Ali Sethi
Velvety Urdu vocals meeting minimalist electronic pulses. A bridge between ancient Sufi mysticism and modern late-night pop. Intimate, elegant, and deeply soulful.
Velvety Urdu vocals meeting minimalist electronic pulses. A bridge between ancient Sufi mysticism and modern late-night pop. Intimate, elegant, and deeply soulful.
Ali Sethi creates a sound that feels like a secret whispered in a crowded room. His music is a lush, sophisticated intersection of Hindustani classical tradition and contemporary global production. It is defined by a deep, resonant vocal quality that carries the weight of centuries-old poetry while floating over arrangements that might include anything from a jazz piano to a subtle, glitchy drum machine. The result is an atmosphere that is both regal and deeply vulnerable.
What truly distinguishes Sethi is his ability to modernize the ghazal and folk forms without stripping them of their soul. He treats traditional metaphors as living, breathing technologies of the heart, using them to explore modern identity and desire. His collaborations often lean into a 'less is more' aesthetic, where the space between the notes is just as important as the melodies themselves, creating a sense of timelessness that appeals to both purists and indie-pop fans.
Start with 'Pasoori' for a taste of his global pop sensibility, but dive into 'Chandni Raat' to understand his true power as a balladeer. His 2023 album 'Intiha' is the perfect entry point for those who love the intersection of traditional South Asian scales and experimental electronic textures.
Ali Aziz Sethi (Urdu/Punjabi: علی عزیز سیٹھی; pronounced [əˈliː ˈseːʈʰiː]; born July 2, 1984) is a Pakistani-American singer, songwriter, composer, and author. Born to journalists and politicians Najam Sethi and Jugnu Mohsin, Sethi rose to prominence with his debut novel, The Wish Maker (2009). Although Sethi received some musical training as a child, he did not begin to formally train in Hindustani classical music until after graduating from college. He trained under the tutelage of Ustad Naseeruddin Saami (widely considered a master of both the qawwali and khyal forms of singing) as well as under noted ghazal and classical singer Farida Khanum. In 2012, Sethi began focusing on his musical career and made his film debut as a singer in Mira Nair's 2012 film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, with the song "Dil Jalaane Ki Baat Karte Ho." He followed this up with numerous independent covers of popular ghazals as well as traditional Punjabi folk songs. In 2015, Sethi made his debut on Coke Studio Pakistan with the well-known Punjabi folk song "Umraan Langiyaan" for which he received significant praise, quickly establishing himself as a millennial practitioner of traditional folk and classical music. Sethi has since appeared on several seasons of Coke Studio where he has performed covers as well as original music. His most recent single for Coke Studio – "Pasoori" (2022) – became the first Pakistani song to feature on Spotify's "Viral 50 - Global" chart, eventually climbing to the top of the chart in May 2022. With over one billion views on YouTube Music as of January 2025, "Pasoori" is currently the most watched Coke Studio music video of all time and the first Coke Studio song to reach this milestone. Sethi is particularly associated with the ghazal format of singing and is often hailed for attempting to revive the ancient art form by experimenting with it and repositioning it as a young person's genre. He collaborates frequently with Grammy-winning music producer Noah Georgeson and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Harvard University, Brown University, Georgetown University, and the Royal Geographical Society among others. Sethi is noted for his ability to blend Hindustani classical ragas with contemporary Western arrangements and for his flair for lending new-age contours to older melodies. In his live performances, he often combines his songs with historical and cultural context, critical commentary, and etymological roots of Urdu words. In September 2022, Sethi was included in Time magazine's Time 100 Next list and was recognized for his ability to use ancient classical ragas "to challenge and expand notions of gender, sexuality, and belonging." In September 2023, the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia at Brown University announced that Sethi would serve as its first Artist in Residence as a visiting scholar. According to data released by Spotify in 2022 and 2023, Sethi is among the most streamed Pakistani artists in the world.
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