We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Atif Afzal a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Atif, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I have seen both sides of the world – being an artist and also having a regular job. I studied engineering and got a plush job at KPMG. Although, my career was off to a brilliant start, and I was doing really well, I still decided to quit it to follow my dream. Despite all the highs and lows, I am happy to be an artist and have no regrets at all. I see people in my family who are doing regular jobs and fail to understand why they don’t follow their hearts. I see them being so devoted towards growing another company and just being happy with the annual appraisals and bonus. Instead, I have always believed in building my own brand. If you watch Marvel Studio series like Loki and Ms. Marvel, you will not only see my name as an artist, but also my publishing house which is competing with giants like Warner Music and Universal Music. There were so many instances where major production music companies wanted to acquire my music. But, I decided to build my own brand and take this longer route. Being an independent artist is one of the best feeling.

Atif, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My stage name is A-Zal, an American pop singer, and my journey started a little differently—I actually began by writing soundtracks for Marvel Studios’ Loki and Ms. Marvel. It was a wild experience being part of such iconic projects, and it really opened doors for me in the music industry.

In August 2023, I released my debut single, “Movie Script,” and it really took off. The song charted on US radio in the Mediabase TOP 40 Activator Charts in just its second week. It felt surreal, especially since I was one of the only independent artists competing with major labels. The track was the first single from my upcoming album, 17 & 11 Nights, which has been met with great reception from fans, the press, and radio stations alike. “Movie Script” even peaked at #51 on the Mediabase charts in its fourth week, a huge milestone for me.

As a film composer, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some incredible film studios, including Marvel, CBS, and Netflix. My soundtracks have been featured in a number of television series and films, such as Ms. Marvel, Loki, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Twilight Zone, and Resort to Love. I’ve contributed multiple tracks for episodes of Ms. Marvel (season 1), Loki (season 1), NCIS: Los Angeles (season 11), and The Twilight Zone (season 2), as well as for the Netflix film Resort to Love.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is to live life the way you want to and not do something just because you have to make a living. There is a lot of difference between ‘getting through life’ and ‘living life’. In my entire life, I have never had ‘Monday blues’. In fact, I literally wait for Mondays where I can get to my studio and make music.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to be a household name. I’d love to be at a point where every age group in a house knows me as an artist. This is why my music has been a blend of songs which every age group can relate to. When I started as a singer, I was sure that every song has to be my own story from some part of my life. And, I try to pick really personal stories which people can relate to and closely associate with their lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://a-zal.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azalmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A.Zal.Music.Official/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg7Mk_yQO75AYJIpLeYChfA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@a_zal.music

Image Credits

A-Zal