Arooj Aftab features alongside Arctic Monkeys, Olivia Rodrigo on album to benefit kids affected by war
The project from War Child Records is raising money for children in war zones such as Gaza, Sudan and Yemen.
Are you looking for some 80s nostalgia? Do you want to know how the frontiers of desi pop are expanding? Maybe you just need the perfect Urdu soundtrack for your villain era?
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.