t has been said before but must be reiterated: the Pakistani music scene is going through a transitional phase in myriad ways. For example, we are learning to start paying for concert tickets (instead of asking for passes). It also comes down to what music we consume and how. Do all artists depend on the world’s foremost music app like Spotify or work with indie labels? Some allow fans to buy a record for a nominal fee from an artist available on a platform like bandcamp. Or, we could indulge in both, once again paying a certain premium that should trickle down to the artist. The only other method is where artists align themselves with brands to get their music to the ionosphere.

Back to music and we have to admit that even as the music ecosystem goes through this transition, a part of it is because of how rapidly the industry is growing. Well-established artists and newer ones collectively make up a list that we can’t fully do justice to due to brevity.

In the New Year, even as we look towards the future after a prominent year across pop culture, some things that were missed must be re-evaluated and if based on merit, celebrated as well.

One such artist is Jimmy Khan. Though we are up-to-date on the fact that he is dropping a three-track EP called Shukar in 2023 from which ‘Ghar’ and (by the time this article goes in print) possibly ‘Jeenay Kay Mazay’ have released.

However, while our eyes and ears are delighted by Jimmy’s new material, produced by Haniya Aslam, it would be unfair to the artist for us to not look at his previous work that was overshadowed in the time of a pandemic fear, a reality we have started accepting. The gridlock on public events has eased up significantly, though, and music shows are back.

As you enjoy ‘Jeenay Kay Mazay’ from Shukar (Gratitude), we’re definitely going to remind you that Jimmy Khan’s album, Tich Button, which had four cover songs and one original number, released a while back. With four out of five cover songs, you might be irked at the idea. However, approaching the album with an open mind, as a listener, you will be surprised by how easily each song seamlessly falls in place. To cover songs like ‘Chan Kithan’ is a somewhat daunting task because of its rich history and newer versions by the likes of Ali Sethi, but, like all songs featured on Tich Button, Jimmy Khan and his band have shown they were up to the task.

Another Jimmy Khan release, between the last two years that we felt the need to highlight is a collaborative song called ‘La Salam Mast Qalandar’. The song is the result of a cultural fusion project between “Pakistan and Jordan through music”.

Apart from Jimmy Khan and Shahab Hussain from Pakistan, the song features Jordanian artists such as Semazen (ft. Rawan Risheq and Atef Malhas) and The Band ft. Hrag Mouridian and Yazan Sarayrah. Directed by Kohi Marri, the music video feels like a beautiful guide to Jordan and its landscape. And, on the other hand, it provides an insight into how this collaboration takes place in a visual format. Artists perform in the stillness of a desert as well as the studio. Khan and Hussain, in particular, explore the terrain. However, the beauty of Jordon doesn’t overshadow the song; it complements it.

Sung in more than one language, it certainly carries a Middle Eastern vibe but it also falls under the label of experimental folk and one that is fully aware of what soundscape it wanted to follow. Highly recommended!