Coke Studio 2020: What’s new in this year’s artist line-up?

After much anticipation started by a unique advertisment, Coca-Cola Pakistan finally made an official announcement recently confirming the arrival of Coke Studio 2020. Much to fans excitement, the 13th season of the highly recognized music platform will commence from Friday, 4th December, 2020.

Despite a nation-wide lockdown and restrictions due to Covid-19 throughout the year, Coca-Cola Pakistan has delivered on their promise of sharing good-quality free music annually. This year’s edition of Coke Studio Pakistan will be a limited yet exclusive season featuring 12 songs, accompanied by a revised video format.

 

New format

Veteran musician Rohail Hyatt is making a comeback as producer this season. The songs were recorded under a careful management and maintenance of COVID-19 SOPs which resulted in both singers and musicians being recorded separately. Despite innumerable challenges, Coke Studio was committed to releasing a season as an opportunity to keep hope alive amidst difficult times, especially keeping in mind the artist and musician community that has suffered the most due to COVID-19.

 

 

Line-up of Season 13

This season includes 12 new songs featuring 13 artists, out of which four emerging artists will make their debut on the platform in 2020. This includes an assortment of singers ranging from industry veterans like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Meesha Shafi, Fariha Pervez, Umair Jaswal, Ali Noor, Bohemia and Sanam Marvi alongside new-comers such as Mehdi Maloof, Aizaz Sohail, Sehar Gul Khan and Wajiha Naqvi as well as experienced artists such as Zara Madani and Ali Pervez Mehdi.

 

 

List of songs

The season will not only feature purely original songs, but the focus is also on content and social messaging including an all-female anthem on women’s empowerment. Interestingly, this will be the first time ever in Coke Studio history that all the female artists of the season will be singing together, although each artist was recorded separately.

 

 

International collaborations

Moreover, given the new format and advantages of technology, this season has also collaborated with international musicians from across the world including Turkey, Nepal, Lebanon and Serbia.

 

In the official press statement released, Rohail Hyatt expressed that he learned a lot during the making on Coke Studio 2020:

“Working on this season has been a valuable learning experience. It has left me with a realization that in order for anything to survive, it must have the ability to change and adapt to the circumstances that surround it. Even in trying times, we must not give up but instead re-invent ourselves and keep moving ahead. Despite the limitations of this pandemic, everyone on the team, especially the artists, willingly left their comfort zones only to help keep alive the tradition of sharing music. It is with this same spirit that we bring Coke Studio to you this year; a humble effort to share something familiar, yet new.” said Rohail Hyatt.

 

Promo of 1st episode

 

 

Coke Studio has also released the song promos for its premiere episode which will showcase all original songs, including an all-female anthem — Na Tutteya Ve — featuring Meesha Shafi, Fariha Pervez, Sehar Gul Khan, Sanam Marvi, Wajiha Naqvi, and Zara Madani. The episode features two more original tracks including, Dil Khirki, written and composed by the emerging indie artist and CS debutant, Mehdi Maloof, and Jaag Rahi featuring veteran artists Fariha Pervez and Ali Noor in classical thumri.