shunning the all-night partying that destroyed the careers of so many other musicians.

During another sabbatical, starting in 1969, he spent time ​in Japan and India — including ⁠a spell in a monastery — before reappearing in the early 1970s to make more records.

Lucille, whom he married in 1965, acted as his manager. The couple stayed together until her death in 2004. They had no children.

Rollins recorded more than 60 albums as a leader. He performed with bands including the Rolling Stones, providing improvisations to three tracks on their 1981 album Tattoo You. But he later told The New York Times that he did not relate to ⁠their music, which ​he felt was “just derivative of Black blues”.

After winning two Grammy awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, as ​well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from that same institution, a respiratory illness forced him to stop playing. He retired in 2014.

Rollins was aware of his place as the last surviving giant of the era of jazz led by Parker, Monk and Coltrane.

“I’m the ​last guy but in a way I’m not, because when I’m gone my music is going to be here,” he told PBS in 2011. “We’re all still here, we’re all still here.”

The pop star talked about his marriage and newfound followers in an interview with Haroon Rashid on BBC Asian Network.

Raheem said he was glad he got married, joking that he thinks his wife “likes the attention” she gets from the relationship. “Honestly, I’m like, ‘It just took like six years to be a star and look at you, like two days and you’re everywhere’. And she’s like, ‘Stop it, Hasan.’”

The singer called marriage the “best decision I did”, adding that the wedding took place at “a crucial point in my life, going through a lot of stuff”.

He said the cultural aspect of the wedding was very important to him, so he got married “in the most authentic Gilgiti way”.

“Everyone had to see that side of me. What’s better than doing it on your wedding?”

What Raheem didn’t see coming was the outpouring of love he received and not just from fans either. “I was not expecting it to blow up so much. Like, I get aunties meeting me who are not fans of my music. They’re like, ‘You got married!’ I’m like, ‘What?’”

The star recalled an incident when he was flying within the US and talked to a woman whose daughter wanted to attend his concert in Washington DC.

She asked him to get her daughter tickets and while Raheem got on with arranging passes, the woman stopped him and said, “One second, beta, listen to me. You’re the Hasan who got married, right? I know you!”

“The wedding had a separate fanbase,” he told Rashid.

Months later, he revisited the controversy surrounding his Kathmandu concert and talked about the interview on the Geo Podcast with Mubashir Hashmi.

Hashmi brought the incident up by singing the rapper’s praises and saying that Anjum is popular around the world, so a fan presenting him with a flag was simply a gesture of love.

Hashmi said Pakistanis had a record of being the more sane voices when it came to cross-border matters and said he found the way Anjum was treated to be “completely unacceptable”. He asked the rapper for his views on this, adding that many people condemned it at the time.

“I wasn’t expecting that and that’s mostly because I don’t do interviews and wherever I go, I try for there to be a point to it. I don’t talk to people for no reason,” Anjum replied.

He said he had been following the news in the aftermath of his concert and found mixed reactions, with senior artists who had been to India — who “knew what it feels like when a fan shows love to you,” in the rapper’s words — supporting his point of view.

The two agreed there were double standards in the way people dealt with Indian and Pakistani artists interacting. “When Diljit [Dosanjh] does a concert and invites Hania Aamir on to the stage, we celebrate,” Hashmi said, with Anjum calling this behaviour “hypocrisy”.

Coming to the interview, the rapper said in the days following his concert, one channel “had gone after him” and he felt he needed to go on to their show and explain himself.

“When the interview started, the way I was spoken to, I don’t talk to anyone like that and I don’t want anyone to talk to me that way. Sitting there, I felt like I was a politician.”

Anjum said he corrected her, still respected her, and wished her the best of luck, but thought she “must have learnt that you don’t do this”. That earned a hearty laugh from Hashmi who said, “Yeah, she sure found out.”

The rapper’s tone was similarly celebratory at the onset of the flag controversy, when he said he would “do it again” in a now-deleted post on X.

Later, facing backlash from the public, he issued an “unconditional” apology on Khan’s show, saying he had lost track in the heat of the moment.

The host’s behaviour on the show was called out for being aggressive, especially by celebrities. At the time, Yasir Hussain and Khaqan Shahnawaz even compared Khan to firebrand Indian TV personality Arnab Goswami.

The Pakistani pop sensation said, “At the end, music and art will win.”

Raheem said the pair had collaborated on three songs and he loved how Talwiinder was unapologetic about being a misfit. He said they had tried to keep the joint performance “low-key”, but any notion of that went out the window when the Indian artist stepped on stage and “the voices started shrieking”.

He said they performed the song once, then twice at the crowd’s insistence. When they asked the duo to sing a third time, Raheem said he didn’t want to annoy his guest, but Talwiinder insisted they should.

When Rashid asked the singer if he knew the impact his collaboration had, he said he absolutely did. “I feel like art is supposed to be borderless,” he added.

“If I like his songs, if I like the way he talks, if I like his energy, I’m going to just hit a message up and I’ll be like, you want to do a song together? It’s as simple as that. But if you want to make it more complicated, you can also do that.”

Raheem said he was happy to share the stage at his concerts because he remembered seeing concerts as a kid where an artist makes a surprise appearance and “everyone would lose their minds”.

He said his parents had taught him all moments in life were temporary and that he should share them with friends.

While Raheem speaks so positively about his friend from across the border and his fanbase in Pakistan fully supports their onstage bromance, Talwiinder faced strong backlash in India for the performance.

Despite the opposition, Talwiinder has a number of collaborations with Pakistani artists, including the song ‘Sachay Loki’ with Meesha Shafi and the viral hit ‘Pal Pal’ with Afusic and Ali Soomro.

Bulgaria had missed the last three editions of the glitzy extravaganza but took the crown in Vienna for the first time ever, overtaking Israel at the very end as the points came in, with Romania finishing third.

Pop singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, was not among the favourites going into Eurovision week but the 27-year-old gained traction following a strong performance in the semi-finals, with her highly-choreographed dance routines.

“Everything is possible: Bulgaria just won Eurovision!” Dara told a press conference.

“I really like breaking rules. I’m really good with following my rules — not anybody else’s. We wanted to give to the audience something new and fresh, something that is not expected.”

Eurovision highlighted that “the song ended up winning both sets of scores, which is the first time the juries and the public have chosen the same winner in almost 10 years, since Kyiv 2017”.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev hailed “a young artist who, thanks to her talent and professionalism, has managed to rise above all the complexities and prejudices surrounding the voting process.”

“Bulgaria is looking forward to welcoming Europe and the world for Eurovision 2027!” he added on social media.

Around 10,000 glammed-up fans filled the Wiener Stadthalle arena in the Austrian capital to watch Saturday’s showpiece final of Eurovision, where, as always, the razzmatazz didn’t escape the geopolitics in the background.

Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia staged the biggest political boycott in Eurovision history over Israel’s participation, citing the war in Gaza.

Originally published in Dawn, May 18th, 2026

Drake dropped three new albums, Iceman, Habibti and Maid of Honour, on Friday, with a particularly potent line in one of the songs.

In the song ‘Make Them Pay’ on Iceman, he attacks Khaled directly. “And, Khaled, you know what I mean. The beef was fully live, you went halal and got on your deen. And your people are still waitin’ for a free Palestine. But apparently everything isn’t black and white and red and green, damn.”

The criticism is not new, Khaled has been called out by fans for his silence on Palestine, especially in the context of Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, which started in 2023 and has killed well over 72,500 people so far.

During the war, when celebrities began to come out in support of the Gazan people, he chose instead to continue posting his daily shenanigans, for which he received a lot of flak on online.

Drake has been notably more vocal than Khaled about his desire to see peace in the Middle East, joining prominent stars like Zendaya, Ben Affleck and Zayn Malik in signing a letter calling for an end to the fighting.

In a 2024 statement to The National, Dubai Bling cast member Fadie Musallet — Khaled’s cousin — said the rapper’s silence on Palestinian issues had hurt people. “Khaled always wanted to go to Palestine, but I don’t think he can come there now. They are really hurt by the lack of support, they feel like they have been let down.”

Musallet questioned why his cousin, who had been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, was so hesitant to speak out when it came to his own people. “At some point there must be a stage where you have to ask yourself how much money is enough. And I know that Khaled is not afraid to use his important voice as he did before, during the Black Lives Matter protests. So what has changed now?”

Coldplay singer Chris Martin will curate the extravaganza scheduled for ​July 19, the tournament’s organiser added.

“The ​FIFA World Cup 2026 Final halftime show ⁠will be a truly special moment, bringing ​together music, football and a shared commitment to ​improving the lives of children around the world,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on social media.

“Together, we will ​support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund ​and help create greater access to quality education and ‌football ⁠for children worldwide.”

The 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will run from June 11 to July 19. The ​tournament will ​feature 104 ⁠matches, up from the previous 64, including an additional knockout round.

Last ​year’s Club World Cup in North ​America, ⁠which served as a test run for the World Cup, also featured a halftime show ⁠including ​performances from American rapper Doja ​Cat, Colombian singer J Balvin and Nigerian singer Tems.

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.