‘They are killing individuality’: Pak singer Bilal Maqsood says Coke Studio is making South Asian music sound the same

Pakistani singer and musician Bilal Maqsood has criticised Coke Studio for imposing a uniform musical identity across South Asia, saying the franchise is eroding the individuality of different countries’ music traditions, The Current reports.

Speaking on a recent podcast, Maqsood said the Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi editions of the music platform follow similar patterns, raising concerns about how commercial investment is shaping regional music.

“Coke Studio Pakistan, you see Coke Studio India, you see Coke Studio Bangladesh, all follow the same pattern,” he said.

Maqsood pointed to the opening songs of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi editions as examples, noting that the former featured Sindhi rallis, traditional patchwork quilts, while the latter featured saris.

Agreeing with the interviewer’s suggestion that the approach amounts to standardising creativity, Maqsood said decisions were increasingly being driven by forces outside the countries themselves.

“They are killing individuality,” he said.

Maqsood argued that Coke Studio Pakistan once had a distinctive musical identity, regardless of whether its sound was described as folk fusion or something else. He expressed concern that the platform was now contributing to a homogenised sound across the region rather than preserving the differences between its musical traditions.

Commercial investment and creative pressure

Maqsood also questioned the role of large-scale corporate investment in shaping music production, arguing that substantial financial commitments could create pressure to maintain a particular format.

He said the company behind the platform had the resources to invest millions of dollars, but such spending also created a continuing need for financial support.

“When you invest that much money, understand that it’s put on a ventilator. It constantly requires money,” he said.

His comments highlight the tension between commercial investment in music production and the creative freedom needed to preserve distinctive cultural and musical identities.

Maqsood’s history with Coke Studio

Maqsood co-founded the Pakistani pop-rock band Strings in 1988 with classmates at the Government College of Commerce and Economics in Karachi. He composed music and played guitar, while his father, writer Anwar Maqsood, wrote the band’s lyrics. Faisal Kapadia served as its lead vocalist.

Strings entered the Bollywood music scene in 2006 with “Yeh Hai Meri Kahani”, featured in the film Zinda.

Maqsood and Kapadia later produced and directed Coke Studio Pakistan for its seventh through tenth seasons, from 2014 to 2017. They announced in 2017 that the tenth season would be their last.

In 2020, Maqsood became the director and executive producer of the first season of Velo Sound Station, another Pakistani music platform.

Strings disbanded in 2021 after more than three decades together. Maqsood launched his solo career the following year, releasing his debut single, “Naya Naya”, in May 2022, alongside his album Urdu Nursery Rhymes.