Coke Studio Nu.WAV Releases ‘Shabnam’ Featuring Maanu and Zoha Waseem

Coke Studio Nu.WAV has released Shabnam, its fourth track featuring Maanu and Zoha Waseem, with production by Talal Qureshi. The song explores a relationship shaped by love, doubt and suspicion, as two people experience the same moments differently.

The track began as an unfinished collaboration between Talal Qureshi and Maanu. It later evolved to include Zoha Waseem, creating a musical exchange between two distinct perspectives.

Named after morning dew, Shabnam reflects something beautiful yet fleeting. Maanu and Zoha revisit moments from the same relationship, but their contrasting viewpoints leave the emotional tension unresolved.

Two Perspectives, One Relationship

Maanu opens the song with uncertainty and suspicion. Zoha responds from her own perspective, adding another dimension to the story.

Rather than moving towards a clear resolution, their voices exist alongside each other. This approach turns the track into a conversation between two people who interpret their relationship differently.

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The result combines contemporary songwriting with an exploration of emotional ambiguity, allowing listeners to interpret the tension for themselves.

Surreal Music Video Blurs Reality and Imagination

Directed by Fida Moin, the music video extends the song’s themes through playful, surreal storytelling.

Ordinary domestic moments become increasingly exaggerated through Maanu’s perspective. Familiar objects and everyday gestures take on unexpected meanings as reality and imagination begin to overlap.

The tension eventually erupts during a birthday gathering, where a celebration descends into chaos. Plates crash against concrete walls as the atmosphere shifts from festivity to pandemonium.

Talal Qureshi also appears in the video as a DJ who arrives expecting a party but finds himself in a household consumed by suspicion.

The visual concept draws on Brutalism and German Expressionism. Production Designer and Art Director Tanya Mirza creates a striking environment featuring imposing concrete structures, cool grey tones and theatrical shadows.

Carefully arranged books, a solitary staircase and a bare kitchen give the home a familiar yet unsettling atmosphere. These details reinforce the song’s exploration of mistrust and conflicting interpretations.

Kamal Khan on the Creative Vision

Kamal Khan, Executive Producer of Coke Studio Nu.WAV, said the song’s underlying tension attracted him from the beginning.

He explained that Talal Qureshi and Maanu had already started working together before Zoha joined the project. Her involvement introduced two distinct versions of the same story.

Khan also praised Fida Moin’s direction for balancing humour and strangeness with the uneasiness beneath the narrative. He highlighted Tanya Mirza’s visual design for making ordinary objects feel unfamiliar.

He said the creative team aimed to develop a visual world that felt specific to the song and its emotional character.

Maanu, Zoha Waseem and Talal Qureshi Bring Distinct Styles

Shabnam brings together three artists representing different strands of Pakistan’s contemporary music scene.

Maanu has built a presence across indie, pop and hip-hop over nearly a decade. His releases include Melancholic, Khwaab, Kidhar? and Sweetu.

His collaboration with Annural Khalid on Jhol, featured in Coke Studio Season 15, brought him wider recognition. His album Thikaana further expanded his work through collaborations with Asim Azhar and Talha Anjum.

Zoha Waseem combines classical and ghazal influences with contemporary pop. She first gained recognition through performances honouring Madam Noor Jehan at Alhamra in Lahore.

Her subsequent releases, including Majboor, introduced her to wider digital audiences. Her music brings traditional vocal techniques together with modern songwriting, synth-driven production and progressive pop influences.

Producer Talal Qureshi has played a significant role in Pakistan’s electronic and producer-led music movement for more than a decade. His work spans independent electronic music and mainstream pop.

His previous Coke Studio contributions include producing Peechay Hutt in Season 14. His wider catalogue also includes AAG, Cricket Khidaiye and the full-length project TURBO.

Production Credits and Digital Release

Kamal Khan serves as Executive Producer of Coke Studio Nu.WAV, while Talal Qureshi produced Shabnam and Maanu served as co-producer.

Maanu and Zoha Waseem wrote the song. Maanu composed it, while Maanu and Talal Qureshi handled the arrangement. Talal Qureshi mixed the track, Sean Tallman mastered it, and Shayaan Siddiqui served as Recording Engineer at Sounds Good Studios.

Fida Moin directed the music video, with Salaar Yousufzai as Director of Photography. Tanya Mirza led Production Design and Art Direction, while Faraz Sheikh and Team handled wardrobe design and styling.

Gali Films produced the video, with Iman Khan as Producer and Jamal Haroon and Zarmeen Ali as Associate Producers.

Shabnam is now available on Coke Studio’s official digital platforms.

The release is the fourth of six planned Coke Studio Nu.WAV tracks, following Dil, Rangeen and Maheya. Two more releases, each with its own musical and visual concept, are expected in the coming weeks.