Ali Sethi’s ‘Love Like That’ by Jonita is a Mix of Pop and Raga Sounds

Jonita Gandhi and Ali Sethi creatively merge their distinctive musical styles in the narrative of ‘Love Like That.’ Renowned for her multilingual talent, Jonita effortlessly handled Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Malayalam since her 2013 debut with Chennai Express. Meanwhile, Sethi, celebrated for his 2022 Coke Studio hit “Pasoori” with Shae Gill, stands as a strong contender for Pakistan’s notable cultural export in recent years.

Sethi’s reintroduction of Hindustani classical and Qawwali styles of music with a dash of current pop trends has created a wide fanbase in Pakistan’s music scene. As a duo, Sethi and Jonita’s track released on January 12 is the latest cross-border musical collaboration but where does it stand in the longer history of India-Pakistan joint music ventures?

The Plot of the Song

Starting directly from the chorus, Jonita introduces the song with the catchy line “Wanna love like that,” showcasing a clear influence of contemporary American pop music through repetitive “that, that, that” and programmed clap beats. The dynamic shift occurs when Sethi’s raga-inspired vocals take the spotlight.

Despite no changes in the key of the song, Sethi is able to introduce a very different melody that entirely stems from the D# major. The Pasoori singer’s approach to the notes and transitions between them is what shifts the aesthetic of the song, resulting in a compelling fusion of American pop and Indian classical.

The second chorus disrupts the flow abruptly, and the transition from the smooth shift between pop chorus and classical verse takes a hit. Sethi’s vocals come to an unexpected halt for another “Wanna Love Like That,” diminishing the precision and sophistication Jonita and Sethi aimed to establish. A smoother transition and instrumental variation could have enhanced the song’s emotional honesty as a collaborative effort, avoiding a segmented, fan-made mashup feel found on platforms like YouTube. The second verse provides a different section but falls short of delivering a sonic treat.

The Beauty of Punjabi Lyrics in the Song

The introduction of Punjabi lyrics from Jonita and a transition in vocal styles does take the song in a new direction of sorts but the entire package—as the variations blend with the instrumental choices—plays a little too much along the lines of commercial Bollywood music, a dressing one might wish to resist in a cross-cultural piece.

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