Coca-Cola’s feat: ‘Pasoori’ becomes first Pakistani song crossing 1bn views on YouTube

ISLAMABAD: Pasoori has become the first song produced in Pakistan to cross one billion views on YouTube, a landmark moment for Coca-Cola Pakistan, Coke Studio and Pakistani music. Released as part of Coke Studio Season 14 in 2022, Pasoori began with everything that made it distinctly ours: Ali Sethi and Shae Gill, Punjabi and Urdu, traditional sounds colliding with contemporary production, and a visual language deeply rooted in South Asia. Pasoori came together through a collaboration of some of Pakistan’s most distinctive creative voices. Curated and produced by Xulfi, the song was built around a narrative by Ali Sethi, who co-wrote it with Fazal Abbas and co-composed it with Xulfi. Abdullah Siddiqui and Sherry Khattak shaped its musical arrangement, with Siddiqui and Xulfi leading production. That same meeting of tradition and contemporary expression carried into the film. Directed by Kamal Khan, with cinematography by Ahsan Raza and production design and art direction by Hashim Ali, the portraiture-led visual brought together figures including SheemaKirmani and Seraiki jhoomar-style dancers, creating a world that felt as layered and unexpected as the song itself. Then the world found it. Covers. Choreography. Fan art. Reels. Remixes. Millions of shares across countries and cultures. Pasoori became the first Pakistani song to top Spotify’s Global Viral chart and entered its Global Top Songs chart. In 2022, Pasoori ranked as the second most-searched track in Google’s global Year in Search list for “Songs” and took the #1 spot in “Hum to Search: Top Songs. ” Today, Pasoori remains the most-watched video on the Coke Studio Pakistan YouTube channel, which has nearly 18 million subscribers. The track has also generated over two million user-generated videos on YouTube Shorts. The official music video has been viewed in over 60 countries, with 90% of its views coming from international listeners. People did not always know every word; all they had to hear is: “Agglavaanmajboori nu. .. ”_ The longing, the conflict and the feeling translated. And perhaps that is what makes this billion matter. Pasoori never had to become less Pakistani to become more global. It didn’t dilute its language or smooth away the things that made it culturally specific. It travelled with all of them intact. In fact, that specificity became its strength. “Pasoori reaching one billion views on YouTube is a landmark moment for Coke Studio and for Pakistani music. For nearly two decades, Coke Studio has carried Pakistan’s music, languages and stories to audiences across more than 180 countries, and Pasoori shows what can happen when a song remains deeply rooted in its identity while connecting across borders. Four years on, audiences around the world continue to discover and return to it. For us, this milestone reflects what Coke Studio has always stood for: creating space for Pakistani artists and ideas to travel globally, and showing the scale at which our culture can resonate. ”_ says Sami Wahid, General Manager, Pakistan and Afghanistan Region, The Coca-Cola Company. That journey continues with Coke Studio Nu. WAV, creating new space for emerging artists and creative voices to experiment, collaborate and find audiences of their own. But today belongs to Pasoori, as it continues to be discovered, shared and replayed by audiences around the world. A song born in Pakistan. Sung back to us by the world. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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