New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Ahead of the upcoming GRAMMY Awards, where she is nominated for Best New Artist and Best Global
Music Performance, Arooj Aftab releases two Spotify Singles as part of the platform's Best New Artist series. It includes a cover of Rosalía's "
Di Mi Nombre" as well as a reworking of her own song "Baghon Main." Earlier this year, Aftab was selected as Spotify's inaugural EQUAL Ambassador for Pakistan.
Arooj shared her feelings on both tracks:
"I've always felt a very strong kinship to flamenco music, and recently having visited the south of Spain, even more undeniably so. It's always been in my periphery to make something with that energy. The driving rawness of the palmas, the haunted vocals. Very much my vibe. The opportunity to cover a previous Best New Artist pointed me directly to Rosalía."
"'Baghon Main' paints a picture of a park or garden connected to one's childhood, complete with swings swinging. It's a very melancholic and nostalgic song, thinking of a moment that was once innocent and beautiful, that is now hazy in the memory and on the verge of being forgotten."
Listen to "
Di Mi Nombre" / "Baghon Main" below:
Recently, Aftab announced Vulture
Prince (Deluxe Edition), out June 24th on
Verve Records, which includes the track "Udhero Na" featuring Anoushka Shankar, in addition to an all-star cast of performers: Badi Assad, Maeve Gilchrist, Jamey Haddad, Bhrigu Sahni, Kenji Herbert, Lady Jess, Jarvis Benson, Malcolm Parson, Jorn Bielfeldt, Shazhad Ismaily,
Juliette Jones,
Mario Carrillo, Petros Klampanis, Nadje Noordhuis, Gyan Riley, and Darian Donovan Thomas. This edition expands upon a record, Vulture
Prince (2021), whose contents resonated with listeners far and wide. landing on Year End lists from The New York Times, Pitchfork, NPR, and Variety, and netting Arooj Aftab much-deserved nominations at the upcoming GRAMMYs®. Arooj also recently joined Spotify's EQUAL program, which fosters equity for women in the audio space, as its ambassador for Pakistan for the month of March - a feat that landed her on a billboard in Times Square.
Arooj Aftab / Vulture
Prince (Deluxe Edition) Tracklisting:
Baghon Main (feat. Darian Donovan Thomas)
Diya Hai (feat. Badi Assad)
Inayaat
Last Night
Mohabbat
Saans Lo
Suroor
Udhero Na (feat. Anoushka Shankar)