Hassan & Roshaan Make a Striking Debut and Secure Their Place

The duo has released a second album, appeared in Ms Marvel, attracted a global audience, and their hit song “Sukoon,” featuring Shae Gill, has surpassed 11 million streams on Spotify. While trending statistics may not inherently indicate competence, in the era of streaming, they undeniably empower and motivate artists to accomplish more. Furthermore, most contemporary bedroom popstars begin their journeys with minimal external support, transcending the allure of fame and glamour.

“In the US, where there is an established music industry, when a label signs an artist, they start with an investment of half a million dollars. In Pakistan, for the longest time, there was no label. We had to spend from our own pockets. And I feel that if streaming hadn’t made its way here, Hassan & Roshaan might not have existed,” Hassan shared in a conversation with The Express Tribune.

The singer, whose voice draws comparisons to Atif Aslam’s while channeling the soul of AR Rehman, elaborates on how streaming has provided “a degree of financial stability” for both him and Roshaan. He explains that this financial support enables artists to persist in their musical pursuits. By the age of 25, if one isn’t generating income from their passion, their family may step in, and the only way to continue pursuing their artistic ambitions is by demonstrating “THIS is what I’m earning.”