![\"\"](\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Murtaza.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nSpotify continues to spotlight Pakistan\u2019s most compelling emerging voices through RADAR Pakistan, with Lahore-born Murtaza Qizilbash taking center stage as the platform\u2019s featured artist for Q2 2026. As one of the rising voices shaping Pakistan\u2019s evolving music landscape, Qizilbash represents a new wave of artists blending heritage with a distinctly modern sound.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis rapid rise is already resonating at scale, with listenership surging by over 130% and streams growing by 160% since the beginning of April, signaling a rapidly growing connection with audiences both in Pakistan and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rooted deeply in heritage, Qizilbash\u2019s artistry draws inspiration from the sounds, sights, and stories of Lahore \u2014 particularly his ancestral home, Mubarak Haveli. To bring this connection to life, Spotify features him in a mini-docuseries exploring how the city and its history continue to shape his creative expression.<\/p>\n
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Tracks like \u201cHum\u201d and \u201cBhool\u201d are gaining strong momentum, with streams increasing by 130% and over 80% respectively since the beginning of April. Adding to this momentum is his latest collaboration with Samar Jafri, \u201cHar Baar,\u201d currently charting at number 3 on Spotify\u2019s \u201cTop 50 – Pakistan\u201d. His music is also reaching listeners beyond borders, with top streaming markets including Bangladesh, the US, and the UK. Notably, more than 50% of his listeners are aged between 18\u201324, highlighting his strong resonance with Gen Z audiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cMurtaza\u2019s ability to blend Lahore\u2019s cultural influences, poetry and contemporary storytelling makes him one of the most exciting emerging voices in Pakistan today,\u201d said Rutaba Yaqub, Spotify\u2019s Artist & Label Partnerships Manager for Pakistan and the UAE. \u201cThrough RADAR Pakistan, we\u2019re proud to continue supporting artists who are shaping the future of music and culture in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking about his RADAR Pakistan journey, Murtaza Qizilbash shared: \u201cBeing selected as Spotify\u2019s RADAR Pakistan artist this quarter has been surreal. It\u2019s a huge milestone in my journey as an artist, and bringing these stories to life through the program has been an incredibly special experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Qizilbash\u2019s work stands out for its poetic depth and versatility, grounded in his love for the Urdu language and its timeless traditions. His tracks have been added to over 200K user-generated playlists and featured on key editorial playlists including \u201cHot Hits Pakistan\u201d and \u201cPakka Hit Hai.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through RADAR, Spotify continues to champion emerging talent by providing artists with a global platform for discovery and growth. Following in the footsteps of standout RADAR Pakistan alumni like Hasan Raheem, Shae Gill, and Samar Jafri, Murtaza Qizilbash represents the next wave of artists shaping the future of Pakistan\u2019s music scene.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Spotify continues to spotlight Pakistan\u2019s most compelling emerging voices through RADAR Pakistan, with Lahore-born Murtaza Qizilbash taking center stage as the platform\u2019s featured artist for Q2 2026. As one of the rising voices shaping Pakistan\u2019s evolving music landscape, Qizilbash represents a new wave of artists blending heritage with a distinctly modern sound. \u201cHis rapid rise is already resonating at scale, […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":442858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2579,2508],"tags":[],"adace-sponsor":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-442855","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"category-musician"},"wps_subtitle":"","img_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Murtaza-364x205.jpg",364,205,true],"medium":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Murtaza.jpg",1280,720,false],"full":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Murtaza.jpg",1280,720,false]},"author_name":"Sponsored","categories_name":["Music","Musician"],"title_text":"Murtaza Qizilbash Brings Lahore\u2019s Stories to the Forefront as Spotify RADAR Pakistan Artist for Q2 2026","related_stories":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts?filter&per_page=4&categories=2579,2508&exclude=442855","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=442855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/442858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=442855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=442855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=442855"},{"taxonomy":"adace-sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/adace-sponsor?post=442855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}