Change is a welcome constant in the life of an artist. Recognizing this as a sign of growth and development in their careers, musicians also take pleasure in their ability to change genres, styles and languages. 2022 saw significant diversity in independent music – be it jazz and soul singer Vasundhara V’s foray into Bollywood playback, singer Devika’s recent rendition of a track kalli kalli night From his mostly LoFi and slow tempo tracks, or from Rishad Chowdhary’s switch to country hip-hop and rap.
“For me, constantly changing genres is a cornerstone of my disruptive global music strategy. My global agent dictated that I do a song every 45 days in a different radio/music genre, which has become a mainstay in my music-making process. I am never in my comfort zone and that is the area I thrive in,” shared singer-songwriter and author Vineet Singh Hukmani, who released a book in 2022 with nine stories and nine songs. Their three singles which were in the genres of electro-pop. , di da da da), Folk singer ( city streets) and R&B gospel ( light of the world,
change without changing
An artist’s desire to experiment becomes stronger when the identity that establishes him does not demand drastic change. Vasundhara says singers often feel pressured to conform to a trend or modify their vocals to an already established standard. “For me, it’s non-negotiable. Instead, I want to present who I am as a singer and let the producers use this as a jumping board for new experiments.
for her song kalli kalli nightIn 2007, Devika set her protagonist to call her abandoned lover on a dark night in electronic pop-rock style with emotional and edgy vocals, which was different from her usual slow tracks. Devika says, “The video treatment, outfits and styling are also more dramatic than my earlier videos – with deep black backgrounds contrasting with the sometimes desolate scenes in the desert.”
element of surprise
after the overnight success of draw my photo In 2016, Akasa Singh continues to make a mark with her music and 2019 Nagin became angry. After this, he made songs like lotus makeup, And understand in various styles. “Artists and producers tend to release songs in the same pattern when a song is successful, whereas I love to explore completely different genres and surprise my audience,” says Akasa.
Composer OAFF aka Kabir Kathpalia and his collaborator for Savera the depths The album was an overwhelming experience. They admit that they were under pressure for time, but they were able to push themselves and do things in ways they usually wouldn’t. Says Savera, “Pushing the envelope is an integral part of my writing process. I’m blessed to be able to experiment through both my pop music and independent music. Having said that, I would love to dip my toes into other genres like dream pop.
Believing that being creative is not about being in one place but constantly on the move, QAFF says, “I want to enjoy the process of creating. So, it’s important to me to keep trying new things so that I’m excited about what might happen and not knowing where I’ll end up.
expanding the soundscape
Hyderabad-based Kashyap is one of the finds of Day One, a label by Sony Music that supports new and emerging South Asian talent. At the age of 20, he released his first single bit lost Last year, saw a fresh and innocent take on love and romance. Although he says he tries to make music that is authentic to his personality, trying something new and making it work is what motivates him personally as an artist. He says, “I have always tried to do things that are out of my comfort zone. All my releases are completely different from each other bit lost recently released dure, Although they all fall under the pop genre, I’ve explored all kinds of sounds.”
Yaksha’s acoustic guitarist Aditya Mohanan and handpan specialist Ishaan Zaveri are an experimental instrumental duo, rarely in their comfort zones, but where they feel most comfortable. Ishaan says, “Yaksh strives to embody the inherently fluid nature of music through improvisation. This means that every time we play a song, it comes out differently. The same song is never played twice.
Agreeing with Ishaan, Aditya stresses on the spontaneity of his music. “We draw from many musical sources – Hindustani, Carnatic, blues, folk, funk, you name it. So the music is quite spontaneous and our producers usually try to capture every nuance and dialogue Since we do not belong to any established style or genre, packaging and marketing is something we will be experimenting with for the foreseeable future,” he says.
sound source
Earlier this year, singer-songwriter and musician Aditya A released the single moon earrings Through Sony Music India which appealed to the netizens at large. The romantic ballad was widely used by all content creators in their short-form videos. ‘energized’ by the success of moon earringsAditya says that he has been experimenting with his music for a while now. He added, “I would like to try my hand at different sonic palettes.”
DJ producer Sarthak Sardana aka Sartek attributes his success to his unique combination of his own voice and trending sounds, releasing consistently over time. “My songs progressed from electronic dance music to melodic house remixes and tech house reworks of folk songs,” says Sartek, “The key to staying relevant in the industry is to evolve.” When I produced my Folk House EP, I found it difficult to step out of my comfort zone until audiences started responding positively. The days of the artist sticking to his voice are over; Now, to reach new audiences, new ways have to be found to do something different.”