Spotify has named Karachi-based Urdu hip-hop artist Shareh as its RADAR Pakistan artist for the fourth quarter of 2026, giving one of the country’s most distinctive young voices a global spotlight. The announcement, made on 6 November, places Shareh at the front of Spotify’s emerging-artist programme in Pakistan, alongside a new album and a mini-docuseries that tells his story beyond the music.
Shareh has built his name by moving fluidly between rap, R&B, trap and alternative sounds, writing songs about love, loss, ambition and self-discovery. It is a blend that has travelled well beyond Pakistan: the United States, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Canada and the United Arab Emirates are now among his top streaming markets on Spotify, and more than 220,000 listeners have added his music to their own playlists over the past year. More than half of his audience — 55 percent — is aged between 18 and 24, a sign of how firmly his music has connected with Pakistan’s youngest listeners.
For Shareh, the RADAR selection is a milestone he has chased for years. “Being part of Spotify’s RADAR was something I always wanted to do,” he said. “It has been great to share a side of myself beyond the music and give people a glimpse into my life and the moments behind the scenes. It is a different way for people to get to know me and I have really enjoyed the experience.”
Who is Shareh — and why Spotify picked him
Shareh grew up in Gulshan, the Karachi neighbourhood he still calls home, and that place runs through his music. His project Gulshan Tapes, released one track at a time, brings together songs written at different stages of his life, all created in the area where he grew up. The collection moves between sounds and moods, but the thread is the same: a young artist writing honestly about the place that shaped him.
Even the title of his album THE DREAM comes from a family memory. His grandfather once misread the words “Share the Dream” on a billboard as “Shareh the Dream” — a lighthearted mistake that became a lasting symbol of his ambitions. It is the kind of personal detail that has helped listeners feel close to him, and it is exactly the side of his story the RADAR mini-docuseries sets out to show.
Collaborations have also played a big part in his rise. Shareh has worked with some of the biggest names in Pakistani hip-hop, including Talha Anjum, Talhah Yunus, Jokhay, Umair and Hasan Raheem, contributing to projects such as Khana Badosh and ROCKSTAR WITHOUT A GUITAR. More recently he featured on “WAY 2 BLESSED” from Jokhay and Umair’s collaborative album DESIGNERR, alongside UK rapper Keeya Keys and Pakistani rapper JJ47 — a track that brought Pakistani and UK rap influences together on one song.
Rutaba Yaqub, Spotify’s Artist and Label Partnerships Manager for Pakistan and the UAE, said Shareh belongs to “an exciting generation of artists pushing the boundaries of Pakistan’s hip-hop scene.” She added: “His ability to move across genres while staying true to his own artistic identity, combined with his growing international audience, makes him a great fit for RADAR Pakistan. We’re excited to spotlight his story and support him as he continues to explore new creative directions and connect with listeners around the world.”
WAKE UP CALL: the album behind the spotlight
The RADAR announcement arrives with new music. Shareh’s album WAKE UP CALL was released on 6 November, following his earlier projects INSOMNIA and THE DREAM. Where those records explored restlessness, ambition and the pursuit of dreams, the new album reflects on what happens when those dreams begin to become reality.
WAKE UP CALL blends dark R&B, hip-hop, trap, dream pop and contemporary South Asian influences, moving between confidence and vulnerability across themes of love, heartbreak, identity and personal growth. It is his most complete statement so far — and the timing is no accident. A new album, a global spotlight and a documentary series together give listeners several ways into his music at once.
RADAR Pakistan: what the programme does for new artists
RADAR is Spotify’s global programme for emerging artists, designed to give rising talent the tools, visibility and support to build lasting careers. In Pakistan, each selected artist is featured in an exclusive mini-docuseries that follows their creative journey, offering fans a closer look at the experiences behind the songs.
Shareh joins a growing list of RADAR Pakistan alumni, including Murtaza Qizilbash and HAVI, who was named the programme’s artist for the third quarter of 2026 after his listenership grew by more than 335 percent over the previous year. The pattern is now familiar: a young Pakistani artist with a loyal local following gets a global stage, and the audience follows.
For Pakistan’s hip-hop scene, the selection is another sign of how far the genre has come. A few years ago, Urdu rap was a niche sound. Today its artists are collaborating across borders, topping playlists in five countries and earning recognition from the world’s biggest streaming platform. Shareh’s story — a kid from Gulshan writing songs in his neighbourhood, now representing Pakistan on a global programme — is the scene’s journey in miniature. With WAKE UP CALL out now and the RADAR spotlight on him, the next few months will show how far that journey can go.
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