King on re-imagined version of 'Maan Meri Jaan' : If mine is red, Nick Jonas's is like a black rose

King and Nick Jonas

King gets rather poetic when describing the re-imagined version of his hit track, Maan meri jaan, featuring Nick Jonas. "If my original track was like a red rose, this new version is like a black one. It's still a rose but with a darker undertone. The composers have made it more personal for the listener," says King of the collaboration with the American pop artistes, better known to fans in India as Priyanka Chopra's husband. Jonas's ability to create a track that could appease listeners in India and the west gave King a first-hand experience of his "mastery" over the craft. "The plan wasn't to introduce Hindi melody or verses for him. We wanted a track that musically bridged the [east] and west. When an artiste is able to make a typical song for [another market] you can get a sense of their vast music library."

Having found success within a rather short span of time since his career's onset, King says his ability to create tracks that cater to the masses has been his only priority. "The moment one tries to complicate matters and make a song that's all too technical is when [he] will lose the interest of listeners. Rap artistes often get so involved in the music that they don't realise that a song needs to be easily consumable for a listener rushing around while navigating a 9-to-5 job."
He says that navigating the thin line between catering to the masses and keeping from falling for commercial tropes is where a true artiste's prowess is exposed. "Music is a blend of magic, and engineering. You may be a fine engineer, but if there is no magic or soul in the music, it won't work. The downfall of some of the most popular artistes has been due to monotony."

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When musicians within the industry fail to succeed despite consuming the works of popular artistes, he asks them to dig deeper. "Winters are cold, and hence, listeners like to consume songs that they can listen to in their personal space. Sad or love songs work in the rains. In summer, visibility is great, so people love [club] bangers or songs that they can listen to [in large crowds]. People pray to the lord but don't pay heed to the preaching. Similarly, if a rapper merely listens to celebrated artistes without attempting to decipher why the artiste did something at a certain time, [they will fail]."

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