With the battle finally narrowed down to the last two mega competitors, people are excited to know who will be crowned as the winner of Pepsi Battle of the Bands: Season 4. Will it be Aarish or will it be Auj?
The two bands brought their A-game to present their case and win over the crowd for the last time. After all, they’ve been selected as our top bands by the renowned jury, but now it’s up to the fans to decide who will win this much anticipated season.
In the seventh episode of Pepsi Battle of the Bands there were two rounds. The bands performed their originals in the first and covers in the second round.
In the battlefield, where the stakes are higher than ever, Aarish took the first step. They performed their favourite song titled ‘Umeed’ and hoped that the audience would like it. It was a mellow, heartfelt which the jury felt linked to the Pakistani audience. They praised the band and said they couldn’t wait to buy their album in the future.
The reaction from Auj was just as fantastic. Before the performance, we found out that one of the band member’s father, who passed away from cancer three years ago, urged the band to try for “Pepsi Battle of the Bands.” Since 2009, the group had been working, but this year they only believed they were fit for the competition. Their decade long struggle and hard work finally paid off and here they are, in the finals of the huge musical competition.
Auj also performed their most favorite original song titled ‘Raat’. The group totally fascinated the jury, with Meesha Shafi giving them a standing ovation. The vocalist Abdul Rehman, who also wrote the song, received special praise. Fawad Khan called him a ‘diamond in the rough’, while Bilal Maqsood believed that we saw Auj in their ‘full glory’ and encouraged the crowd to vote for them.
Before the next round, we got a pleasant surprise as season three finalists Xarb came back to perform. In their true, gripping signature, haunting style, they performed their new original song ‘Siyaah.’
The show upped the ante in the second round when the bands may have faced their greatest challenges ever. They had to cover the iconic songs of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Aarish went with ‘Halka Halka Suroor’ perhaps the ideal song choice for them. They even incorporated spoken word and added it to the song with a fusion of electronic dance music (EDM). The special addition of DJ Faisal Baig, a pioneer in electronic sounds in the Pakistani music industry, was one of the best parts. With full strength, Aarish certainly fired their shot.
Auj returned fire with a high voltage electroshock weapon in the form of Khan Sahab’s Sanware. The special combination of Baig’s hard rock riffs and electronic components brought the iconic song a groovy, intoxicating flavor. The judges thought that an expanded version should be released and the performance was massively commended.
Then both bands paid respect to the exceptional jury and discussed how their criticism and judgment helped them grow along the journey. The episode finished with another tremendous surprise as we witnessed Jal’s Goher Mumtaz’s first ever performance on the Pepsi Battle of the Bands stage. He performed a lovely, melodic and holistic rendition of ‘Dil Harey’ to immense appreciation from the live crowd.
While the final results will be announced on Saturday, it’s up to the audience as whoever they have voted for will win this season. The Pepsi Battle of the Bands: Season 4 winner will receive Rs50 lac cash award, an album contract, concerts throughout Pakistan, and lifetime royalties from original songs played during the show. And even the runner-up will win Rs25 lac and an album contract.