Joy Shahriar’s new album now available; online, on cassette and on CD!

People often say that the good days pass, giving way to worse ones; it is human nature to cherish the past and dwell on memories. Through his latest work, musician Joy Shahriar seems to have reopened the diary of those memories, bringing the days gone by back to life. As a throwback in this era of Spotify and YouTube, he has reintroduced the album in the form of cassettes and CDs!

On Friday (November 13), Joy released his fifth studio album, titled Boka (Fool). Keeping up with the demands of the times, the songs are available on various streaming platforms, including YouTube and Spotify. Yet, he has also made them available in the classic, nearly forgotten formats of cassettes and CDs.

The album Boka was officially launched in Gulshan, Dhaka. It was unveiled by renowned lyricist Shahid Mahmud Jangi, legendary figure of the Bengali band music scene Hamin Ahmed, and the artist’s mother, Shahria Akhtar Bulu.

Speaking about the new album, Joy Shahriar remarked, “This is my first album in seven years. I am just as excited as I was for my very first one. I have created music that is true to my own style, and I hope my listeners will enjoy it.”

As for why he chose to include CDs and cassettes, the artist explained, “In this digital age, I wanted to introduce this generation to the concept of a physical album. Over the past few years, the popularity of CDs and vinyl records has seen a resurgence in many parts of the world. I am confident that a similar trend will take root here in our country as well.”

The album Boka features eight tracks. Joy Shahriar has written the lyrics, composed the music, and provided the vocals for all of them. Boka is now available on streaming platforms worldwide, including Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Deezer, and Shadhin. The album was released by Ajab Records, with T-shirts provided by N Stories, and the launch event was organized by Ajab Karkhana.

-    NS