Daily Times

Singer and writer Ali Sethi just released his latest track “Dil Lagaayein” which is a contemporary exploration of relationships and their evolution in one’s lifetime from the simplicities of childhood to the complexities of adult relationships.

This track is the second song from Ali Sethi’s debut album made in collaboration with Grammy-winning music producer Noah Georgeson. The track is an old-world ballad reminiscent of waltz and presents the lost tenderness of childhood while exploring the compromises we make as adults in our relationships as a dichotomy.

The subtle video implies a triad of intimacy between three people; two young men and a woman, while leaving the exact nature of their relationship ambiguous. Director Umar Riaz has brought out the melancholia of young love with great sensitivity and skill. Also featured in the video are some recognisable faces from Pakistan’s art, media and fashion industries.

Talking exclusively to Daily Times, Ali Sethi said, “I wrote and composed ‘Dil Lagaayein’ with a particular feeling in mind: whether to take the plunge or not. I think for my generation of millennials, commitment is often a daunting prospect. This feeling of irresolution, if contemplating the abyss while being unable to take action, there’s a pain in that, but also a peculiar pleasure!”

The subtle video implies a triad of intimacy between three people; two young men and a woman, while leaving the exact nature of their relationship ambiguous. Director Umar Riaz has brought out the melancholia of young love with great sensitivity and skill

Noah Georgeson and Sethi have arranged this track similar to a European waltz. A weeping, soaring violin coalesces into a tipsy faux-sympathetic melody. A variety of textures in the track have been used to develop an enigmatic atmosphere, one that is tragic and farcical at the same time. The track is fierce yet subtle, picking up pace in some instances and slowing down in others, making it truly a track to enjoy.

The lyrics of the track have been written by Sethi himself along with Shakeel Sohail. The music has been done in collaboration with Georgeson and Anthony Soshil as the production associate. Michael Harris and Samur Khoja are the engineers who recorded at Seahorse Sound in Los Angeles.

Whereas the video is concerned, the direction, cinematography and editing has been done by Umar Riaz with Qasim Abbas as the production manager. Natasha Saigol did the hair and makeup and jewellery was by Zohra Rehman.

Sethi is known for his musical prowess and his exceptional delivery in the coveted platform ‘Coke Studio’. Sethi was globally recognised for his first published novel The Wish Maker. Since 2013, he began emphasising on his music career and made his film debut as a singer in Mohsin Hamid’s coveted The Reluctant Fundamentalist adaptation for the big screen. He released a cover single “Mohabbat Karne Waley” later the same year.

The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at foha.raza@gmail.com