Latest news with #MeeshaShafi
Forbes
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Six Years In The Making – Meesha Shafi Launches Her Debut Album
Meesha Shafi in a still from her song, Sar-e-Aam. Unveiling her debut album last week at a cinema in Lahore, Pakistan, well-known artiste, Meesha Shafi, reveals that she wrote the songs in a bid to 'survive' a very dark and traumatic period in her life. Always one to challenge the status quo in Pakistani music, Shafi's album, Khilnay Ko, is an intense deep dive within. While the songs are laid-bare and vulnerable, they carry an emotional depth which embodies both the light and the dark, tenderness and quiet strength. Khilnay Ko, Meesha Shafi's debut album, released last week, after almost six years in production. '[My] album is purely in Urdu and the poetry expresses grief, isolation, loss of identity, heartbreak albeit socio-political, and a heavy emptiness too. I've used traditional couplets a lot as refrains in the lyrics, both defining traits of a ghazal. Some of the tracks, like Khilnay Ko, which the album is named after, are deeply philosophical, others speak of bleak depression and being betrayed by friends,' Shafi shares candidly. 'Traditionally ghazals speak of romantic heartbreak or longing. Here, I was writing with a longing to return to my former self.' With skilled and sensitive producers such as boy wonder musician, Abdullah Siddiqui, Rohail Hyatt, Mahmood Rahman and Shafi herself, the album blends future sound with an eastern classical base. Featuring 11 tracks, Khilnay Ko takes the listener on a dreamscape journey of Shafi's psyche which is all parts haunting, wistful, edgy and melancholic. 'At a time when I was feeling like my creative identity was under threat of being consumed by toxic noise, I started writing these songs as a reminder to self of who I am. To cling to my light. To clear my head. And also, to keep remembering to exhale. I would routinely wake up to a lot of ugliness in the news about myself. I'd go offline to hide but I started asking myself, if I hide, that's the death of what I was born to do - music. Eventually, it stopped mattering what would become of the work. I kept writing regardless. And it has been immensely healing. It was the only way I could continue being honest and not get punished for it. This album saved me from fading away. Every song is me crawling out of a hole.' "I started writing these songs as a reminder to self of who I am." - Meesha Shafi Described as 'nouveau ghazal,' a term the artiste coined during the production of the album, Khilnay Ko stands as a tool for healing – for not just Shafi herself, but for those navigating their own dark night of the soul. In an album that is both unconventional and authentic – almost six years in the making – the artiste leans into soul self-examination with her friend and co-producer, Abdullah Siddiqui. The artiste at her debut album's launch last week in Lahore, Pakistan. Left to Right: Sarmad Khoosat, Meesha Shafi, Awais Gohar and Abdullah Siddiqui. 'Every windchime, bell and note is intentional,' she states. 'We would dissect the feeling space in the songs as well as the headspace and the mood. How to make someone understand how I feel. A lot of nuances were explored in the process of its creation with patience and restraint. We made this record very slowly, very meticulously and with an unreasonable amount of quality control. I'm extremely blessed to have made this with [Siddiqui]. This [album] couldn't have been understood without very high emotional intelligence, empathy and the skill needed for world-building through music.'
Business Recorder
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Recorder
Meesha Shafi lights up Times Square as Spotify's EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador
April's Spotify Pakistan EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador, Meesha Shafi, was featured on a digital billboard in Times Square, New York City, last week, the company announced in a press release on Monday. She joins a growing list of legendary and emerging local artists to be showcased at the iconic location. Shafi's top tracks on Spotify, 'Alif Allah,' 'Muaziz Sarif,' and 'Aya Laariye,' are all crowd favorites. Notably, 38% of her audience comprises Generation Z listeners, reflecting her broad appeal across age groups. Adding to the excitement of fans, Meesha has also released her highly anticipated new album, 'Khilnay Ko', marking her return to the music scene after a hiatus of over two years. Musician Talha Anjum leads Global Impact list on Spotify Pakistan 'Meesha Shafi personifies the spirit of EQUAL Pakistan, breaking barriers and setting new standards in the music industry,' Rutaba Yaqub, Artist & Label Partnerships Manager at Spotify for Pakistan and UAE, was quoted as saying in the press release. 'Her vocal command, artistic depth and the ability to seamlessly blend contemporary sounds with traditional influences has earned her a loyal, global audience. Her strong presence across major streaming markets like Pakistan, India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, speaks volumes about the universal appeal of her sound,' she added. Shafi has been featured on prominent Spotify playlists, including South Asian Sufi, Best of Coke Studio, Desi Core, and now EQUAL Pakistan. Shafi's appointment as the EQUAL Pakistan ambassador highlights Spotify's commitment to promoting women artists.
Express Tribune
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Meesha Shafi explores the old walled city
Meesha Shafi took a dip into cultural nostalgia in an Instagram carousel posted on Monday. "My stunning, storied, centuries-old city of Lahore," she wrote in the caption. In the photos, Meesha set out with a group of friends into the walled city's alleys, mosques, and other historical sites. For her adventures, she wore Carla Rockmore's quintessential neutral green tea sling bag over a deep blue kurti with a scatter of light patchwork and patterned wide-leg trousers with strappy sandals. She topped off the look with a choker fastening layered necklaces and tassel accessories. Followers in the comments section poured in compliments for Meesha, from her style to how she glowed in the city. Referencing a muted clip of the singer belting inside the Shahi Hammam, a user wrote, "Really need the audio to whatever you were singing at the Hammam. Petition to release the footage please." Many followers also shared the singer's love for the old city. "I long to visit Lahore one day and roam the same streets as my grandfather once did," a user wrote, while another said, "This side of Lahore has never ceased to mesmerise me. Only a couple of days ago, I went to the same restaurant, Bethak Sadequain. Every corner of this Bethak was to die for." Earlier, the Muaziz Saarif singer posted a reel compiling clips from her visit to the Bethak, where she and her friends sat around for a flute performance and enjoyed some tea, though she herself opted for coffee. Meesha's Instagram feed shows that she has an affinity for adventure. This January, she welcomed the new year with a beachy vacation. Sharing a video of her strolling by a shoreline, she cheekily wrote, "Life can be a beach, but the spelling has to be right."
