The global success of Pakistani pop culture, witnessed in 2022, is not over. In the first month of the year, Pakistani rap and hip-hop artist, the popular Young Stunners, will be a part of a show that will also feature (high profile) American rapper Jacques Bermon Webster II, better known by the stage name of Travis Scott.

Since his disastrous Astroworld tour went from raging fans (at the behest of Scott during shows) to becoming a live event where fans actually died, Travis Scott is not on our list of top rappers...at all. That said, he is among the most popular rappers in the rap music scene that’s emerged from America. His reputation is dented and he is being sued by multiple parties due to his tour leading to several deaths.

But from the looks of it, even during this catastrophic time in his career, Travis Scott is not over. From California to Rotterdam, Scott will be playing live shows.

But closer to home, Travis Scott, according to reports based on Live Nation, will be performing at the Wireless Festival Middle East at the Etihad Park in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E on March 11, 2023.

Travis Scott is the biggest name on the playing bill that is also scheduled to feature Young Stunners from Pakistan. They are said to be the only act from Pakistan who will participate in the show.

Young Stunners have a noteworthy story if you’ve somehow managed to miss their singles, indie and otherwise.

The duo of Young Stunners consists of Talha Yunus and Talha Anjum, both of whom enjoy dynamic solo careers. Both of the Talhas have developed loyal fan following over the years. They have also cultivated a habit of collaborating with various artists and producers.

Between the two of them as solo acts, they have collaborated with artists such as Rap Demon, Hasan Raheem (among others) as well as producers such as Jokhay, UMAIR, Rovalio, Kishore, Momin and several others. Ergo, should they choose to go their separate ways, they can depend solely on their solo identities in Pakistan’s rap music scene.

But perhaps consciously or unconsciously they are aware that as a combined outfit, they are stronger. As Young Stunners, they are fast becoming corporate as well as independent music’s biggest names.

Their debut in Coke Studio 14 wasn’t the only major corporate-backed song that featured the rap outfit. In 2022, Young Stunners joined Faisal Kapadia for season closer, ‘Phir Milenge’. Before that, in 2021, they also featured in Pepsi Pakistan’s Why Not campaign with the song ‘Why Not’. They were also a part of Pakistan Day special song called ‘Ao Ehad Karain’ with Ali Hamza by Coke Studio in 2021.

In between, they’ve also collaborated with Aima Baig for a song for Infinix Mobile’s Note 11 followed by ‘Game On’ for Infinix Hot 12. The last couple of their tracks were not half bad such as ‘Aazme Le’ ft. Bilal Ali (of Kashmir) and ‘BENZ’ with long-time collaborator Jokhay.

Are they overexposed or hitting a stagnant point between releasing solo material, combined work as Young Stunners, as well as corporate work? Well, that purely depends on the lens with which you view their work.

If numbers suggest popularity, they were among the most popular artists of 2022 and gave every rapper a run for their money by appealing to a huge audience.

So, we’re not too surprised that Young Stunners will participate in a festival that also features Travis Scott. The March event will also feature Lil Uzi Vert, Wegz, Black Sherif, Ali Gatie, Divine, with more artists to be announced soon. Multiple stages and 13+ live performances will take place.

With Turhan James performing as opening act for the likes of DJ Tiesto, Boiler Room coming to Pakistan, Arooj Aftab getting nominated for the Grammys two years in a row (and winning earlier this year), the glorious outing of Pakistani music on Ms. Marvel in 2022, the New Year is off to a promising start in a global and local context.