Tashfee pops up with Aaj Tumi Nei

Despite being an avid admirer of heavy metal music since she was a little girl, it was the dormant pop aficionado inside Tashfee that took over when she wrote 'Aaj Tumi Nei'; rather spontaneously in an hour, back in September 2023.

If you are someone from the 2000s, you will have inevitably experienced the iconic pop tracks from Habib and Fuad, characterised by a reverberating rhythm and nostalgic melodies, which have the power to whisk you back in time. 

'Aaj Tumi Nei' - Tashfee's third original released on 19 April - possesses the same enchanting quality, capable of sweeping you up in its melody.

"I always wanted to create a song like that. Something that's reminiscent of some OG Bangla pop tracks like Fuad's [Almuqtadir] 'Tumi Hina' per se. Especially those slow piano intros—they always fascinated me," said Tashfee.

"Those particular sounds and melodies were very impactful to my growth as a musician b. I also wanted a certain touch of modern music, and that's where the synths come in, even though synths are more 80's. Honestly, I actually wanted the song to be quite R'n'B," she added.

'Aaj Tumi Nei' also brought in quite a few 'firsts' for Tashfee. This was the first time she wrote her own lyrics to a Bangla song, composed it and took care of the arrangement. This was also the first time she has worked exclusively with Taawkir Tajammul Nisshobdo. It was the guitarist and sound engineer who took the song to an entirely new level.

"I initially hummed the melody of the intro, which Taawkir played on the keys. Thereafter, it was him who actually wrote the next bar," she said.

From a logistical standpoint, shouldering the entirety of a music project is a daunting task for any independent artist, especially without financial backing. Nevertheless, Tashfee was resolute in her determination, prepared to dip into her own finances if necessary, all because she wanted to share her art with the world.

"Of course it's easier if you have people supporting you; especially financial support. At the end of the day, it's about how motivated you are to release your art. If you really want to, you will find a way," said Tashfee.

Maybe in hindsight, it wasn't the smartest of calls to release the song on 19 April, given that the music scene and fans in Dhaka were preoccupied with other major events on the same day, including the Atif Aslam concert and the controversy surrounding Masha Islam's cancelled performance. 

This situation likely diverted a significant portion of the potential audience away from Tashfee's song. However, this does not seem to bother Tashfee all that much.

"It doesn't really matter to me that much. I created something and I wanted to share my art. It was time," she said.

'Aaj Tumi Nei' at its core is a romantic number. Tashfee says the song is about falling in love with someone who you "can't have." 

This theme, however, has been explored countless times in music history. How is 'Aaj Tumi Nei' any different?

"I don't want fans to look at the song differently. It doesn't have to be better or worse[than other similar songs]. The concept doesn't have to be unique all the time, because sometimes it's better for listeners to relate to the music and the concept," she said.

She continues, "Situationships [a romantic relationship without traditional commitments] and romantic entanglements are very relatable these days, and I wrote the song from my own experiences. Not every song needs to have a deeper meaning; sometimes they could just be about a passing feeling of a random emotion you feel one night."