There’s a certain style which embodies Natasha Humera Ejaz’s music — whether she’s producing for others or for herself. I’ve been seeing her make her way through the music scene in Pakistan ever since she was featured on the televised music show, Uth Records, in 2011.

Helmed by producer-musicians Omran ‘Momo’ Shafique and Louis ‘Gumby’ J. Pinto, Uth Records focused on finding promising new talent around the country and producing one single by them as a way to introduce them to the world. The show gave us gems such as Yasir and Jawad, Usman Riaz, Jumbo Jutt and debuted the talents of Sara Haider as well.

Natasha’s single, The Right Way To Fall, had a wispy, whimsical air to it. Her vocals lent a soft and sweet air to the song which, despite being produced by a group of men, still had a very strong feminine vibe to it.

And now, Islamabad-based singer, songwriter, producer and dancer Natasha Humera Ejaz has released her exuberant, fun single Khud Se Baatein on various streaming platforms online, including both Spotify and YouTube. The song has also been playing very frequently on the radio as well.

Khud Se Baatein is a light-hearted take on self-acceptance, in which Natasha also shows off her dancing prowess

It’s been 12 years since The Right Way To Fall came out, and the artist has come a long way since then — producing soundtracks, collaborating with other artists both in Pakistan and abroad, working and releasing her own music as an independent artist etc — but her music still carries that soft, whimsical feel to it that we saw in her first-ever release.

Natasha had performed Khud Se Baatein in the recently held EDM concert in Islamabad as well, which was headlined by Krewella. She wore the same pink and white suit she can be seen sporting in the song’s colourful, retro-pop, loud 1980s’ vibe video. She also showed off her dancing skills on stage, which was fun to watch. But you really get a sense of how skilled she is as a dancer and the joy with which she moves in the Khud Se Baatein music video.

The roughly three-minute-and-32-seconds bilingual track starts off with the chorus, which the singer sings coyly in a whisper. She is supported by backing vocal tracks that give the chorus a richer vocal sound. It’s a fun number that unapologetically accepts and celebrates the musician’s own quirks. And also that perhaps some of her issues are created by herself, for herself. But it’s also this level of self-awareness and acceptance that makes this an endearing listen.

The easily hummable chorus goes: “Khud se baatein karti hoon/ Aur khud se larr leyti hoon/ Khud hi ko manana kaisa/ Apnay ko samjhana kaisa/ Aankhein nam hain/ Neendain kam hain/ Bhaari hain woh yaadain saari/ Main haari

[I talk to myself/ And fight with myself/ How do I make up with myself?/ How do I clarify to myself?/ My eyes are moist/ I’m not getting enough sleep/ Memories weigh heavily on me/ I give up]

Khud Se Baatein was getting a lot of airplay on the radio at the time of writing this article. It provides a nice break and vibe from the currently male-dominated electro-pop scene in Pakistan. Here’s hoping this is the first of many new releases that we’ll be seeing by this singer-producer this year.

Published in Dawn, ICON, February 5th, 2023