Shae Gill, Afusic Release Qasam on Coke Studio
Shae Gill and Afusic have joined voices for Qasam, the fifth release from Coke Studio Nu.WAV, a track that follows a relationship caught between love, hurt and doubt. The song pairs electronic production with the traditional sound of the sarangi, and its video tells the story through movement rather than words alone.
Qasam is an experimental pop track. It was produced and directed by Abdullah Kasumbi, with the sarangi played by Gul Khan. Afusic wrote the song, which explores the strain of holding on to a relationship when emotional distance grows and separation starts to feel possible.
Shae Gill Afusic Qasam pairs two distinct voices
The pairing gives both singers room to sound different from their usual work. Afusic keeps his familiar rhythmic delivery, while Shae Gill tries a vocal style that audiences have heard less often from her. The contrast between their voices adds to the emotional pull of the song, as the two parts answer each other across the track.
The video takes a movement-led path. Choreographer Shams Mansur built sequences in which dancers stay linked by invisible strings, drawing closer and moving apart. Other sequences use movements that recall stitches, a picture of a bond that keeps breaking and coming together again.
The video was shot at the Bristol Hotel in Karachi, a building more than a century old. Its ageing interiors, chandeliers and worn surfaces set the visual mood. Production designer Hammad Sohail added fading flowers and an untouched banquet table to the setting, images of a celebration left behind.
One image runs through the video. A moth drawn to a flame recalls the Sufi picture of shama and parwana, the candle and the moth. The image fits the song, which turns on attraction and the risks that come with it.
Where Qasam sits in the Nu.WAV series
Coke Studio Nu.WAV executive producer Kamal Khan said the song and video grew together under Kasumbi’s direction, so the music, choreography and visuals form one world. That shared approach shows in the finished piece, where the dance does not simply decorate the song but carries part of its meaning.
Qasam is the fifth of six releases from Coke Studio Nu.WAV. It follows Dil, Rangeen, Maheya and Shabnam, with one release still to come. The series has used each new track to give a different artist pairing its own sound, and Qasam keeps that pattern while leaning further into pop experiment than the earlier releases.
For Shae Gill, the release follows her breakthrough with Pasoori, her Punjabi-Urdu duet with Ali Sethi on Coke Studio season 14, a song that brought her listeners around the world. She began her career in 2019 as a cover artist on Instagram, posting cover songs before her rise. Afusic returns to the platform after appearing on its opening track, Dil. His song Pal Pal gained international notice, reaching the UK Official Asian Music Chart and Canada’s Hot 100.
What happens next
With one Nu.WAV release still to come, Qasam leaves the series close to its close. Listeners will watch whether the final track returns to the softer sounds of the early releases or pushes further in the direction Qasam has set. For now, the new track gives both singers a shared moment, and it gives the series a song built on tension, closeness and the space between the two.
What is Qasam?
Qasam is an experimental pop track by Shae Gill and Afusic, the fifth release from Coke Studio Nu.WAV. It explores a relationship caught between love, hurt and uncertainty.
Who made Qasam?
Afusic wrote the song, Abdullah Kasumbi produced and directed it, Gul Khan played the sarangi, Shams Mansur handled the choreography and Hammad Sohail designed the production.
Where was the Qasam video shot?
The video was shot at the Bristol Hotel in Karachi, a building more than a century old, using its ageing interiors, chandeliers and worn surfaces.
Which releases came before Qasam on Nu.WAV?
Qasam is the fifth of six releases, following Dil, Rangeen, Maheya and Shabnam. Afusic also appeared on the opening track, Dil.
How did Shae Gill first become known?
Shae Gill rose to prominence with Pasoori, her Punjabi-Urdu duet with Ali Sethi on Coke Studio season 14, after starting as a cover artist on Instagram in 2019.
