Her first song " Afreen Afreen", alongside Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, broke all previous Coke Studio records by accumulating over 2.5 million views in one day. In 2016, Mustehsan recorded her first song "Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay" for the romantic drama film Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay, and marked her Coke Studio debut as a featured artist in season 9 later that year. It's something that I am excited about." 2016–present I have plenty of time on my hands… I might be working on a Pakistani project later this year. Music is a passion for me and not a profession. The contract was signed after the track had been lined up for release." On her future ventures she said, "I'm always working on new pieces. I recorded the song on my own in New York. In 2014, she recorded a song "Awari" for Pakistani band Soch who approached her, without telling her that they are going to use the song in Indian film Ek Villain, she explained, "I was approached by Soch and they wanted me to feature on their track without disclosing what it was for," she recorded the song in her university dorm, "It was an extremely casual process and I never met anyone in person. The song was also featured in 2015 Nescafé Basement with Mustehsan singing along with Hamza Tanveer. In 2012, she wrote the lyrics for the song "Pee Jaun", and sung with Farhan Saeed. Career 2011–2015: "Pee Jaun" and Ek Villian Īt Junoon's twentieth anniversary, Mustehsan recorded a song "Sajna" for their album Junoon 20 in Volume I, the song was written by Ali Azmat and was a bonus track on album. Despite having no background of musical training she was praised at that time.
Her first encounter with the music came in 2004, when she recorded her first cover of Irish singer Damien Rice's song " The Blower's Daughter". She further told that she realized she had interest in music after when she had sung for the first time then. Recalling, Mustehsan told that her teacher had asked her if she had something to show and had said, "I think you sing well". Mustehsan at first learnt to play violin and sang in public for the first time in a choir of her grade school, without any formal music training. At the time of her graduation, her name was in the Dean's list. Mustehsan completed her A'Level from Lahore Grammar School and later moved to the States for higher studies and graduated with a double majors degree in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics from the Stony Brook University in 2016. She has two siblings, an older and a younger brother. Her mother, Huma Mustehsan, is a doctor, and father, Kazim Mustehsan, is a retired brigadier from the Pakistan Army, and a recipient of Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the third highest honour and civilian award of the country. Mustehsan was born on 5 September 1992 in Quetta, Baluchistan, and was raised in Islamabad, though she also lived in New York, Paris, and Kyiv while growing up. She is also known for promoting various causes such as education and mental health, and is particularly vocal about issues such as the role of women in Pakistan and feminism. Īlongside her singing career, she participates in stage shows, is a prominent celebrity endorser for brands and products, and is active in humanitarian work. Her track Uchiyaan Dewara (Baari 2) topped the Official Asian Top 40 Charts in November 2020. Her next releases, the singles "Aaya Na Tu" (2018) and "Baari" (2019), topped the country's charts. In season 9, she performed a rendition of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's " Afreen Afreen", with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and received critical acclaim. She sang the song "Awari" for the Indian thriller film Ek Villain (2014). In 2017, BBC named her one of the 100 most influential women, and the following year, Forbes featured her among its " 30 Under 30" Asia list along with nine other Pakistani individuals. Momina Mustehsan ( Urdu: مومنہ مستحسن born 5 September 1992) is a Pakistani singer, musician, and social activist.