Dawn Images

When Murtaza Qizilbash took the stage in Lahore last weekend for his Hum Tum tour, the crowd knew exactly who they had come to see. What they didn’t expect was that they would leave talking about the opening act.

Opening acts are often treated as little more than a warm-up while audiences wait for the main performer. But Mehtab Hassan proved to be a pleasant exception. Within minutes of stepping on the stage, the up-and-coming singer from Lahore had completely won over the audience!

Armed with little more than an acoustic performance, an easy smile, a stellar set list and a brilliant voice, the young artist transformed pre-show anticipation into a singalong. That night, reels of his performance spread on Instagram with captions like, “Came for Murtaza Qizilbash and fell in love with Mehtab Hassan’s vocals.”

For Hassan, the overwhelming response was both exhilarating and surreal.

“I was very nervous,” he recalls. “It was my first time performing in front of such a large crowd. I’ve done private shows, corporate events and concerts with a limited audience before, but this felt very different and very special.”

Yet somewhere between the first few songs and the final applause, the nerves disappeared. The audience sang along to his covers, some of his Instagram followers cheered from the crowd and when he introduced his original song ‘Saya Jo Tera’, he taught the audience its hook before performing it. What happened next caught him by surprise.

“They responded with so much love and tried singing along. That was the moment I truly felt the connection.”

But while most may have just discovered him, Hassan’s relationship with music began long before social media, streaming platforms and sold-out concerts.

Growing up in Lahore, music was a constant presence in his childhood. One of his earliest memories is a Basant celebration from when he was just four years old. His family’s Christian neighbors, two brothers who spent their evenings playing guitar and singing songs by Atif Aslam, Jal, Noori, Junoon and various Western artists, unknowingly became his first musical mentors.

With no musicians in his immediate family, they were among the first to notice the little boy who sat watching them closely, absorbing every note. Inspired, Hassan took to the mic at the rooftop Basant gathering and sang Atif Aslam’s iconic ‘Aadat’. The response was unforgettable.

“The appreciation I received that day stayed with me,” he says.

Yet, during his school years, Hassan was shy and hesitated to sing publicly despite his friends encouragement. At 19, he moved to the United Arab Emirates to work at Legoland Dubai. The job offered stability and a new experience, but his interest in music never went away.

“Deep inside, I always felt that something was missing, and that something was music,” he says.

There was another obstacle too: he was camera shy and hesitant to put himself online. Like many aspiring artists, he worried about how people would react. Eventually, encouraged by friends and family, he began posting song covers on social media. Then, somewhere in 2022, one of his videos went viral on Instagram with over 200,000 views.

For Hassan, the moment served as both validation and a wake-up call. The response convinced him that music was more than just a hobby; it was the path he wanted to pursue seriously. Soon after, he left his job and returned to Pakistan to focus on building a career as an independent artist.

Since 2022, he has steadily built a reputation through private events, corporate performances and live shows, while simultaneously developing his own original music.

When asked about his musical influences, he told Images that Atif Aslam remains a foundational inspiration, while Indian playback legend Sonu Nigam shaped his understanding of vocal control and emotional expression. More recently, Hassan has found inspiration in Ali Sethi’s ability to bridge classical traditions with contemporary sounds.

That blend of traditional and contemporary has also informed Hassan’s own artistic identity.

“I would describe my style as classic pop,” he says, though he believes versatility is one of his strengths.

For all the opportunities social media has created, Hassan acknowledges that the path remains challenging for emerging artists. Although exposure comes easier than ever before, so does criticism. He also believes the music industry could do more to create meaningful collaboration opportunities between established names and rising talent.

Still, his outlook remains optimistic.

For Hassan, music is ultimately about connection rather than recognition. “Humanity comes first,” he told Images. “I deeply respect all forms of art because they help people express emotions and connect with each other.”

That philosophy may explain why Lahore embraced him so quickly. In an era where audiences often discover artists through algorithms, Hassan’s breakout moment happened the old-fashioned way: standing on a stage, singing from the heart and earning a crowd one song at a time.

The attention generated by his Lahore performance has only strengthened his resolve to keep going. Inspired by artists like Murtaza Qizilbash, whom he describes as a close friend, Hassan is now focused on releasing more original music.

He already has several songs ready for release after Muharram and hopes to put out at least five original tracks by the end of the year. For an artist who once struggled to sing in front of a camera, it marks a remarkable evolution.

And if the audience’s response in Lahore is any indication, Hassan’s days as a hidden gem might just be numbered.