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Mishal Khawaja Image Credit: @DuaaTM/Twitter

Dubai: Instagram has made aspiring Pakistani singer Mishal Khawaja’s dreams come true.

So much so that she had to post a picture on the platform with the caption: “Somebody pinch me!”

The singer has made her mainstream debut on Coke Studio Explorer, a part of Coke Studio Pakistan’s 11th season, a television series focusing on live studio-recorded music. The show also has a big following on YouTube with over three million subscribers.

Toronto-raised Khawaja was born in born in Sialkot, Pakistan. She first discovered her voice humming Toni Braxton songs in front of a friend. It was only when she was an adult did all her friends and family come to know about her capabilities.

As she was posting her work regularly on Instagram, the show’s producers Zohaib Kazi and Ali Hamza discovered her through her account on the social media platform

Soon after, she returned to Punjab, Pakistan, to record her first single for the show called ‘Tere Bin Soona’ that is not only sung but also, written and composed by her.

After its release, she has not only made a name for herself in the music industry but has also become a favourite amongst social media users. She was one of the top trends on Twitter earlier today.

Tweep @duaaTM posted: “#CokeStudioExplorer discovers the Instagram artist, Mishal Khawaja. A story made for the movies, this one will encourage you to follow your dreams while highlighting the power of social media #TereBinaSoona”

Twitter user Faraz Ahmed @CrazeeGentleman wrote: “I am in love with this song. Such a refreshing voice and composition as well. Kudos to #AliHamza for this track and #MishalKhwaja for introducing such lovely vocals in Pakistan!”

Tweep @Mitchkoway posted: “#TereBinSoona by Mishal Khawaja, an #Instagram discovery is surely here to stay!”

Kazi @mzohaibkazi also took to Twitter and explained why he chose to give the artist her big break. He tweeted a picture with the caption: “The story of Mishal Khawaja - summarised. This was a random girl we spotted on Instagram! We followed her for a bit and found that she was quite proactive about her passion. Regularly uploading videos of herself singing – just plain display of passion.”

Whereas, Khawaja @herkitab chose to post about her story on Instagram: “I’ve always been a big dreamer. There have definitely been ups and downs throughout this journey, which began with a simple Instagram cover a few years ago…”

 

I’ve always been a big dreamer. There have definitely been ups and downs throughout this journey, which began with a simple Instagram cover a few years ago. Since then, I went on to release a few original tracks on Youtube to see where my passion would lead me. I learned to trust the process and believed in my dreams wholeheartedly. Thank you @zohaibkazi @alihamzamusic and the @coke_studio team for turning one of my biggest dreams in to reality! I know many would agree that no matter where you are in the world – Coke Studio has become a family staple. Coke Studio Explorer brings Pakistani artists together from different regions to celebrate diversity through the universal language of music. It is an incredible honour to be a part of something of this magnitude. Thank you God and thank you all for supporting me throughout my journey:) Check out ‘Tere Bin Soona’ on Youtube (link in bio) and let me know what you all think in the comments – it would mean a lot to me!! Lots of love<3 . . “And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” . . #cokestudioexplorer #cokestudio @cokestudio @coke_studio

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