In this glitzy show on April 12, 2025, Pakistan’s Haider Mustehsan Creates History who is popularly known as HYDR, has made for himself a great day in the history of Pakistani music by becoming the first Pakistani soloist to headline at the Gobi stage to the appreciative audience around the world. This was the culmination of South Asian representation on one of the biggest worldwide platforms.
A New Beginning
The road to Coachella would itself make for a story blending the best of Eastern and Western musical currents. Once centered on Haider Mustehsan, now stylized as HYDR, he wanted to communicate on an international platform but maintain a cultural foot in Pakistan. In the words of the artist himself, in an interview from 2024, he expressed a desire to be a global artist, and at the same time, the name change was a strategic decision arrived at with the intent of giving a larger audience to his music.
A Star on the Rise
From there, he claimed that through his blend of traditional Pakistani tunes and contemporary sounds, he gained yet more admiration in both Pakistan and abroad with the song “Sohna Tu” featuring Aima Baig.
An Epic Performance
Pakistan’s Haider Mustehsan Creates History At Coachella. HYDR offered an exciting combination of genres that incorporated old South Asian sounds with modern electronic beats.
Thus, beside the likes of Ali Sethi and Diljit Dosanjh, HYDR now joins a handful of others from South Asia to have performed at Coachella. Their increased representation at this festival shows a changing tide towards increased acceptance of South Asian music within international appreciation.
Cultural Consequences
HYDR’s Coachella engagement was not only about his own journey to the focus of his own desire and aspirations, but also stands out as a landmark occasion for Pakistani music on the international map. It shows how today’s music culture and its slow encroaching globalization act to break down cultural walls in allowing a multitude of voices to be heard and celebrated .
As HYDR continues to grow and inspire change, his Coachella success in 2025 stands to illuminate a pathway for emerging artists from Pakistan and beyond, showcasing music’s greatest strength to transcend borders and unite all walks of life.
