TIME: The Best Songs of 2021 So Far
TIME: The Best Songs of 2021 So Far
BY ANDREW R. CHOW
“The Pakistan-born, Brooklyn-based composer has earned critical acclaim for her contemplative album Vulture Prince, which pulls from musical traditions from across the world. The project’s standout is ‘Mohabbat,’ which was adapted from a 19th century Urdu song poem while also seamlessly utilizing vocal jazz techniques and a gentle guitar drone reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Going to California.’ Despite the song’s 7:42 runtime, nary a phrase feels excessive or needless; Aftab’s quivering vocals create and resolve a tightrope tension, offering a blissful and enveloping respite from the year’s chaos.”