FLWL – From Lahore With Love

If Pakistani music right now feels louder, bolder, and more fearless than ever — that’s because it is. We’re living in a moment where genre lines are blurring, artists are speaking back to power, and pop isn’t afraid to be political or fun. Enter ‘Paisa Bolay,’ the electric new single by Meesha Shafi and Talhah Yunus, that droped this month, on January 23,  and honestly, it sounds like the scene flexing its full range.

This isn’t just a collaboration; it’s a collision. Genre-bending pop meets razor-sharp hip hop, wrapped in disco nostalgia and modern swagger. Built on an infectious beat that nods to 1970s Bollywood disco but feels fully 2026, Paisa Bolay pairs Meesha’s commanding Punjabi delivery with Talhah Yunus’s unmistakable Urdu bars. The result? A track that makes you want to dance, and then pause and think.

At its core, Paisa Bolay is social commentary in a glittering club outfit. It takes a hard look at unchecked capitalism, money, power, and excess — but delivers the message with humour, groove, and a wink rather than a lecture. Think satire you can move to. Protest music with a bassline. And the visuals? Equally extra. The upcoming music video (out next week) ditches traditional storytelling for pure spectacle…a series of opulent, flashy, high-style moments that amplify the song’s themes of money, influence, and bravado. It’s exaggerated by design, leaning fully into the idea that when money talks, it shouts.

For Meesha Shafi, this marks a return to vibrant pop energy after the more introspective, art-pop tones of her 2025 album Khilnay Ko. With a career spanning over two decades – from the iconic ‘Alif Allah Jugni’ on Coke Studio to boundary-pushing fashion, film, and music – Meesha has never been afraid to reinvent herself. Paisa Bolay feels like her having fun again, without losing her edge. It’s pop with teeth.

Talhah Yunus, meanwhile, brings the weight of Pakistan’s hip-hop evolution with him. As one half of Young Stunners, the duo that helped take Urdu rap mainstream, Yunus has always balanced lyrical depth with mass appeal. From ‘Gumaan’ to ‘Afsanay’ and his solo projects Shikwa Side A & B, he’s built a reputation as a voice that reflects the anxieties, ambitions, and contradictions of a generation. On Paisa Bolay, his verses cut clean – sharp, witty, and perfectly at home in the chaos of the beat.

Behind the scenes, the production duo matters just as much. Paisa Bolay is co-produced by Meesha Shafi and Abdullah Siddiqui, one of Pakistan’s most influential contemporary producers. Known for his ability to bridge underground experimentation and mainstream pop, Siddiqui brings polish without dilution.

His long-standing creative chemistry with Meesha pays off here – the disco-infused groove feels intentional, elevated, and expansive, giving both artists room to shine without competing for space.

What makes Paisa Bolay hit harder is where it lands in the current Pakistani music landscape. This is a scene that’s no longer asking for permission…artists are collaborating across genres, languages, and audiences, creating work that’s global in sound but deeply local in context.