The incredible versatility of Atif Aslam and power vocals of Mai Dhai in Episode 1 set a high benchmark for the entire season, let alone the following episode. And Episode 2 fell a little too short on expectations, thanks to mismatched musical collaborations.
The incredible versatility of Atif Aslam and power vocals of Mai Dhai in Episode 1 set a high benchmark for the entire season, let alone the following episode. And Episode 2 fell a little too short on expectations, thanks to mismatched musical 
collaborations. Suraiya Khanum’s rendition of the classic ‘Chiryan Da Chamba’ was quite a tear-jerker. The depth and maturity of her voice added more drama to the song’s delicate remorse and while Anwar Maqsood painted a rather emotional picture with his story-telling, the lengthy letters took away from the soul of the song. Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan’s ‘Sakal Ban’ was nothing extraordinary and came across as a miserable attempt to fuse Western instruments with Eastern tones. Ali Zafar’s self-acclaimed spoof called ‘Rockstar’ was more corny than creative and at the end of the day it sounded okay but lacked novelty and was definitely not a vocal wonder.
Though with its own fair share of flaws, the song that fared better was ‘Sammi Meri Waar’ by Umair Jaswal and Quratulain Baloch aka QB. With over 660,000 views in two days, the song became an instant hit with fans though the credit went more to QB than Umair. In fact, many on social media went on to blame the rocker for ruining what could have been a master piece. We have to agree. It’s not to say that Umair doesn’t have what it takes to be a great singer; he does. In fact, he picks off the song with a defiant rawness. But his stylized singing (against QB’s intense, velvety voice) doesn’t make for an interesting contrast, especially at the end note where the orchestral arrangements (particularly the drums) reach a maximum, almost sounding out of context, and Umair’s dormant, high-pitched vocals sound slightly patronizing. However, the undertones of the song - executed brilliantly by QB - and the potent sound of the flute save the song from being a passé. A special mention needs to be given to Tanveer Tafu for the infectious mandolin that lingers on the mind for the rest of the night.
