e have just crossed the first half of 2023 and Pakistani artists have been leaving a significant imprint on pop culture and performing arts. It is difficult to even decide where and what we should begin with.

We don’t promise that all meritorious artists have made our list, but here is an effort. So, in no order, here is a quick look.

Starting from the beginning of 2023, it feels like music has been on a rollercoaster and isn’t in the mood to stop or slow down.

Atif Aslam, the son of contemporary music, finishes 20 years in music in 2023, but his glory days in music are far from over. These days, he is elating his ever-growing fanbase from songs featured on Velo Sound Station 2.0.

Yes, after two years, Velo Sound Station has made a comeback in 2023 with a stronger, faster, slicker season. Apart from some artists returning from season one such as Meesha Shafi, Shamoon Ismail, Atif Aslam, Aima Baig, the music series feels loaded with a slew of new additions. Bilal Maqsood as executive producer and co-director stepped down, thus making room for Rohail Hyatt as executive producer.

In an interview with Instep, Rohail Hyatt confirmed that though he is the executive producer, he plays the role of a mentor and a guide and didn’t have a role to play in the music. More good news for Velo 2.0. is that the music series has no covers to offer, only original material. Coke Studio veterans Kamal Khan and Zeeshan Parwez joined the ranks as co-directors. Point, Rohail Hyatt.

2023 is also the year where we have realized that ‘Pasoori’ – sung by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill – from Coke Studio 2022 – has a life of its own and is still making waves in 2023. If an African version of the song was dropped last year with Ali Sethi, Nigerian singer-songwriter Reekado Banks and Egyptian rapper Marwan Moussa, an Indian film version of ‘Pasoori’ has been released in 2023 called ‘Pasoori Nu’ from a film called Satyaprem Ki Katha, that has resulted in mixed reviews shared by netizens, bringing attention to a film that would’ve potentially gone unnoticed otherwise. Perhaps that was the purpose for what is an abominable version.

On the other spectrum of things, the ‘Pasoori’ team emerged together this year with a zinger of a song called ‘Left/Right’ featuring Ali Sethi, Abdullah Siddiqui, Shae Gill (and Maanu as a new addition). They came, conquered and left, leaving us with a prize of a song. Between corporate music and non-corporate, Zeerak Ahm-ed who goes by the stage name of Slowspin dropped a phenomenal, ethereal, therapeutic record called Talisman that she has self-released.

Her ethereal effort wasn’t the only one that had us gobsmacked. Arooj Aftab, joined by Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily, dropped a record cal-led Love in Exile (and yes, Arooj Aftab also performed at the Grammy Awards in 2023 and was a nominee as well for the song, ‘Udhero Naa’).

The counterculture movement also left no stone unturned as Rearts, Cape Monze Records and Silent Roar, some of the coolest labels in the country, dropped a significant amount of music.

Hasan Raheem is dropping music videos from his album, Nataunki with swag enveloping every song.

Other artists to make an indelible mark in the field of music include Zohaib Kazi (with his electro-folk-rap record called Gulistan Jan-oobi), Natasha Noorani, (who dropped ‘Matlabi’ from her upcoming album, Ronaq, which she confirmed would release by 2023), Jimmy Khan (back with new singles including our favourite ‘Ghar’ produced by Haniya Aslam), the ferocious comeback of Pindi Boyz (who dropped two songs this year including ‘Pindi Aye 2.0.’ and formed a rap group).

Mekaal Hasan’s ideas about fighting for the legacy of folk continues as he released and is still dropping folksy songs from the soil with players from other countries joining the effort as one instrumentalist or another.

Sunny Khan Durrani, the underrated hip-hop artist dropped new material as did Kaifi Khalil – who is quite the sensation with ‘Kahani Suno 2.0’ and the new hit, ‘Mansoob’.

We cannot dismiss Eva B, who performed ‘Sunlight in Lyari’ for Global Spin, an initiative of the Recording Academy (Grammys) as well as ‘Kuch Nahi Hua’ and ‘Khoon Hai Karachi Ka’ for a Pakistani film called Daadal. Kashmir and Karakoram, one band from Karachi and one from Lahore, are also making waves with shows or singles or both. And there you have it.

A small peak into the vast world of Pakistani music so far in 2023.