Hadiqa Kiani, Pakistan’s most prolific music icon, becomes EQUAL Pakistan’s Ambassador of the Month

Karachi, May 25, 2022: As EQUAL Pakistan continues to highlight a mix of iconic and emerging musical talents from the country, Spotify announces its third Ambassador of the month. The brand continues to celebrate women and their achievements in the field of music with Hadiqa Kiani as the face for EQUAL Pakistan for May. Hadiqa, one of Pakistan’s most loved voices for more than 2 decades, appeared yesterday on a digital billboard at Times Square NYC following Arooj Aftab and Mehak Ali, the previous Ambassadors for EQUAL Pakistan.

Hadiqa Kiana is amongst the most notable singers and composers that Pakistan has produced. Currently on tour, Hadiqa is a trailblazer who deserves a place at the helm. In line with a tradition of being given the spotlight for the world to witness their grandeur, Hadiqa Kiani being EQUAL Pakistan’s Ambassador of the month, marked the special occasion with her song titled ‘Yaad’, coming from her recent album VASL, being featured on EQUAL Global playlist, for millions of listeners to enjoy. In addition, Hadiqa  is on the cover of EQUAL Pakistan. 

“Hadiqa Kiani’s versatility knows no bounds. Being a trendsetter for Pakistani women over the past two and a half decades, she has conquered all, shattering every glass ceiling along the way. Hadiqa remains an icon and an inspiration that artists, especially Pakistani women look up to,” highlighted Rutaba Yaqub, Spotify’s Music Manager for Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 

“We are elated to have her as the EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador for the Month where she will act as the torch bearer, leading the way for not just female artists but the community in general to pursue their dreams.”

The EQUAL Pakistan program includes: 

• EQUAL Pakistan playlist:Pakistan women artists are showcased at full volume on the country’s go-to playlist for discovering and supporting these talented creators. The playlist features diverse women voices, including Zeb Bangash, RFB, Natasha Noorani and Sameen Qasim
• EQUAL Destination: Spotify listeners can enjoy listening to some of the most talented women artists from the country via playlists such as EQUAL Pakistan, Top Local Female artists in Pakistan 2021,  Women of Coke Studio, This is Abida Parveen, and This is Noor Jehan on the EQUAL Destination.
• EQUAL Global Playlist: Featuring EQUAL Ambassadors and women artists from around the world, this playlist will serve as the ultimate listening experience, amplifying the EQUAL class of each month.
• Artist marketing: Each EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador of the Month will receive organic and on-platform promotion across Spotify’s editorial spaces. This model has proven effective in propelling significant growth on the platform in both the artists’ home countries and beyond. Each EQUAL Ambassador gets a billboard placement in the middle of Times Square in New York. 

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Karachi, May 25, 2022 – Recognizing that fans are the driving force behind the growth of music, Spotify expands the Spotify Charts experience to Pakistan, a distinct offering that is powered by listeners themselves. Serving as a prudent way to highlight how fans are connecting with the music they love; Spotify Charts provides a ranking for where the interest lies. It is an opportunity to celebrate the music and the artists that are touching Pakistani fans across the country.

Spotify Charts is a website (charts.spotify.com) that includes a logged-in experience for viewing artists, songs, and album chart performances. With access to:

• Daily Top Song Charts – updates daily
• Daily Top Artist Charts – updates daily
• Daily Viral Charts – updates daily
• Weekly Top Song Charts – updates weekly Friday morning
• Weekly Top Artist Charts – updates weekly Friday morning
• Weekly Top Album Charts – updates weekly Friday morning

With a clear denomination of total streams for listeners and their favourite songs, artists, and albums, Spotify Charts lets you see what is moving fans week after week.

Commenting on the launch of Spotify Charts in Pakistan, Claudius Boller, Managing Director for the region at Spotify, said, “Spotify is a platform that strives continuously to work on deepening the connection between artists and fans. With Spotify Charts, we are acknowledging and celebrating the role that fans have in an artist’s journey. These Charts are made by fans as they are the ones who open doors of possibilities for artists.” 

Ali Sethi, whose song “Pasoori” featuring Shae Gill has been in the top 5 on Spotify’s Viral 50 Global chart, expressed his excitement over Spotify Charts coming to Pakistan. “We envisioned Pasoori as a celebration of hybridity and inclusion and we’re blown away by how it has been received around the world. We wanted to make musical connections between the hand-claps of qawwali and flamenco, between raga and pop, between the message of ancient mysticism and modern-day movements for equality and representation. I think Pasoori achieved all that and then some. I’m so proud that Pasoori is Pakistan’s first song to top Spotify’s Viral 50 chart. It proves music is a universal language. I want to congratulate the wonderful people who helped make Pasoori — Shae, Abdullah, Xulfi, Kamal, Hashim and their teams. And congratulations also to Spotify charts for finally landing in Pakistan! Here’s to many more breakthroughs.”

Starting from today, Spotify Charts is available in Pakistan. Head over to charts.spotify.com to see who is rocking the charts.

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