“It took me almost a year to figure out whether or not I wanted to make music, and now I think I am at a point where I feel comfortable enough to put myself out there.”
Momina Mustehsan is the reason why first impressions are deceptive. A musical protégé in the making, she is equipped with the math to engineer a look that endorses an orchestra of brands, and a voice that created ripples across the subcontinent. Born and bred in the United States, she comes home to begin a journey that is both beauty and brains. Armed with a degree in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, she created a formula for inevitable success. She crafted a composition of musical magic, using an innate talent that set her on a meteoric rise across the musical landscape.
How did you get started with your musical career?
Momina Mustehsan: I have always had a passion for music. I picked up the violin in elementary school because it was mandatory to sign up for an instrument – it’s another thing that I dropped it when I transitioned into middle school. When I was in second grade, there was a talent show and my teacher thought I could sing, and I decided to give it a shot. In 2011, I co-wrote my first original composition and it got nominated for Song of The Year at LSA 2012. In college I continued to make music and then upload my work online. I had no idea that it would become popular enough for a Bollywood offer to sing for the fim, Ek Villain. The song was an instant success with the whole album nominated at IIFA and Filmfare awards that year. I hadn’t planned on making music professionally, even after the Bollywood stint. I knew education was a priority and I went back to college. It wasn’t until after I had graduated from college with a double-major in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics that I accepted to be on Coke Studio Season 9, because my schedule allowed it and also because Coke Studio is one of the most prestigious platforms in Pakistan. It was my first time facing the camera, and I had never thought of a post-Coke Studio scenario. What ended up happening next is history.
How old were you when you started singing?
MM: I never had any formal vocal training, so I can’t really say when I actually started singing. I guess if you’re born with a talent, it’s always in you. But the first time I sang in front of an audience was in second grade.
You don’t come from a showbiz family, and you too are pursuing a degree in engineering. How do you juggle both careers?
MM: My family is entirely removed from the showbiz arena. My father was a Brigadier in the Army and served as a diplomat, my mother and my brother are both doctors while my younger brother just finished his Bachelors in Political Science and International Relations. I have a degree in Engineering. In fact, I did two degrees at the same time: Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics. A lot of people find it confusing that professionally I’m an engineer and have studied math, but I also make music. I feel that all three fields are inter-connected – engineering is innovative and creative, so are math and music.
How does it feel to be a Coke Studio protégé?
MM: It feels great. My whole experience at Coke Studio was incredible. I feel lucky to have been mentored by some of the greatest musicians in the country –Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood, Shuja Haider, Faakhir, Ali Noor and Ali Humza, to name a few. The Coke Studio team made me believe in myself, they didn’t just nourish my musical talent but also provided a platform to showcase it. A lot of who I am today is because of my experience at Coke Studio. I got a chance through the show to believe in myself as a musician and establish my own identity.
Were you expecting at all the success following Coke Studio?
MM: I wasn’t, infact to be honest, I never thought I would get the success that I got. It was the 9th year of Coke Studio and nothing like this had ever happened before. I thought I would just feature on it and life would go on as per usual, just like it did after my Bollywood venture. But then my performance went viral! I was in the Coke Studio dressing room this year, getting ready for my performance when I got asked about my journey from season 9 to season 10. I looked up to respond, and literally saw the answer staring back at me in the mirror, because where I sat reflected a picture of me from Afreen, Season 9. I was a girl who knew herself and was confident – yet very scared because I had never put myself out there. In fact, Coke Studio completed 300 million views before the launch of Season 10, and my three songs alone accounted for 150+ million views! But with the success of Coke Studio came a lot of trouble personally.
“Becoming an overnight sensation with Afreen going viral, it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. With it came a lot of hate speech, cyberbullying, harassment, baseless assumptions, and unnecessary judgements. I saw the world with a completely different angle suddenly because I become a public figure…”
and the rights any human enjoys got taken away from me. I developed anxiety and started having panic attacks, but I worked on myself a lot and emerged stronger and more self-aware – with a purpose of using my popularity positively by raising my voice on social issues that could possibly affect some kind of change. Like Uncle Ben from Spiderman said, “with power comes responsibility” – I recognised the need to use my position responsibly.
Why did you choose Afreen to re-sing?
MM: It wasn’t my choice. I worked on Nawazishain Tera Woh Pyar with Shuja Haider, and wrote an original with Noori called Mai Raasta (in which I also played a guitar solo). Afreen was given to me as a last minute feature, and I never got a chance to rehearse it even once! Strings and Faakhir deemed me fit for the song and we straight went on to the floor to record it. I was incredibly nervous about it because I hadn’t developed a comfort zone with the song and singing alongside a living legend is not easy. But I guess everything happens for the best! If it wasn’t for Afreen and the faith Strings and Faakhir had in me, I would probably not be where I am today.
Which song would you want to sing again?
MM: Nawazishain Tera Woh Pyar! Not because I would like to change anything about it, but only because I enjoy singing it so very much!
Do you have plans on having an independent concert at any point?
MM: I am not sure at this point. I used to enjoy singing in front of friends and classmates in school and college, but after coming into the limelight, I’m not yet very comfortable with the idea of performing at concerts in the fear of being objectified. But I might get over it, hopefully.
What do you think of the platform as a stepping-stone for aspiring artists?
MM: Coke Studio is a platform where you are invited, so you have to have achieved something musically to be deemed a fit candidate. Since it has one of the biggest viewership in Pakistan and internationally, it is an excellent platform for any artist to showcase their talent. It is definitely a milestone and achievement in every musician’s career.
How do you feel to be the face of Sprite?
MM: I am currently representing Sprite, L’Oreal, Islamabad United, Knock Out, Dalda, along with a few other brands. Each one of these is special to me because I work with brands whose vision and goals resonate with mine, so that we are able to build a relationship that is impactful and beneficial to the community as a whole.
Any plans of doing more endorsements?
MM: I am pretty selective of who I sign with, but I am always open to the idea of collaborations, as long as there is substance to a brand and the campaign they want me to be a part of. As of now, I’ve got my hands pretty full, and I feel I need more time to myself. With that being said, I have a few new campaigns coming out in the near future.
What is your opinion of the entertainment industry so far?
MM: I am not sure if I am the right person to answer this question, since I don’t have much interaction with the majority of the industry and I am not fully involved in it. As for a general opinion on being a public figure, I think
“One always needs to remember that whatever goes up, also comes down – you should never let success get to you, and you should never let failures break you either.”
Any plans of working in film?
MM: Not as of now. Acting is not my forte, and I feel that one shouldn’t venture into a field they feel they are not that good or comfortable in. I can act if I try, but it is not something that excites me much.
What was your dream job as a kid and why?
MM: I always wanted to be a doctor, because my mother is a doctor. I would see her treat women and children for free, and the gratitude they would show was awe-inspiring. I always aspired to serve humanity.
Biggest risk that has paid off?
MM: Afreen. I really was not sure about it. When I found out that it was my first song that was getting released on Coke Studio, I was petrified. But it worked out for the best.
Who have been your greatest mentors?
MM: In life, my parents. They have taught me every single thing that I know, and all that I am and will be is all because of them. In terms of music, my greatest mentors have been Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood. They have been there to guide me all through my journey and have always showed a lot of faith and belief in me, even when I myself couldn’t see it.
What was the harshest criticism you’ve received?
MM: No criticism is easy to digest. When I suddenly became a public figure, I was showered with a lot of love, but at the same time, there was ample criticism and hate thrown my way as well. Even if it comprised a very small percentage of the feedback, it really did pinch me initially. But I learned over time that what people say to you, reflects more about them than it does about you. I try to take criticism positively, however, if it’s constructive. You should never think you have reached the best version of yourself – that stops growth. You should always try to learn and constantly improve yourself and know that you will always be a work in progress.
How do you cure creative block?
MM: I travel. I go to new cities and places and cut off from the world that I know. I observe cultures, languages and people around me, and try to understand their way of living and thinking. It always inspires me.
Future plans?
MM: It took me almost a year to figure out whether or not I wanted to make music, and now I think I am at a point where I feel comfortable enough to put myself out there. I will be working on more of my original content. At the same time, I will expand my social work and continue trying to raise my voice against social injustices, start dialogue on mental illnesses, and work on educational programs, among several other projects. I plan on interning at the UN in New York this coming month, and also plan on going back to college for my Master’s degree in the near future – all the while continuing to make music.
RAPID FIRE
Name three things you can’t live without:
Momina Mustehsan: Family, food, my phone.
Favourite book?
MM: 40 Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. It is so powerful, perfect, yet flawed. The main protagonist wants others to see something good in everyone and spread love but he himself could not do justice to his own marriage. It reminds you that no one is or can be perfect.
Signature scent:
MM: Bvlgari’s Jade Omnia, its so sad that they stopped making it. It used to be my signature scent.
Someone you admire:
MM: My grandparents. They always gave back to society as much as they could.
Favourite destination:
MM: My parents’ house is in Islamabad. Given the opportunity, I can stay there for weeks without stepping out even once.
If you could move to any city in the world where would you go?
MM: I would continue staying in New York. It’s a city full of energy, opportunities, and diversity.
Celebrity crush?
MM: Amal Clooney.
How do you unwind?
MM: I travel. Spend some alone time with myself.
Most overused phrase:
MM: “I love you.”
Personal motto:
MM: Leave a positive impact on society and help as many people as possible to pursue their dreams and believe in themselves.
Superhero power you’d like to have:
MM: To be invisible.
What does feminism mean to you?
MM: It means being strong, fierce, self-confident and independent, while being gentle, kind and compassionate. It means being as entitled as a man – not any less, not any more.
Guilty pleasures?
MM: Food. I love sushi and cupcakes, and almost all kinds of food except sea food.
Computer screensaver?
MM: It’s an illustration of a brain with math and physics calculations on one side, and vibrant colors and musical notes on the other!
What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
MM: Keep pushing, keep believing, keep loving!
Favourite quote?
MM: “It only gets better when you get better.”
People are surprised when…
MM: I went through a very rough phase of depression and anxiety when I was in college, and fell back into it briefly at the start of my musical career.
FEATURE: FAIZA VIRANI & AMNA IQBAL
PHOTOGRAPHY: ADNAN QAZI AT SILVER LEMON MEDIA
STYLING: ZAF SHABIR, THE CACTUS AGENCY
HAIR & MAKEUP: LUBNA RAFIQ
PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: NAS DIN
