Dominated by lyrics declaring a burning desire for love and attachment, Sufi songs are unapologetically layered with spiritual meaning. The genre’s ever-growing mainstream popularity is a side effect of that accessibility. The first layer of Sufi songs’ lyrics seemingly explores a subject’s desire to be reunited with their loved one—a sense of yearning and unabashed desire is palpable. The second layer reveals the true meaning of the subject’s plight: the desire to be fulfiled by love for a higher being. In essence, this is the meaning for all things Sufi: love in its purest form. Sufism is a concept that derived from Islam and is attached to many groups whose practitioners are overtly keen to display their devotion to spiritual beings through dance and song. It’s enjoyed in diverse regional backgrounds—especially true for artists of various faiths in many mainstream South Asian industries. Indian pop and Bollywood producers, for example, are famed for popularising the works of Sufi poets in sleekly contemporary packages. The poetry of Sufi saints such as 17th-century writers Baba Bulleh Shah and Sultan Bahoo are popularly retold by various Sufis, including the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, an internationally renowned figure in Qawwali music (a prominent Sufi song form). Indian and Pakistani rock bands and solo acts have also fused traditional Sufi lyrics with modern guitar licks with great success. From major Hollywood productions to European and African artists, the mysticism of Sufi music still finds favour for its seductive and spellbinding power.