Tejal Sinha
Singer Shashwat Singh is following the path of creating his own niche in the musical industry. Well, that’s not us telling this, but his work so far. He’s been the voice behind some of the most viral and beloved songs: Haan Main Galat (Love Aaj Kal 2), Dil se Sil, and Ishq Karu (Sitaramam), Pink Gulaabi Sky (The Sky is Pink), Alizeh (Ae Dil hai Mushkil), De Taali (Bhool Bhulaiya 2), Mere Sawal Ke (Shehzada), Kesariya Dance Mix (Brahmastra Part One- Shiva), and most recently the trending chartbuster Show me the Thumka (Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar). Already a vast list, we must say!
He initially began his journey under the mentorship of music maestro, AR Rahman. And he really feels grateful to work under his able mentorship. “I am one of the lucky few who started the journey with the maestro of the Bollywood industry, AR Rahman,” begins the Wat Wat Wat singer, further continuing: “I really count the blessings that I have received from the universe in the form of his mentorship. He plays a major role in who I am today as a musician and a singer. Every single studio session with him has been an eye-opener. There is a lot to learn from him; he is an ocean of musical and spiritual knowledge. We are all lucky to have been born in his time.”
Before that, he had been making some amazing independent music. But now, with the widespread recognition that he’s been receiving in Bollywood, we wonder if his priorities have changed. He shares, “I have loved music in all its forms, and I continue to love it the same way. If you ask me, what do I like more? Independent or Bollywood music? I don’t think I will do justice by choosing one because both fields have given me so much love and recognition from the audience. Bollywood, of course, has played a major role in bringing me onto the platform, but my independent music means a lot to me. It’s soul-searching for me, and that’s why I’m not in the rat race of releasing a song every month. I compose and release independent music when I want to, when I can do justice to it, when it makes sense, and when everything in my life is aligned with that piece of music. There is obviously a very small amount of money involved in independent music. Sometimes it gets difficult to motivate your team to work with you for little or no money because, in the long run, the streaming money doesn’t add up to a lot in our country yet. To keep making independent music, I have to use my own resources. So I make independent music when and how I want. I’m hoping I can improve on that end and keep the machinery of Indie music running.”
His most recent track Show Me The Thumka has been all around on social media. Be it for the tracks or the graceful moves of Shraddha Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, the track has been a major hit chartbuster. However, on the other side, the track had also been compared to the to-date top groovy songs of Ranbir Kapoor, Badtameez Dil. Many netizens had also pointed out how the filmmakers are trying hard to recreate the magic of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. When talking about this song, Shashwat had spoken up about the positive aspect, and that is the love he’s been receiving for the song. He shares along with a revelation, “Show Me The Thumka is one of the biggest songs I have sung. It is one of the many collaborations I have had with Pritam Da and also with Ranbir Kapoor. Like the process of any other song, Show Me The Thumka from the beginning, was fun to perform inside the studio in front of the microphone. Over a period of time, I recorded many different versions of the song. The final song alongside Sunidhi Chauhan Ma’am sounds amazing and so much fun. I am really thankful for the love it has received.”
For the singer, his music-making process has been different every time. However, sometimes maybe it repeats itself. “Sometimes I write the lyrics first and then compose a tune over it. There are times when I produce an entire beat and then I compose a tune over it and then write the lyrics. There is never one fixed way. Sometimes the indicator of a car can inspire a rhythm over which an entire song can be made. Sometimes the chirping of a bird inspires. Sometimes silence inspires,” adds the singer.
Recently, he also tried his voice in the rap genre with Kala Doreya. Sharing with us more about it, he explains, “Recently I got to collaborate on an album composed, produced, and released by Akriti Kakkar and directed by Chirag Arora, called The Big Band Theory. I got to be a part of Kala Doreya in the second season of TBBT alongside Nikhita Gandhi, and Akriti. I remember getting a call from Akriti; she asked, “Do you know how to rap?” I told her I have never done that before, but if she can make me do it, then I will definitely execute it in the studio. Her response was very sweet, and she sounded super excited to have me on board to try out the song. Once the song was done and we heard the whole thing again, the rap portion sounded fantastic, and I was so thrilled to be doing this on a song. The entire album is fantastic; everyone, please go and listen to all the songs.”
Shashwat has always been attracted to rap and would listen to a lot of music from the West that had rap in it. He shares, “I would rap with the track, so I always had a certain flow. There is a song of mine. It’s an independent song in which I have a rap, but it is still unreleased. After Kala Doreya, I think I will be pursuing rap a little more.”
These days, we see many songs consisting of rap. So we further asked if, as an artist, he feels that in a way it spoils the mood of other genres since not all the audience would love rap. He enthusiastically shares, “If it has been shoved in where it doesn’t belong, then it will not sound right and it will bother the listener. Very few artists in India are actually doing it the right way. Or at least only a few have been noticed. We usually end up following a pattern that works with the audience and that sells, and then we will continue to compose songs in the same pattern for at least a few years until everyone feels saturated. If hip-hop and rap are pursued like the art that they are, I think there will be a massive change in how people express themselves, how people look at poetry, and how people look at the art of speaking and expressing. Hip-hop brings a lifestyle change to society. It is a genre that not only brings up the musical world but also the fashion industry, the dancing industry, and many more.”
