Best New Artist Nominee Arooj Aftab Covers Rosalía’s ‘Di Mi Nombre’ for Spotify Singles

Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab released a cover of Rosalía’s 2018 single “Di Mi Nombre,” alongside a re-recording of her own “Baghon Main,” as a part of Spotify Singles’ ongoing effort to highlight the nominees for Best New Artist at this year’s Grammy Awards. The release marks the Brooklyn-based artist’s second collaboration with the streaming platform after she was selected as Spotify’s EQUAL Ambassador for Pakistan in March.

“I’ve always felt a very strong kinship to flamenco music, and recently having visited the south of Spain, even more undeniably so,” Aftab said in a statement. “It’s always been in my periphery to make something with that energy. The driving rawness of the palmas, the haunted vocals. Very much my vibe. The opportunity to cover a previous Best New Artist pointed me directly to Rosalía. And while it was a very ambitious choice, I had a great time versioning this song!”

Recent offerings from Spotify Singles’ Best New Artist series include releases from Japanese Breakfast and Finneas — who both chose to cover Bon Iver tracks.

In addition to her Best New Artist nomination, Aftab is up for Best Global Music Performance — a newly created category presented for the first time this year — for “Mohabbat,” which appears off the singer’s critically acclaimed 2021 album, Vulture Prince. The nominations make Aftab the first Pakistani woman to be nominated for a Grammy.

Aftab recently released “Udhero Na,” which appears on the deluxe version of Vulture Prince, scheduled for release on June 24. The track features sitar accompaniment by Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar.