I’d like to turn it up/ And give it up to the news/ See, our lives they’re colliding.” – ‘Give It Up To The News’ by Natasha Humera Ejaz

When you hear the title of Natasha Humera Ejaz’s latest single, ‘Give It Up To The News’, which is complemented by a simple and beautiful music video, it might bring a number of things to mind, even before we press play.

Is it about the kind of news we consume or we don’t consume enough off, or our individual or collective lack of sensitivity towards the world that surrounds us? The voices that are unheard because prime time news would rather talk about cricket or an actor, particularly of the female gender? Is it about fake news that can be taken seriously or non-fake news that is important, but not being given enough time?

The human brain can con-ceive more scenarios than your favorite superhero including Marvel’s Dr. Strange or Neo from the groundbreaking science fiction film, The Matrix. Science will confirm this fact. But those concepts are not the underlying ideas behind this release.

So, what is the song about?

As lyricist, singer and vocalist, Natasha Humera Ejaz, confirmed in a press statement and in a follow-up conversation, the context of the song has to do with marginalization, humanity and self-awareness.

Never forget the importance of context because context makes way for meaning.

In Ejaz’s case, the fifth track from her debut album, Ordinary Miracle, is about situations surr-ounding the marginalization of the individual and the collective and the world that surrounds us and the world at large.

Said Natasha in a press statement, “The song revolves around the essence of humanity.”

That very idea, she confirmed, was also explored upon in the music video, which is directed by Sameer R. Shami.

He is the Assistant Director, Assistant Editor, ADR Director of Pakistani superhit film, The Legend Of Maula Jatt.

“Our goal was to create a music video that embodies this theme but from a somewhat more unfiltered and exasperated viewpoint. It’s not uncommon for me to extensively plan my video productions well in advance of the shooting day, but that wasn’t the case this time. Sameer and I had limited time to collaborate, but our strong creative bond, cultivated over time, made it effortless to dive into this project without any preconceived notions, relying solely on a shared vision of catharsis.”

“In a time we can fight in/ And I’ve got my words/ And I guess you’ve got your deeds.” – ‘Give It Up To The News’ by Natasha Humera Ejaz

Composed, written and performed by Natasha with production and direction credits going to Rishabh Rajan, it is one of the more complex songs Natasha Humera Ejaz has written.

Listening to it is a soothing and empowering experience, and offers us her nuanced take on humanity and a call to recognize social issues pertaining to women and those who are marginalized in many ways.

“Why did I have to beautify myself in the standard that people find beautiful? That’s where it began and it grew into a process where I wondered why we have to think 100 times before we step out of the house; why do we feel like we need permission for living our daily lives and being just human. The minute you become a member of the marginalized, you stop being a human being.” – Natasha Humera Ejaz

In a conversation with Instep about ‘Give It Up For The News’, Natasha Humera Ejaz explained that the song came from a personal experience of feeling like not being seen and not being heard.

“I wrote most of the song in 2017 and finished it this year. It was like I have to put myself in a box to be considered, to be seen and heard. Since 2017, [to] 2023, there have been so many injustices that I realized that I’m not the only woman, not the only one who belongs to a mar-ginalized community that is not seen or heard. Presented in the news, we don’t see the full story and even when we do see the full story, where do any of those cases go or the injustices end?”

Talking about the current news, she noted, “I was just looking at the Palestine-Israel issue and I felt like this even applies to that, so for me, it went from inward to an outward narrative.”

As Natasha Humera Ejaz recalled, in one way she had to make herself smaller, dimmer, in so many ways as an artist. But she never really gave into it and is grateful to God that she held her own.

Was there pressure? Yes.

“Why did I have to beautify myself in the standard that people find beautiful and that’s where it began; it grew into a process where [I wondered] why we have to think 100 times before we step out of the house, why do we feel like we need permission for living our daily lives and just being human. The minute you become a member of the marginalized, you stop being a human being.”

But there is something beautiful to it as Natasha spoke about an issue that is pertinent to artists as well as the individual about the unspoken but under-stood standard of beauty, which is based on the color of your skin.

The fairer you are, the more appeal you have. What it also means is that irrespective of talent or merit, if you’re less fair than industry counterparts, you have to work twice as hard just to be seen. In a larger context, Natasha is also questioning the state of our misogynistic society that has enabled long-formed habits where a woman has to think twice before doing any-thing and everything.

The way Natasha Humera Ejaz explained her single is exactly the way it is in terms of sonic identity. There is genuine thought behind the words and the sound is sparser than some of her past releases, and there have been many.

The music video is linked to the single. The words echo many emotions and are visible when you watch Natasha look into the camera with macro and micro expressional change. What she is feeling is what is projected in the music video and clear to the viewer.

Though there were quite a few releases before Ejaz got here – to this album, she confessed that it was born years ago but has finally reached the completion state.

“There’s a lesson to be learnt here/A pocket sized conclusion/Now I’ve got a gun/ And I guess you are diseased.” – ‘Give It Up To The News’ by Natasha Humera Ejaz

This is one of the most astounding songs from her catalog, and not only from what is her debut record - whether you see the music video that accom-panied its release, or get hooked to the single first. It has that ability to cater to an inner issue deconstructed and an outward issue deciphered to reach an understanding.

But understanding an issue, or a standard doesn’t make it better. It might make you see what marginalized means beyond a sense of self-awareness and what it means to find empathy in a meaningful manner towards all those juggling similar issues across class and creed.

Natasha Humera Ejaz has submitted the album to the Grammys, she said in an exclusive to Instep. A variety of tracks from it have been submitted with ‘Give It Up For The News’ sent to the category of Best Song for Social Change.

In the end, an empowering effort from Natasha Humera Ejaz, both the release and debut album, we hope, will lead to bigger things for the consentience and meri-torious artist, that is Natasha Humera Ejaz.