KARACHI: You may have heard it on Instagram Reels. In the background, Rani Mukherjee flaunts a black saree. A striking addition to Ayushmann Khurrana’s recent photo montage in an IG story. And you should hear this song if you live in the spontaneous corners of TikTok, where all life needs background music.
From a viral point of view, Nayel’s brother duo, Aashir Wajahat and Sadqay, is already a success. The song, approximately three minutes long, was created in collaboration with Ijazat singer Nehaal Naseem and was released on YouTube on February 2, along with a polished music video. Since its release, Sadqay has received 3.8 million views and is at the top of Spotify trends.
But what’s there to love? Thanks to our digital environment of multi-platform terminals, Sadqay, like many other contemporary offerings, is having another run on various social media forums. In the short content, both on TikTok and on Instagram, the song mainly promotes its success, decorated with a so-called chorus (or a third chorus, to refer to what follows after the second verse), which in Rahat Fateh produces an unexpected sound. Ali Khan’s Shukriya Pakistan 2016 is similar.
It’s almost as if the seven-year-old song, written as a tribute to Pakistan on Independence Day, found a haunting second life in a song about love and friend zones, in the same key but at a different tempo. For streamers, however, the song’s ambitions go beyond its catchy choruses (or at least they should).
Aashir, Nayel, and Nehaal team up to create something that could have been as exciting and new as the romantic gremlins that plague Gen Z. Despite some sensible production decisions, the song falls victim to uninspired songwriting.
The song first impresses with clean, classical guitar-like chords that suggest musical finesse. The possible intrusion of an electronic rhythm does not disturb the delicate balance, even if it seems a little too intrusive and imposed on the guitar. While the presence of the harmonium is meant to add a nice touch, the melody has some glaring issues, but that’s a topic for later.
The vocal performances, on the other hand, seem decent, executed well enough to carry the weight of the song, with clear use of quality post-production wizardry. Despite their careful presentation, the vocal melodies lack catchy hooks or at least distinctions that would set them apart from other fish in the sea.
For those who are more visually inclined, the accompanying music video isn’t a bad effort at all. The art direction and set design are truly commendable, showcasing the madness of a lover condemned to the gallows of a friend zone. From a stray snake to watching his friend’s crush on a cool, old-fashioned TV, Nayel’s desperation follows a satisfying montage sequence as he longs for Nehaal.
The visual effects also look quite “retro,” especially when a wide-angle shot fades into an image from Dragon Ball Z. The video goes beyond the track; a dramatic jump into a bathtub to drown out worries becomes comical as Nayel jumps, soaked, to answer Nehaal’s call. You understand; The delusions of a madly in-love person rarely come to an end.