An upbeat beginning

Optimistic pop songs to infuse you with faith for the year ahead

The coming of the new year marks new beginnings for everyone, whether you’re looking forward to turning your life around drastically or have resolved to do the same things differently. January offers you a clean slate, an opportunity to pursue what you’ve been putting off.

With that in mind, it’s crucial to have some moral support. But your loved ones might not always be the source of strength you’re looking for. In those solitary moments, let music be the fuel to your determination. After all, with the right playlist buzzing through your ears, there’s hardly anything you won’t be able to accomplish. Here are six Pakistani pop tracks to render an optimistic outlook for the year ahead.

‘Mera Bichraa Yaar’

This timeless track by Strings is the oar you need to row through the doubts that come with maintaining a new year’s resolution. Making a promise to yourself can be daunting, especially when you’re aware of how far your discipline runs. But there’s honesty in that promise – a drive towards change that is worth the storms that threaten to plunge you underwater.

Mera Bichraa Yaar is your reminder that hope gleams brighter when you’re not in the clear yet. It is in pursuit of a worthy endeavour that you find something worth latching onto. This track is hence infused with a sense of gratitude and readiness to take on what comes next. So don’t shy away from the challenges, brave them with a smile.

‘Dum Dee Dee Dum’

Positivity might not always be the cure but it sure lights up the journey. Besides, when you’re feeling down, it’s preferable to listen to a track that emanates warmth than an individual who gives you the false hope that everything is going to be okay. And what better contender than a prominent childhood song?

Count on Nazia Hassan to give you a boost of nostalgia when you need it best. Even her love songs bring a touch of inspiration that pumps you up for the day ahead, so why not let this track be your year-long companion too? With an upbeat melody to raise your spirits, this song is the sanguine guide you need to filter out the thoughts that may weigh you down.

‘Albela Rahi’

Good vibes become inevitable when you put on a song by Alamgir, so it only makes sense to carry one into 2025. This track is a celebration of a love-filled life from the perspective of a man who views the world with rose-tinted glasses. What can be a better aid through mental hardships?

As Albela Rahi insistently suggests, it is important to understand that ultimately every human soul is striving for love. For our wandering narrator, there is no home, only an abundance of adventures and a wealth of love to be dispensed generously. While the lyrics admit that sorrow is greater than joy, it also reminds its listeners that nothing lasts forever, hence each breath should be cherished. Isn’t that what every New Year’s resolution boils down to? Let this song be your nudge to take every day as a step forward, even if you succumb to failure once in a while, as you hike towards your goals.

‘Kaho Aaj Bol Do’

This might seem like a wild-card entry from a film tackling spine-chilling social issues. However, the thing about hope is that it often blooms during the roughest of periods. Such is the essence of the human struggle. At the start of the year, it’s easy to imagine the obstacles that lie ahead, but allow Atif Aslam and Hadiqa Kiani’s melodic duet to douse the fire of your fears.

This song urges you to take the risky leap that has been tempting you for a long time now. Maybe your brain is right and the next steps aren’t going to be easy, but you won’t find out unless you swallow this paralysing fright and listen to your heart for once. Regrets are inevitable either way, but at least taking a stand for yourself means a step forward. You have a long year ahead of you.

‘Aitebar’