ne misconception trailing Ms. Marvel is how Talal Qureshi and Naseebo Lal got together for ‘Aag’ recently whereas the song is an independent effort that released somewhere in 2018. This means that among the independent artists whose music got picked up by the Disney+ series, Talal Qureshi was front and center. Then there’s the Coke Studio 14 song, the addictive ‘Peec-hay Hutt’ with Hasan Raheem and Justin Bibis that also made it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that is behind Ms. Marvel, the series featuring local actors such as Mehwish Hayat, Samina Ahmed, Nimra Bucha, and Fawad Khan in smaller but recognizable roles.

Going back to Talal, while ‘Aag’ made the cut for the Marvel series, Talal Qureshi was collaborating with Hasan Raheem and Natasha Noorani for another addictive song, ‘Faltu Pyar’ that was produced, mixed, and mastered by Talal. The song blew up
and netizens couldn’t get enough of it. Talal does appear in the music video but mostly it is Hasan and Natasha who run the show. Not one to rest on accomplishments, Talal Qureshi is not resting on his laurels after landing back-to-back smash hits in the music circle. He got together with Faris Shafi for ‘Hum’ though he doesn’t appear in the music video of the song that feels like a conversation between Faris and his (late) father. Talal is credited for the music of the track. And just when you thought ‘can he deliver more?’, Talal got together with Faris Shafi for the latter’s single, ‘Vitamin D’. Faris Shafi’s rap - including cadence, confidence, vulnerability, and narrative - requires a story of its own, but if you look at Talal Qureshi’s career graph, it is reaching greater heights and the way he is operating, chances are that he will reach his goals while becoming a part of the musical repertoire of different artists.

About five years ago, Talal Qureshi’s work slipped under the radar with songs like ‘Lollipops’, ‘Clubbing in Multan’ featuring Mooroo’s Music, and a thrilling ‘Kameez Teri Kaali‘ remix of the original by Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi.

As a music producer, Talal has refused labels beyond context and can do anything from lo-fi to trap without glorifying himself within the context of any song.

Let us not forget the Mad Decent Block Party in Islamabad where Adil Omar and Talal Qureshi played a stronger set than Major Lazer. They also curated artists for the show, including names like Lyari Underground and Shamoon Ismail, both enjoying decent popularity now.

It is almost as if Talal Qureshi is not concerned with what sells and what doesn’t and has taken electronic, trap, and synth pop and meshed it all together to make any artist feel comfortable to work with him. At present, Talal is clearly among the most prominent and prolific music producers. Given the many releases this year, what remains to be seen is if he will drop a new solo, cohesive EP or continue to work with a range of artists while flipping the sonic landscape just enough that it fits the narrative of a song, each time.

– Talal Qureshi photo
by Anoosh Zeerik