Ali Haider is all set to return with new album ‘Tum Hi Tou Ho’

The Chand Sa Mukhra crooner, whose last big release was Bachpan Ki Badami Yadein, is set to churn out a brand-new album titled Tum Hi Tou Ho, as per an announcement made on social media on Tuesday. After sharing a teaser for the song Tum Hi Tou Ho on June 4, Haider revealed days later that he is releasing six songs. And the teaser for his title track sees Anoushey Abbasi alongside the now veteran singer looking as fresh as ever.

But before we get to hear him sing again, Haider, in his latest interview with the outlet, has opened up about his thoughts on music today and what he makes of the changed times, provided he has been detached from the Pakistani music circuit. The singer, who moved to Houston, Texas for his daughters’ education and kept himself busy hosting a drive time show at a radio station, did not keep his distance from music and even released a song titled Larallallala Lulu in February.

His last commercial gig was in 2015 Coke Studio, where he rendered Jia Kare Dhak Dhak from his album 1993 album Sandaisa, which became quite popular. And now, while reinstating that he has not given up on his passion, Haider has lauded everything that has come out of Pakistan over the years, along with sharing some grievances.

“Something good has been happening in the Pakistani music in every era,” he said while expressing his gratitude to have witnessed it all. “There was a time when people were obsessed with pop duo Nazia and Zohaib Hassan, then there came the era of Vital Signs and Junoon. Moving forward, we witnessed people going gaga over Ali Zafar and Atif Aslam. And today, we have these new artists garnering world-wide recognition from Coke Studio. Everyone loves them. If you put aside the nitty-gritties, Pakistani music has always made its mark.”

But when asked why we no longer get to hear songs like Purani Jeans, Haider aired the reservations he had about music making today. “That was a different time. Now the style of music has changed and so have listeners’ preferences. Back in the day, artists laid emphasis on making everlasting melodies. A lot of work went into making songs that would be remembered forever. Now, the focus is on making music that is instantly popular. The songs are shorter and their impact is short-lived.”

The artist, whose 1989 album Chahat featuring his cult classic Purani Jeans garnered him immense fame, also spoke against the massive commercialisation of music in Pakistan today, by suggesting that “People are looking for conveniences.” He opined, “It’s like people don’t want to work hard on new songs anymore. They either pick up a folk tune, remix a famous song or pick up somebody else’s song and starts working with it, that’s why after four to six months, no one remembers those tracks.”

Haider also shared that back in the day, fans would have posters of him around their house because a lot of work also went into making artists larger than life. “Artists were also cover boys. We made music and videos that had a slow burn effect. We didn’t go viral but our work was remembered.”

Haider’s Larallallala Lulu presents a similar understanding of his take on fame today. The music video for the track has its fair share of unapologetic boomer moments, a ‘pawri’ reference, the audacity to call itself ‘kacha pakka (half-baked)’, and embodies the dreams of today’s wannabes and has-beens. It is a quirky manifestation of everything it takes a dig at. And in a way, Larallallala Lulu is also a manifestation of Haider’s apparent drive to rebrand himself, yet again. But now, with his latest announcement, it appears the song foreshadowed what is to come.

The singer has also revealed that he was recently approached for a local remake – of sorts – of the popular Indian reality show Big Boss. And while he has acted before with projects like Chalo Ishq Laraen under his belt, he believes in performing on stage. “It’s always better to do a music tour than to perform on screen,” shared Haider, who would much rather feel the adrenaline of serenading to a crowd and receiving instant feedback than giving retakes in front of a camera.