Dawn Images

Natasha Noorani's quirky set, vibrant colours and collaboration with Abdullah Siddiqui has made her latest music video 'Choro', a sight for sore eyes.

"I wrote the melody first, had the song arranged to a certain degree and then worked on the lyrics. I then worked on producing it with Abdullah Siddiqui who is a phenomenal human being and musician," she revealed in a conversation with Images. "He made the sound so much brighter and bigger!"

She also explained how the pace of the song changed drastically over time.

"I had been performing it for a while as well, so I tested out the bits and bobs of the song that I liked and disliked, what worked and what didn't." Initially, the song was very slow, she said, adding that it got faster over time.

However, what makes Noorani's music video different from other Pakistani contemporaries is the overall vibe — the vibrant colours, quirky settings and art direction combined perfectly with the modern sound and visually pleasing aesthetics.

According to the musician, the artwork was ready last year and was created by Sana Ahmed.

"The lettering she created for 'Choro' and the palette that she chose inspired the pastel mood of the video. I'm still doing a lot of research based on old vinyls and cassettes, which is why the art is based on old Pakistani vinyl artwork, but kept it in the modern space," she explained.

The star didn't hesitate to point out that it was teamwork that made the dream work.

"I was very lucky because every single individual I wanted to work with was available and keen to work with me," she said, adding that the DOP and colour grade Awais Gohar made sure every colour into the video was spot on. "Hashim Ali designed those crazy sets I conceptualised and made the concept grow so much, with on-the-spot changes and the team elevating the video as much as they possibly could."

Each scene has a visually distinct version of Noorani's hair and makeup because she wanted to show a different mood and appearance throughout the song.

"We all have different moods and it's something I really wanted to showcase, especially in terms of the song," she said, adding her makeup was done by Tuba Shehzad Malik.

Jokingly, she also mentioned her target audience was initially just herself. "I think it was to get myself out of that space I was writing in. Beyond that, I just wanted to make something I could listen to with my friends. A lot of my friends are very kind, want to support me and want to listen to my music, but all of my songs are very sad and very moody, so this is in a space I could enjoy with them and chill," she laughed.

The video might be colourful but the substance of the song, along with the themes and lyrics, are quite dark.

"The song represents a toxic environment that one could be stuck in and the pull of that relationship," she told Images. "The patterns are all the same. You notice the red flags and want to leave but there's so much emotion and history attached so the lines get blurred and it's hard to leave. It's basically a conversation between me and myself and assessing what my heart really feels at that point."

She credited much of the song's success to Abdullah Siddiqui, who elevated the little moments she needed and wanted but wasn't always able to verbalise.

"It was great to be able to execute the song and performance so naturally. It's something we're very happy with in the team," the musician said.