Coke Studio Pakistan builds cross-border solidarity on YouTube, where comments celebrating shared culture and peace far outweigh hostility.
Authors
Ashutosh Kumar, Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Japan
Nisha Phakey, Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Psychology & Counselling, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Karishma Godara, Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Psychology & Counselling, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Summary
The study examines how Coke Studio Pakistan fosters desecuritisation between India and Pakistan through YouTube audience interactions. Drawing on scholarship about popular culture in international conflicts, this study situates music as a tool for reshaping the non-material dimensions of protracted rivalry. Applying securitisation theory, the paper analyses comments on three iconic performances Pasoori, Afreen Afreen, and Chaap Tilak. The research employs a mixed-methods sentiment and content analysis. Findings reveal that 40–47% of comments promoted peace and cultural kinship, while hostile remarks were rare (1–2%) and often discouraged. Desecuritising discourse received significantly higher engagement, reflecting audience endorsement of cross-border solidarity. The research positions YouTube as a contested yet transformative space where cross-border affinity is frequently observed. By showcasing organic expressions of shared identity and emotional reciprocity, the study underscores the digital platform’s potential to reshape protracted conflicts via cultural exchange, offering a bottom-up counterpoint to securitised geopolitics.
Published in: Communication Research and Practice
To read the full article, please click here.
