Forever

The Story Behind Forever

Forever is Yasrah Haseeb's original for Nescafé Basement Season 4, first released in 2016 with music produced by Xulfi. Haseeb was fifteen when the performance appeared and had written the song at eleven. At her audition, Xulfi asked for an original after hearing her sing, and Forever secured her place on the show.

Haseeb sings and plays piano, with guitars, drums, keyboard and cello building out the ensemble. Sharoon Leo plays the cello she specifically wanted in the arrangement, while Anna Dar and Kristin Kanaria supply backing vocals. Xulfi described preserving the original melody, chords and lyrics while developing the arrangement and adding a bridge into the slow chorus. The recording captures a young songwriter bringing her own material into the show's collaborative studio setting.

Meaning & Translation

Forever means lasting for all time. In this song, the title can be read against a relationship that has ended, giving the idea of permanence a painful irony. The narrator is hurt when her boyfriend chooses someone else, but gradually finds the strength to move forward. Haseeb explained the song through loneliness, emotional scars and the distance that grows as people leave. She also said it was not based on her own experience. The central movement is from abandonment toward recovery: someone else's departure changes a life without ending its possibilities.