Zaain Ul Abideen releases new 'Chue Chue' version

Pakistani singer and songwriter Zaain Ul Abideen has released a new version of his 2009 debut hit Chue Chue, saying he wanted to protect the song's identity and legacy after it was allegedly copied by other artists. The singer told The Express Tribune that the release of Chue Chue 2.0 was prompted partly by a recent offer from India to remake and release the song with an Indian singer. According to Zaain, he was contacted around 15 days ago by people in India who wanted to acquire the track and market a new version. "They said they wanted to release this song," Zaain said. He said he was told that the song would have to be performed by an Indian singer because a Pakistani vocalist could not be used in India. Zaain said he turned down the offer despite being offered a substantial amount of money. "I told them I can't do this because it is my identity and it is my legacy," he said. The singer explained that allowing another artist to perform and promote the song could eventually distance it from the person who originally recorded it. "If someone else had sung it, obviously they would have marketed it with his name. But then my name would have been lost somewhere," he said. Chue Chue was released in 2009 and became Zain's breakthrough song. It was released under Sony Music Entertainment and earned him a nomination for Best Singer of the Year at the 2010 Lux Style Awards. The song later became part of a separate controversy. In 2024, Zaain accused Pakistani artists Bayaan, Hasan Raheem and Rovali of copying the melody of Chue Chue in their track Maand. The artists' work and the dispute have since drawn attention to questions surrounding musical originality and attribution. Zaain said the controversy was one of the reasons he felt the song should be reclaimed through a new release. He said he did not want the melody to be copied again or for the song to become associated primarily with other performers. "That's why I released Chue Chue 2.0 immediately," he said. For Zaain, the new version is therefore not simply an attempt to revisit an old hit, but a way of reaffirming his connection with a song that has remained an important part of his musical career. The singer said financial considerations were secondary to preserving that connection. "Money is not important for me," he said, adding that the song represented his identity and musical legacy. With Chue Chue 2.0, Zaain is seeking to retain ownership of its identity and association with its original performer.