Pakistani jazz artist Arooj Aftab has achieved some major career accolades so far: seven Grammy nominations (and one win), a chance to speak at the White House, and slots at Coachella, Glastonbury, and Primavera Sound. Now, she’s finally made her late night television debut in the US, stopping by the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday night to perform “Raat Ki Rani.”
The track is a stirring cut from her 2024 album Night Reign — which we named as one of the 50 best albums of the year — and it’s arguably even more majestic live. Backed by a six-piece band, Aftab provides an enchanting rendition of “Raat Ki Rani.” Helping set the mood is a strong red light shining over Aftab; she fills the space with plenty of reverb, and her harpist Maeve Gilchrist launches into a dazzling solo mid-way through. Watch the performance below.
Inspired by darkness and the nighttime, Night Reign featured a deepened presentation of Aftab’s hybrid jazz-folk sound, with lyrics in Urdu and English and guest appearances from Cautious Clay, Moor Mother, and more. In her Track by Track breakdown, Aftab discussed “Raat Ki Rani,” which served as Night Reign‘s lead single.
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“The lyrics are simple: the queen of the night enters the party, and everyone is instantly taken by her. I enjoy the evening, I go home. I had a good time,” she told Consequence. “That dreamy, spiraling, crazy harp instrumental section is Maeve being so Maevey. Adding tuba beneath it created more drama and fantasy. It struck everyone who listened to it as an infectious tune that they just wanted on repeat.”
Aftab will begin 2025 with another appearance at the Grammy Awards, where “Raat Ki Rani” is nominated for Best Global Music Performance. She’s also heading on a brief tour throughout the winter and early spring, including an appearance at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee in March. See her tour dates below, and get tickets to see Arooj Aftab here.
Arooj Aftab 2025 Tour Dates:
01/11 — New York, NY @ Winter Jazzfest Brooklyn Marathon
01/15 — New York, NY @ Prototype Festival
01/20 — Vancouver, CA @ New Hollywood Theater
01/21 — Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
01/22 — Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
01/24 — San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
01/26 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
03/27-30 — Knoxville, TN @ Big Ears Festival
04/14 — Rome, IT @ Auditorium Parco della Musica
06/26 — Montreal, CA @ Club Soda
