Pakistan: Coke Studio Nu.WAV has returned with its fourth release, ‘Shabnam’, bringing together Maanu and Zoha Waseem on a track produced by Talal Qureshi.
Released on October 18, 2026, the song explores two sides of a relationship where love, doubt and suspicion begin to blur into one another.
‘Shabnam’ grew out of an unfinished collaboration between Talal Qureshi and Maanu before expanding to include Zoha Waseem. Taking its name from morning dew, described as something fleeting and impossible to hold on to for long, the song presents Maanu and Zoha as occupying separate versions of the same relationship.
Maanu opens the track from a place of uncertainty and suspicion, while Zoha responds from her own vantage point. Their voices move alongside each other rather than neatly towards a resolution, keeping the tension intact and turning the song into a conversation between two people experiencing the same relationship differently.
The music video, directed by Fida Moin, builds on this uncertainty through a playful and surreal interpretation of the relationship. Ordinary domestic moments are gradually exaggerated through Maanu’s perspective, as familiar objects and gestures take on unexpected meanings and reality and imagination begin to blur.
The tension eventually spills into a birthday gathering that descends into chaos, with plates meeting concrete walls as celebration gives way to pandemonium. Talal Qureshi also appears in the video as a DJ arriving at what appears to be a party, only to find himself in a household already consumed by suspicion.
Visually, Tanya Mirza’s production design and art direction draw from Brutalism and the theatrical shadows of German Expressionism. The video creates a world of soaring interiors, cool greys and imposing concrete structures. Books sit in measured rows, a solitary staircase rises through the space, and a bare kitchen completes a home that feels familiar but not entirely comfortable.
Speaking about the release, Kamal Khan, Executive Producer of Coke Studio Nu.WAV, said: “Shabnam had this tension in it from the beginning that I really liked. Talal and Maanu had already started something together, and then Zoha came in and suddenly you had two people almost telling different versions of the same story. Fida really leaned into that with the film. He made the paranoia funny and strange without losing the uneasiness underneath it, and Tanya built this world where even normal things start to feel a little off. It all feels very specific to the song, which is really what we want with Nu.WAV.”
The release brings together three artists associated with different corners of Pakistan’s contemporary music landscape.
Maanu has spent nearly a decade building a distinct place in Pakistan’s indie, pop and hip-hop scene, moving from Lahore’s grassroots music spaces to releases including ‘Melancholic’, ‘Khwaab’, ‘Kidhar?’ and ‘Sweetu’. His appearance on the award-winning Coke Studio Season 15 track ‘Jhol’ alongside Annural Khalid became one of his most widely recognised releases. His recent album ‘Thikaana’ further expanded his work through collaborations with Asim Azhar and Talha Anjum.
Zoha Waseem brings a foundation in classical and ghazal singing into contemporary pop. She first drew recognition through performances honouring Madam Noor Jehan at Alhamra in Lahore and later reached wider digital audiences through releases including ‘Majboor’. Her work bridges traditional vocal discipline with progressive pop, synth-led production and contemporary songwriting.
Talal Qureshi, who produced the track, has been a longstanding figure in Pakistan’s electronic and producer-led music movement. For more than a decade, his work has moved between independent electronic music and mainstream pop. His previous Coke Studio work includes producing Season 14’s ‘Peechay Hutt’, while his wider catalogue includes ‘AAG’, ‘Cricket Khidaiye’ and his full-length project ‘TURBO’.
With Kamal Khan as Executive Producer of Coke Studio Nu.WAV, ‘Shabnam’ is produced by Talal Qureshi and co-produced by Maanu. The song is written by Maanu and Zoha Waseem, composed by Maanu, and arranged by Maanu and Talal Qureshi. It is mixed by Talal Qureshi, mastered by Sean Tallman, and recorded at Sounds Good Studios, with Shayaan Siddiqui as Recording Engineer.
The music video is directed by Fida Moin, with Salaar Yousufzai as Director of Photography and Tanya Mirza leading production design and art direction. Faraz Sheikh and Team lead wardrobe design and styling. The project is produced by Gali Films, with Iman Khan as Producer and Jamal Haroon and Zarmeen Ali as Associate Producers.
‘Shabnam’ by Maanu and Zoha Waseem, produced by Talal Qureshi, is out now across Coke Studio’s official digital platforms. It is the fourth of six Coke Studio Nu.WAV releases, following ‘Dil’, ‘Rangeen’ and ‘Maheya’, with two further songs and creative worlds set to unfold over the coming weeks.
Watch ‘Shabnam’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEqbM_APWgs
Listeners can follow the Coke Studio Nu.WAV journey at https://www.instagram.com/coke_studio.
