Pakistan Is Inching Closer to Global Pop Domination

This piece originally appeared on July 18, 2024 in Sound Signal, our biweekly newsletter that identifies emerging artists, scenes, and trending tracks, crafted by the world's best writers and curators. Sign up here to never miss our take on what's next in music.

‍

Industry officials might have failed to include Pakistan in discussions of top music markets, but a new song is changing that. Produced by Pakistani musicians, "Piya Piya Calling" has been hovering in the Top 10 of Norway’s singles chart for the last two weeks—while also charting on Spotify and iTunes charts across India, Singapore, and South Africa. The single makes the case for the country emerging as a new leader in global pop.

‍

On June 28, the Pakistani music franchise Coke Studio broke new ground after releasing an ambitious song that bridges seven composers who have roots in Norway, North Africa, and South Asia and features seven different languages: Norwegian, Farsi, Gujarati, Arabic, English, Urdu, and Balochi.

‍

As Pakistan’s longest-running annual television music show, Coke Studio has become a musical institution by pairing up artists across the South Asian diaspora for sparkling studio performances over 15 seasons since 2008. They’ve hit it big with listeners outside the country’s borders, like with the 2022 global megahit "Pasoori" and this spring’s viral Instagram earworm “Blockbuster.” But “Piya Piya Calling” seemed to call in a new era for the production company, as the song’s expertly curated, unexpected match-up of artists—and the fact they could seamlessly make a song together—seemed to resonate with fans all over the world.

‍

The track features Karpe, a Norway-based duo of an Indian man and an Egyptian-Norwegian man; the Iranian-Norwegian artist Amanda Delara; and the Karachi-based singer Kaifi Khalil, with choreography from the Quick Style, a dance crew based in Norway but founded by dancers with ancestry in Pakistan and Thailand. Bolstered by a behind-the-scenes documentary, the track racked up 10.5M YouTube views and 2M Spotify streams in two weeks, and brought in new listeners that might not have been interested in South Asian or Norwegian pop before.

‍

“I am so proud this is the Norwegian contribution to Coke Studio Pakistan,” one YouTube personality said in reaction to the track. “You would think that everyone looks like me—blonde and blue eyes—but this is also part of our society and culture in Norway.” Another commenter wrote: “You would not believe, in my small city in Gujarat, India this is spreading like wildfire”—which shouldn’t be taken lightly given that the country’s 2016 ban on Pakistani artists was lifted last year.

‍

While pop music's messaging of “global unity” may sometimes be heavy-handed, the emotional response to “Piya Piya Calling” shows that collaborations that make unexpected links might be the key to future crossover success.

‍

If you’re aiming to uncover emerging artists, grasp key cultural shifts, or gain actionable insights from data-driven research, Third Bridge Creative delivers the expertise you need. Connect with our Music Intelligence team today to learn how we can help your organization navigate the cultural zeitgeist with precision and impact.