Arooj Aftab w/ Zsela
The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
01.21.25

Arooj Aftab is cool. Not the kind of cool that’s attempting to let you know how cool they are by acting a certain way, or putting out a calculated vibe, or needing another’s recognition to validate their cool. No. The kind of cool that can rock a 90 minute set to a sold out audience with sunglasses on the whole time, staying center stage in front of one mic, keeping a seamless banter with the audience in between songs, and maintaining every single person’s rapt attention with each note sung. The kind of cool that can tell a story, which they kept nonchalantly in their back pocket, about attending an underground, VIP party a few days prior where they smoked cigarettes with Jon Hamm and were surprised at the fact that Jon drank white wine rather than scotch, “in very non-Don Draper fashion.” That’s Arooj Aftab’s set: effortless, otherworldly, meditative, charismatic, cool.

Touring in support of her sublime, critically acclaimed 2024 release, Night Reign, Aftab’s set was a blue, dimly lit, meditative experience. Playing to an audience of 8 to 80 provided empirical proof that her music and message transcends myriad age and cultural backgrounds. Born in Saudi Arabia, growing up in Pakistan, and attending the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Aftab shifts effortlessly between singing in her native Urdu and English without missing an iota of beauty and profundity. English speakers need not be fluent in Urdu to have an emotional reaction to her music on a cellular level, and vice versa. There’s a depth to her recorded music that’s can’t be adequately described without listening to it, much like trying to describe the color green or the taste of chocolate to someone else. 

As can happen when standing-room only venues are at capacity, there were two separate occasions when an attendee needed medical attention (likely from overheating and dehydration). Immediately, Aftab stopped the show, alerted staff and security, and brought up the houselights. In testament to the effortless control of her art Aftab sent out her hopes of healing to the ailing guests and transitioned seamlessly back to the music. 

The apex of the night came near the end of Aftab’s set. Her pitch perfect performance of the ethereally beautiful “Saans Lo” from 2022’s lauded Vulture Prince stopped the audience, and this reviewer, in their tracks. It’s one of those songs that one could aspire to earn having played at their memorial service, the soundtrack of a life well lived and a soul who will be missed. Hearing it live is a life-affirming experience that can’t be overstated.

Not to be overlooked, another highlight of the night was Aftab’s opener, Zsela. Born in Brooklyn and based in LA, Zsela’s 2024 release Big For You rightly placed her on the radars of many of the biggest artists. With a stage presence that conjures feelings of Sade and Nina Simone at their peaks, Zsela is an artist that needs to be on everyone’s must see, and must hear, list.

Photos and Review by Sattva Photo