He went viral with his first video, intended to be distributed among friends but which turned out to engross a surprising number of people on YouTube alone. It was just a matter of time till Bilal would become one of the most talked about singer/songwriter of the country. 'Bachana' was just the beginning and it seemed Bilal had started off with the right notes – for he was bound to emerge with bigger, better music in a very short time. He was also recently awarded as Best Singer 2010 and Best song 2010 by a local radio station for his debut track.
Bilal soon started to attract a huge fan following, his songs kept playing on radio stations and his videos kept getting more and more hits, his laid back attitude reflected in the songs he wrote, 'Bachana' and 'Taqdeer' both were received extremely well especially by the younger lot. Many people even compared his songs success with that of Atif Aslam's Aadat. Some even called him a one hit wonder but Bilal Khan proved otherwise. More success however was following this lad around, just a year after his first official video release, Bilal got a call that every Pakistani musician wishes to receive. He had been selected to perform at the coke studio sessions. With such a huge platform with the best backing vocals, the best orchestra and the best music producer leading the way – Bilal got room to shine and we are all witnesses that this young singer really shone!
One surprising fact about 'To Kya Hua' is that this particular song is not the signature Bilal Khan track, it is very different from 'Bachana' and 'Taqdeer'. It does not speak about his days away from home, a new love or even life as he sees it; this track is about heartbreak – again something that people of all ages might be able to relate to the simple but addicting tunes Bilal plays on his guitar. His voice is earthy and so is his music, it doesn't give complex messages about life nor does it speak about the thriving sufi music scene so prevalent these days.
His performance is being called the best among all other in the first episode, it's fast getting viral and people are getting addicted to the simple tunes of Bilal's guitar. The session video for 'To Kya Hua' had had more than 200,000 views on YouTube alone, his interviews and reviews are being published in every blog and every magazine of the country. I sat down to chat with Bilal and we talked about life, his career
and everything in between.
With the music industry at a hiatus, many changes are taking place – a lot of them for the better, how was it possible for something as phenomenal as this famous studio to happen so suddenly to a rising star? Was he expecting it or was it all accidental?
"It came as a surprise to me. Just sitting one day I got a call from the Assistant Producer and he said, "Are you free for our upcoming season?". At first I thought it was a prank played by some friends but then it dawned on me that this was actually happening. Next thing I know I am on a plane to Karachi."
Even though this milestone was not planned for him, success and fame can do wonders for anyone, answering the question about whether all the attention had affected him somehow, Bilal said, "I still get asked the question "Aap famous ho kar bhool tou nae jaein gey" (You won't forget us after becoming famous?). So I suppose still not famous enough."
It might be his humble nature or the fact that it still hasn't sunk in yet that he has become a major music phenomenon; does his reply mean not many people recognize him on the streets yet?
"Well people were recognizing me when 'Bachana' came out. I suppose a lot more people would recognize me now but that's something which worried me because I've always love anonymity. I love to observe people quietly."
Success and fame are always followed by fans, although Bilal makes it a point to acknowledge all those who admire him and like his music, he interacts with fans on a regular basis through radio shows and on his ever growing face book page, keeping them abreast with everything new that is happening around his music. Some queer fan encounters are bound to happen with anyone in the limelight. Bilal avoided this particular question and told us a somewhat funny episode with some kids.
" Well I can tell you one Funny encounter where I was walking on the road and some kids passing by shout, "Bilal Khan is tarhaan streets par mat phirein koi kidnap karley ga" (Bilal Khan don't roam about the streets, someone might kidnap you!) And I shot back "bus aap naa karleyna baakee kher hai" (I hope you don't kidnap me, rest is all fine!) "
On a more serious note, the experience of working with Rohail Hayat was more fruitful than he had imagined.
"It's been exhilarating. I got to learn a lot from the musicians. I got to learn a lot about my music and I realized the setup provided to me was probably as professional as I would find anywhere around the world. Meeting Rohail Hayat and getting his views on this was amazing too. I was like a sponge around them, trying to absorb as much as I could."
'To Kya Hua' is a previously unreleased track from his upcoming album. A song that talks about heartbreak, something Bilal Khan fans are not used to listening from this talented singer. This is the only song however that is not from Bilal's experience.
"'To Kya Hua' is a sort of a heartbreak song but more like I don't care if you leave me song. It's not one of the conventional parting songs you hear. It comes from relating to the experience of people around you, heartbreak is everywhere around, you see it among your friends. The message is simple, good for you that you moved on and I'll move on as well".
Bilal has not stopped yet, there is still a long way to go and he has started looking ahead to even better prospects, teasers from his sessions with Zoe Viccagi and 'Strings' for a famous clothing brand have made their way on the internet, the future seems promising for this talented singer who found his way to stardom through a few sessions with his guitar gone viral over the internet. Bilal has the looks, the talent and his feet firmly on the ground even after achieving in a very short time, what most people fail to in their whole lives. More milestones, more surprises by this young musician are inevitable, it's just a matter of time for him to grow into one of the most famous musicians of the country!
Bilal soon started to attract a huge fan following, his songs kept playing on radio stations and his videos kept getting more and more hits, his laid back attitude reflected in the songs he wrote, 'Bachana' and 'Taqdeer' both were received extremely well especially by the younger lot. Many people even compared his songs success with that of Atif Aslam's Aadat. Some even called him a one hit wonder but Bilal Khan proved otherwise. More success however was following this lad around, just a year after his first official video release, Bilal got a call that every Pakistani musician wishes to receive. He had been selected to perform at the coke studio sessions. With such a huge platform with the best backing vocals, the best orchestra and the best music producer leading the way – Bilal got room to shine and we are all witnesses that this young singer really shone!One surprising fact about 'To Kya Hua' is that this particular song is not the signature Bilal Khan track, it is very different from 'Bachana' and 'Taqdeer'. It does not speak about his days away from home, a new love or even life as he sees it; this track is about heartbreak – again something that people of all ages might be able to relate to the simple but addicting tunes Bilal plays on his guitar. His voice is earthy and so is his music, it doesn't give complex messages about life nor does it speak about the thriving sufi music scene so prevalent these days.
His performance is being called the best among all other in the first episode, it's fast getting viral and people are getting addicted to the simple tunes of Bilal's guitar. The session video for 'To Kya Hua' had had more than 200,000 views on YouTube alone, his interviews and reviews are being published in every blog and every magazine of the country. I sat down to chat with Bilal and we talked about life, his career
and everything in between. With the music industry at a hiatus, many changes are taking place – a lot of them for the better, how was it possible for something as phenomenal as this famous studio to happen so suddenly to a rising star? Was he expecting it or was it all accidental?
"It came as a surprise to me. Just sitting one day I got a call from the Assistant Producer and he said, "Are you free for our upcoming season?". At first I thought it was a prank played by some friends but then it dawned on me that this was actually happening. Next thing I know I am on a plane to Karachi."
Even though this milestone was not planned for him, success and fame can do wonders for anyone, answering the question about whether all the attention had affected him somehow, Bilal said, "I still get asked the question "Aap famous ho kar bhool tou nae jaein gey" (You won't forget us after becoming famous?). So I suppose still not famous enough."
It might be his humble nature or the fact that it still hasn't sunk in yet that he has become a major music phenomenon; does his reply mean not many people recognize him on the streets yet?
"Well people were recognizing me when 'Bachana' came out. I suppose a lot more people would recognize me now but that's something which worried me because I've always love anonymity. I love to observe people quietly."
Success and fame are always followed by fans, although Bilal makes it a point to acknowledge all those who admire him and like his music, he interacts with fans on a regular basis through radio shows and on his ever growing face book page, keeping them abreast with everything new that is happening around his music. Some queer fan encounters are bound to happen with anyone in the limelight. Bilal avoided this particular question and told us a somewhat funny episode with some kids.
" Well I can tell you one Funny encounter where I was walking on the road and some kids passing by shout, "Bilal Khan is tarhaan streets par mat phirein koi kidnap karley ga" (Bilal Khan don't roam about the streets, someone might kidnap you!) And I shot back "bus aap naa karleyna baakee kher hai" (I hope you don't kidnap me, rest is all fine!) "
On a more serious note, the experience of working with Rohail Hayat was more fruitful than he had imagined.
"It's been exhilarating. I got to learn a lot from the musicians. I got to learn a lot about my music and I realized the setup provided to me was probably as professional as I would find anywhere around the world. Meeting Rohail Hayat and getting his views on this was amazing too. I was like a sponge around them, trying to absorb as much as I could."
'To Kya Hua' is a previously unreleased track from his upcoming album. A song that talks about heartbreak, something Bilal Khan fans are not used to listening from this talented singer. This is the only song however that is not from Bilal's experience."'To Kya Hua' is a sort of a heartbreak song but more like I don't care if you leave me song. It's not one of the conventional parting songs you hear. It comes from relating to the experience of people around you, heartbreak is everywhere around, you see it among your friends. The message is simple, good for you that you moved on and I'll move on as well".
Bilal has not stopped yet, there is still a long way to go and he has started looking ahead to even better prospects, teasers from his sessions with Zoe Viccagi and 'Strings' for a famous clothing brand have made their way on the internet, the future seems promising for this talented singer who found his way to stardom through a few sessions with his guitar gone viral over the internet. Bilal has the looks, the talent and his feet firmly on the ground even after achieving in a very short time, what most people fail to in their whole lives. More milestones, more surprises by this young musician are inevitable, it's just a matter of time for him to grow into one of the most famous musicians of the country!
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