Armaan Malik: Feel like I’ve had a 25-year career in 16

Armaan Malik

The gamut of work he's constantly involved in keeps Armaan Malik frequently in the news, but, the last few months have been particularly special. It all began with a surprise performance with Ed Sheeran at the latter's city concert, which was subsequently followed by collaborations with pop megastars like The Chainsmokers, and Marshmallow. A recently released joint project with Brit singer-songwriter Calum Scott garnered views that ran into billions in no time, and if that's not enough, Malik also became the first musician to host his own podcast, Only Just Begun, on Apple Music. He admits that these recent developments have had the spotlight shine brighter on him now than ever before, but acknowledges us when we say they've been the culmination of strategic effort put in over several years.

"Of late, people are seeing me differently. Until now, they [looked at] me as an Indian playback singer. I've been a playback singer for 16 years, so it's part of my identity. But, in the last few years, I've been able to carve out a different identity for myself - that of an independent pop singer-songwriter. That culminated on that stage with Ed, because people finally saw me for who I wanted to be seen as. Many said it was good to see one of our people up there, on such a big stage. When I was harmonising with Ed, I did a bit of Indian classical too. So, I feel a sense of pride being on such a massive stage, with one of the biggest artistes in the world, and taking the Indian heritage, and music ahead," says the singer, lamenting that while he didn't have an idol from home turf to look up to when making comparisons with global megastars like Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and Beyonce, he certainly knows he can be one for the next generation.

Having reiterated that he has harboured the dream of being a global pop icon since childhood, the Kasam se singer has often spoken about being aware of the fact that Bollywood music would make him accessible to every Indian listener. Malik, however, didn't treat the genre as a stepping stone. He branched out and rendered music in every Indian language when the opportunity presented itself, and subsequently promoted, even celebrated regional music in India, and overseas. He indulges in an extensive discussion on the perks and challenges of rendering music in a variety of languages, all of which can be caught in the entire interview shared on mid-day's YouTube channel. But he does make a case for the Hindi language, asserting that he had to work hard to build a fan base for it.

"Hindi is not universally permeable. Spanish is, and now even Korean music has had that impact. From India, Punjabi music managed to break out, because there's a [massive] Punjabi diaspora in Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia. But, Hindi music has been linked to Bollywood, and has never been [a language associated with] the pop music scene. I've tried to push it with songs that are a mix of Hindi and English, but my entry point into the western world was through an out-and-out English number. After putting out five English singles, I created a song called Tu you, which was a Hindi derivative of my English song. That did incredibly well. And I want to be part of more such experiments in which I can showcase our language and culture. Having said that, I'm keen to do many more English songs, because, at this point, I aim to [create a fan base] outside the Indian diaspora as well. The non-Indian population has not warmed up to an Indian act yet, and that's a gap I'm looking to fill."

Malik continues to hail the power of social media, and acknowledges that today, an artiste need not go through the grind that he did - put out 300 songs over a 16-year career. And while the internet has created several stars overnight, surely there must be something that only experience could have taught him. His mantra for a long-running career is three-fold. "One, define your sound. My sound is pop music, and all the genres that come within it. It's the same space that Ed, Justin Bieber, and Charlie Puth explore. But, that need not necessarily be your space. So, understand what you relate to and make your world on social media in that space, in a strategic manner." Malik encourages artistes to use social media. "People would like to know who you are, as a person. I've been able to share a lot more about myself in the last few years. It's all about how you manage to tell your story. Finally, give yourself as many chances as you can, both to succeed and fail. You can go viral, but having a long career demands hard work, sincerity, and planning. I feel like I've seen a career worth 25 years cramped into 16. My goal is to build [careers of] pop artistes under my label, and share my knowledge."