Arooj Aftab Vulture Prince (Deluxe Edition) 2LP

Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums Of 2021 - Rated 12/50!

On the deluxe edition of her breakthrough album, Arooj Aftab's remarkable voice, backed by a team of renowned musicians, transports listeners to worlds once known. Intimate compositions unveil mystical passage into Aftab's emotionally gripping symphonic world - vast with colorful sounds and transcendent of genre.

"Udhero Na" (translation: "please undo") updates one of Aftab's works with the electrifying sound of Shankar's sitar and Maeve Gilchrist's harp, adding a new layer of longing. Unable to relieve herself of an infatuation, Aftab instead pleads with her beloved to release her from these feelings. The vocals, soft in delivery but heavy in their meaning, convey the conflicting emotions at play here.

Aftab shared these feelings on the track: "'Udhero Na' has been one of my dearest songs, written in 2005 and never released, played live on and off over the years. I've always held it close to my heart and am so happy to release it finally! It describes a very unique and fleeting emotional moment, a super underrated feeling. When the thought of someone from a very old and 'passed' relationship just pops into your head as you go about your present day to day."

In addition to Anoushka Shankar, Vulture Prince (Deluxe Edition) also features contributions from Badi Assad, Maeve Gilchrist, Jamey Haddad, Bhrigu Sahni, Kenji Herbert, Lady Jess, Jarvis Benson, Malcolm Parson, Jorn Bielfeldt, Shazhad Ismaily, Juliette Jones, Mario Carrillo, Petros Klampanis, Nadje Noordhuis, Gyan Riley, and Darian Donovan Thomas. Their contributions expand upon a record, Vulture Prince (2021), whose contents resonated with listeners far and wide. The project landed on Year End lists from The New York Times, Pitchfork, NPR, and Variety. Additionally, Spotify highlighted Aftab in their Best New Artist series and selected her as their inaugural EQUAL Ambassador for Pakistan for March 2022.