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Female artists, both old and new, often get overlooked as numbers divert our attention to male artists. By doing so, we lose sight of the complete picture of the music ecosystem. Here are some names that hold immense promise and merit attention due to their arresting, sonorous and underrated musical content.
Female artists are often overlooked in music because we tend to focus on their male counterparts, to be honest, and associate numbers with talent. In doing so, we automatically follow the rise of male artists alone and ignore, either deliberately or because of algorithms, everyone else. And though many male artists, if not all, most certainly deserve to be noticed, they are not the only ones with promising and individualistic talent.
Only a handful of names come to mind when we think of popular female artists in what is a cutthroat industry. Men do get better numbers but there are several reasons for this including gender disparity. Let’s not open that can of worms right now.
However, as I’ve said before, numbers cannot validate talent. Some may view numbers to be the ultimate pulse of pop culture but it could very well be due to name recognition. The consequence is that while we revel in the coming of certain newer artists or celebrate old favorites, we lose sight of the complete picture of the music ecosystem.
To that end, here are some of the artists you might’ve overlooked but shouldn’t since they carry an equal degree of talent including one who can be defined as the underrated anomaly for more than a decade.
There is nothing Haniya Aslam can’t do when it comes to the music stratosphere. I can’t think of anyone else who possesses this distinction, whether they belong to the counterculture movement or mainstream side.
Many of us still think of Haniya as one half of the music duo, Zeb and Haniya and their beautiful debut album, Chup. We also associate her with Coke Studio performances in its early years, again as Zeb and Haniya. And, nothing can take away from that exceptional record or what it meant to us at a time when such a duo simply didn’t exist. As a result, Zeb and Haniya were the anomaly.
But we must not lose sight of what has happened since those early days. A great deal has changed with both artists pursuing solo careers. In Haniya’s case, the anomaly factor remained as we have come to learn that she can do everything in music. From sound design to original soundtrack, composing, singing, producing, writing, engineering and everything that goes into the making of her own songs, or that of others.
As a singular artist, her debut EP is in the works and we’ve heard the first song, the elating ‘Ayi Re’ from it. We’ve heard her as a producer, not just to her own music but also to others such as Jimmy Khan whose last EP was produced by Haniya. There are other beautiful collaborations that she can be credited for as a musician, whether in the limelight or outside of it. However, right now, Haniya Aslam is under the spotlight for a new release called ‘Dunya’, created in collaboration with music collective Gintaara. Haniya hasn’t just co-performed this track, though. She has co-written the song (with Nimra Gilani) and produced it as well. And when Haniya Aslam is producing, the result is nothing short of meticulous. As for the song, it is unlike any collaboration you might have heard. The song, close to five minutes long, has the kind of harmonization you’d expect from a symphony featuring just singers (minus the violins and cello, etc.) and has the flow of a classical rhythmic chant. It has a haunting beginning, and as the complete song unfolds, you’re left with a perspective about the world. It reminds you that no matter what happens, the world will go on, addressing time, dreams, future, and a great deal more. The way this song is designed and sung is matchless. You will not find another collaborative song that is so perceptive yet unassuming. It is one of those songs that merits a space in your permanent collection of best songs.
Imagine if you get an opportunity to co-sing a song that features the deep and rich voice of Faisal Kapadia. Most will not be able to match it or make it feel like an unnecessary alignment. However, if you have the voice of Zoha Zuberi, you need not worry, because she can deliver.
Neither saccharine nor copying anyone else, Zoha Zuberi proved as much in her collaboration with Faisal Kapadia, the juggernaut of a song that is ‘Hum Na Rahay’. What is most special about the song is the explosive verve, provided by the two voices and Zoha Zuberi finds her feet. If that isn’t impressive, what is? If that does make you a tad bit curious, find her discography on YouTube or Spotify and you will be surprised by her songs, her many releases and collaborations.
It is not surprising at all that she was featured on the second season of Velo Sound Station just last year and is carving a path for herself in mainstream as well as counterculture musical movement.
The integration between TV dramas and playback singing, corporate funded music series, original soundtracks for films and even commercials, has created an industry where newer artists can get lost. Unless you’re a listener who makes it a point to scroll through all platforms mentioned above, and make it a point to find that voice you heard in one or all, newer artists can go unnoticed. However, when speaking of Annural Khalid, the cloak of invisibility is not the case. Her moment has arrived.
To understand this hypothesis better, head over to Spotify and find her discography and when you do, you will be greeted by a series of songs and a baritone that is hers and hers alone embedded within each song. As a young artist, she should explore various avenues of music. But, not every song will be your cup of tea. However, what makes her an excellent addition to the growing music scene is that she is willing to try her hand at everything. Her songs offer variety. ‘Cham Cham’ featuring Kumail Abbas, is her latest release. A bilingual love song, it is one among many releases. Her arsenal, before 2024, has a great deal of variety with songs such as ‘Kehdena’, ‘Mujhe Leh Chal, ‘Dil de Bol’, ‘Pretty Lies’ and ‘Sohneya Ve’.
She has an open mind as is reflective in her collaborations with terrific names who are representatives of the future of music. Among them are names such as Abdul Hannan, Talwinder Singh, Taha G., Rovalio and UMAIR, and others.
Her journey may have begun in 2020 but by 2023, she solidified a space for herself by releasing several songs that echo deeply personal emotions and a rawness that is novel. In July 2023, Annural got picked by Spotify as part of their EQUAL Pakistan campaign and shone on a billboard in Times Square, NYC.
When selected by Spotify’s EQUAL Pakistan ambassador for July 2023, a thrilled Annural Khalid had said: “I’m so stoked to be Spotify Pakistan’s EQUAL artist for July. Spotify has absolutely changed the game for musicians and Spotify EQUAL has to be the coolest initiative in my opinion. Never thought we’d one day have a platform representing solely women in music, especially in Pakistan. It really makes you hopeful while being a female musician for the future of music in this region.”
For fans of her music and that beautiful voice, the good news is that she is working on her debut album. If I had to pick a favorite from her released music thus far, I’d go with 2023’s ‘Payal’, a sizzling collaboration with the fierce Taha G., who has a solid fan following that is simply growing with time.
Since we’re on the subject of Nimra Gilani (who co-wrote ‘Dunya’ with Haniya Aslam), let us spend a little bit of time on this voice that is strong, unique and has never been a letdown. Nimra arrived in the spotlight with Sarmad Khoosat’s film’s Zindagi Tamasha where she covered an old film song, ‘Zindagi Tamasha Bani’ and made it her own. It felt like Nirvana covering David Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ with such conviction that many thought it was the other way around: Bowie covered Nirvana. That feeling emerges every time you hear Nimra Gilani’s version. What an original voice. But the thing that makes Nimra Gilani a great addition to the music scene is that she is more than a performer (though there is nothing wrong with that). She can collaborate, she can write songs and she’s not on a rollercoaster to finding fame. Though she has a handful of songs to her credit including many collaborations, each song is elevated because of her presence.
If you head to Spotify, the go-to audio streaming site, you’ll find a number of songs credited to her and several collaborations with the likes of Varqa Faraid, Zain Ali, Shamsher Rana, Natasha Humera Ejaz and MRKLE as well as others. And yet, as a performer, she steals the game every time her vocals arrive in any song. From film soundtracks to covers of older classics, Nimra Gilani has the vocal dexterity to do justice to each and every song she has sung, seamlessly blending across genres. With an artist like her, one can only hope that she releases more songs as the new year goes on.
