aanu is like the dependable guy next door (if there was one next to mine) but you get my drift. In Pakistan’s growing and consistently changing music scene, some artists fly under the radar but eventually prove their craft by hard work.

A multi-genre artist who has collaborated with some of the most popular artists in the business including Hasan Raheem, Talal Qureshi, Abdullah Siddiqui, Ali Sethi, Turhan James and on and on goes the list. However, even on his own tracks, Maanu is refreshing, honest and often experimental, swimming in pop, rap and other genres with no problem.

Since the purpose of Spotify’s Radar initiative is to highlight artists who are fast emerging as the future of music, it isn’t difficult to decipher why Maanu is being promoted and it is a decision we must applaud.

Maanu does not shy away from naming his influences from the current scene such as Sikandar Ka Mandar, Talal Qureshi, Janoobi Khargosh, with Faris Shafi, having had direct influence on his music, but he also notes that he hasn’t restricted himself to following the landscape of one artist but carve one of his own.

In a press statement, Spotify noted that it is also trying something different.

“Radar is thrilled to showcase this emerging artist with an exclusive mini-documentary that not only explores Maanu’s journey so far and the unwavering passion that fuels his artistry, but also marks the first time AI has been integrated into the visual design. As a special treat, audiences will get to enjoy Maanu’s latest single, ‘2 MINUTES // SMOG CITY’, which will be released as part of the documentary.”

With direction from by Zain Peerzada & Luke Azariah and the video from Flux Media, the new song is produced by Maanu. It has to be said that there is something raw and honest about the music video and the song.

Maanu sounds equally excited and confirmed in a statement, noting, “I’m incredibly excited and grateful to be the next Spotify Radar artist. It’s a great chance to tell my story my way, and to work with the people I’m closest to in order to showcase it. Spotify has been a great partner to many artists like myself since arriving in Pakistan and is constantly striving to help us grow our fan base which matters the most.”

He added: “It’s also a huge bonus that this announcement coincides with the release of my next album YIN // YAIN which listeners will get a glimpse of through the Radar documentary. I hope to use the push given by the campaign to try and ensure that this album reaches as many people as possible.”