In case you missed it, Pakistan was enraptured by a particularly heavenly work of art last week. Angel, the latest offering from internet celebrity Taher Shah, features long flowing purple robes, digitally enhanced celestial landscapes, a disgruntled baby and some kind of wedding. The video quickly became a global viral smash. It also features stick-on angel wings.
The message is that Shah is mankind’s angel, pure and heavenly, mourning for the love of a human person. Or something like that, we’re not completely sure. Probably best that you watch it for yourself.
Shah’s uniquely absurdist approach to music making earned him a cult following in 2013, when he released Eye to Eye, a song that he said was 30 years in the making. The video depicts two Shahs, one dressed in white and one in black, serenading each other in glowing white rooms and included lyrics like “dreaming fairies eyes our eyes, stylish excellent human eyes”.
Two years after his initial smash hit, Shah’s offerings still have the power to touch the eternal spirit of humanity (and the internet).
1. His expressions aren’t always as angelic as his lyrics:
When you're getting ready for prom but your dad is using the bathroom. https://t.co/Rnet2MCCPc pic.twitter.com/RWEw8RE8yK
— Karan Talwar (@BollywoodGandu) 8 April 2016
2. Shah could even be a new strategy in Pakistan’s security planning:
Pakistan doesn't need nuclear weapons they can just drop this purple bomb on us #TaherShah pic.twitter.com/uSo2LfDF7s
— Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) 9 April 2016
3. Pakistani actor and singer Ali Zafar made his own poetic tribute, uncovering profound new readings in Shah’s text:
4. The video, after all, truly defies description in the language of ordinary humans:
This may be the most understated description in the history of journalism. #TaherShah #Angel https://t.co/1mP0Ii8hRl pic.twitter.com/DPxOSgJr8E
— Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) 9 April 2016
5. With the song now inescapable in Pakistan, extreme reactions may be becoming commonplace:
6. And even once inanimate objects are being sprung to life by Shah’s otherworldly lyrics:
Even the tree was running from this #TaherShah #MankindAngel pic.twitter.com/S9zu8Nvm60
— Abdul Basit (@a_b_abbasi) 9 April 2016
7. Angel even drew the attention of the US Embassy in Pakistan – which released this last-minute statement on the content of the video:
After generating strong social media attention across the globe, Taher Shah’s latest song "Mankind’s #Angel" inspired our American staff to engage in some angelic fun. Check out what they have to say about the video.
Posted by U.S. Consulate General Karachi on Friday, 15 April 2016
