Spotify: Mic Check: Pakistani Pop Singer-Songwriter Asim Azhar

 Here's one of many things I love about the podcast, Spotify: Mic Check. It's like going on a global music tour without leaving home. No canceled flights. No lost luggage. No scammers. No silly gift shops. 

I just need my headphones and a comfortable chair, and I'm off. In this latest episode, I'm heading to Pakistan.  

Spotify has just released the latest episode in its original podcast series Spotify: Mic Check. This week’s episode features an in-depth conversation with Pakistani pop singer-songwriter and viral cover artist Asim Azhar.

You can listen to the full episode here.

In his interview on Spotify: Mic Check, Asim discusses how his father and uncle influenced his beginnings in music, the early cover songs that made him go viral, writing his own original music, his love for cricket, and performing the Pakistan Super League’s anthem twice. Asim also shares more on the impact Spotify has had on music in Pakistan since launching in the country two years ago and taking over Spotify’s Cricket Fever Playlist.

"Asim has been one of Spotify's early supporting artists since we launched in Pakistan. Since then, we've been part of his artistic journey through several key releases, collaborations & even playlist takeovers during Ramadan and Cricket season," said Khan FM, Spotify's Artist & Label Partnerships Manager for Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh.

Khan FM continues: "I'm extremely happy to have him featured on the Mic Check podcast, adding more listeners around the world to his story & eventually, his music. We're currently listening to his latest release in collaboration with Norwegian Artist Astrid S, titled Darkest Hour."

Khan FM would be remiss if e didn't point out that, "You can find more of Asim's tracks on Desi Hits & Pakka Hits playlists."

Please see below for interview highlights in the episode. 

Asim Azhar describes his musical style and influences. “My intention when I started was to introduce modern pop in Pakistan. This was back in 2012, and there was huge noise about international pop stars Justin Timberlake, Usher, and Chris Brown, who were just a rage between, you know, the youth and teenagers here especially. And I was like, there's a void. I felt it. I was like, there aren't many young Pakistani artists making pop music in general. And I started doing covers. I started making remixes of English songs, of internationally successful songs in my own language in Urdu and Punjabi.”

Asim Azhar on going viral for the first time covering Chris Brown’s “Forever” at a family wedding in the United States recorded by his cousin. “...and it had all his (Asim’s cousin) like Facebook friends from the states, from around the world just, you know, like commenting, like, wow, this guy is great. How old is he? Wow. Just oh, wow. Is this is this Asim? Is this the, is this that little kid that we met, like, a few years ago? And I heard the video, and I was like, you know, I don't sound too bad.”

Asim Azhar on his first sold-out solo show and feeling like he had made it in the music industry. “There are moments that I remember. Of course. Like 14th June 2013. I still remember the date. It was my first solo concert. And nobody knew how it was going to go. It's this venue that has this really big rooftop. And that's where, like, the big shows happen. And I remember first, they planned to do it in the same building, but at a smaller stage. And three days before, they called and said, oh, we're switching the venue to a bigger capacity… that's one moment that I will never forget that walk upstairs to the rooftop to the venue. It was cordoned off, but I could hear the crowd. And I remember. Right before that, they had told me that we'd sold out, and we're literally printing more tickets right now as we speak. So my elder brother has been a huge part of my musical journey since day one. He's produced songs for me. He plays in my band to this day as well. And he was there. And I remember he, he walked up to me backstage, and I just hugged him. And that was the first time I cried in front of him.

Asim Azhar on performing the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) anthem twice and being a fan of cricket. “Sports and music go so well together. You know, something like a sports anthem is very natural to me because I did that when I was a kid. I envisioned myself playing at the highest level. But when it comes to cricket, that's a sensitive one for me, right? Because I always term myself an unsuccessful cricketer, but I still love it more than anything in the world. I'd say cricket and music are at par for me. I am the biggest Pakistani cricket team fan, and we have the cricket league that happens every year. It's called Pakistan Super League (PSL). You know how the Super Bowl has a halftime performance, right? Yeah, it's like it's like the standard, right? In Pakistan, there's an official anthem for the league that happens every year. And it's a big deal for Pakistanis and for cricket fans around the world. And I got the opportunity to do the anthem for the second time.”

Asim Azhar on how Spoify’s arrival in Pakistan two years has impacted emerging artists and music fans in the country. “I would like to speak on behalf of the rest of the industry and artists of Pakistan. It would be an understatement to say that it's literally changing the scene. You know, we've had this amazing wave of new artists and of indie music, of independent artists, because um we – Oh, we don't do record labels here, by the way. That's how gangsta we are. We don't, we don't have that. [LAUGHS] So, in COVID you would, you had just college kids, kids in school, in their room, in their dorms, or wherever they were, with their laptops, making music. So the thing that really opposed us back in the days, because of Spotify's presence here officially, has become this total, like, opposite, favorable position that the artists are here in now, where I know artists from other countries want to go independent, you know?”