'Pasoori' becomes first Pakistani music video to hit 1 billion views

Coke Studio Pakistan's hit song 'Pasoori' has crossed the 1 billion views milestone on YouTube, making it the first Pakistan-made music video to achieve this record.

The song, performed by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill, was released on February 7, 2022 . It reached the billion-view mark nearly four years and seven months after its release . Coke Studio announced the achievement on Instagram, thanking fans for their support .

The song became a global sensation soon after its release, crossing borders and inspiring numerous covers in Pakistan, India and beyond the subcontinent . It was featured on the soundtrack of Disney's 'Ms Marvel', a series centred on a Pakistani-American protagonist . More than 90 percent of the song's YouTube views came from outside Pakistan, with the official video being watched in more than 60 countries .

The song also dominated streaming platforms. It was Spotify's most-streamed Pakistani song in 2022 and remains the most-streamed track for both Ali Sethi and Shae Gill, with almost 405 million streams . It ranked third on Spotify's Global Viral 50 chart and was the second most searched song on Google globally in 2022 .

Coke Studio Africa later released an Afrobeats remix featuring Ali Sethi with Marwan Moussa and Reekado Banks . The song also inspired a Bollywood adaptation for the film 'Satyaprem Ki Katha' (2023), sung by Arijit Singh and Tulsi Kumar, though the version faced criticism from fans .

The song was curated and produced by Zulfiqar Khan (Xulfi) and Abdullah Siddiqui . Its blend of Punjabi and Urdu lyrics, traditional South Asian sounds and contemporary pop production resonated with audiences worldwide.