Singer Atif Aslam has opened up about the early days of his music journey, revealing that the popular band Noori once dismissed his breakout track Aadat as “cheap” and “nonsense.”
In a resurfaced video shared by the Instagram fan page Anam S (@byyouraadee), Atif recalled presenting Aadat to Noori during an informal session arranged by a mutual friend. At the time, Noori was a dominant force in Pakistan’s music scene.
“They were all sitting in a room,” Atif said. “I played the song. When it ended, most of them started criticising it — saying it was a really bad, cheap song, and that there was no place for it in the market.”
Despite the discouraging feedback, Atif pushed ahead, releasing Aadat independently in December 2003 alongside Goher Mumtaz as part of the underground band Jal. The song, recorded using his pocket money at just 17, quickly became a viral hit on TV and radio across Pakistan.
Interestingly, less than two years later, Noori ended up performing as an opening act at one of Atif Aslam’s concerts, a full-circle moment that highlighted his rapid rise in the industry.
The video has sparked a wave of online support for Atif, with fans praising his resilience and the iconic status Aadat achieved despite initial rejection. Neither Atif nor Noori has made further public statements about the resurfaced story.
Aadat remains a defining anthem in Pakistan’s pop-rock history and a cornerstone of Atif Aslam’s legendary career.
