Dawn Images

Ever since Coke Studio Nu.WAV announced Asim Azhar in its lineup, the singer’s fans have waited with bated breath for his new track — and it’s finally out.

The music video for Azhar’s ‘Maheya’, featuring rising talent AARYAN, was released on Friday. It’s a mournful plea from a lover who has lost everything to his beloved.

It marks the platform’s third offering, following ‘Dil’ by Afusic, Zoha Waseem and Ali Soomro last month, and ‘Rangeen’ by Hasan Raheem and Izzchugtai, which added its own distinct flavour to the lineup.

The music video for ‘Maheya’ opens with a child impatiently sitting in a chair whilst his face is painted with what look like mime colours. His father gently instructs him to stay still. When a man asks whether the boy is ready, the father confirms that he is.

The camera then pans towards Azhar, who is levitating, cross-legged in a meditative pose.

The video then shifts to black and white, where Azhar is shown sitting in a makeup chair — a subtle nod to the child we saw earlier.

Azhar is presumably a playback singer for a film being shot in 1955, in which a man is trying to keep alive a figure in a cage with a mechanical heart. It’s giving distinct Frankenstein energy — though whether the creature will break into song or simply break out of the cage is for the viewer to find out.

As Azhar is shown signing autographs, we see AARYAN entering the scene. From there, we’re taken down a series of events that lead Azhar back to the chair he started from, with the child’s father standing right behind him.

In an emotional Instagram post, Azhar shared the song with his followers, reflecting on his journey with Coke Studio, which began with his track ‘Tera Woh Pyar’ almost a decade ago.

Ever since Nu.WAV arrived on the scene, it has generated a great deal of buzz, which is less about the music itself than about how it differs from what Coke Studio audiences have come to expect over the years.

What many people fail to realise, however, is that Nu.WAV is, at its core, a space for experimentation, especially designed for young and up-and-coming artists.

With its inaugural edition, Nu.WAV is set to deliver a packed and diverse roster, including Maanu, Sabaat Batin, Shae Gill, and Young Stunners.