Exposing The Music Industry Politics - @Armaan Malik| Bollywood & Nepotism | FO89 Raj Shamani

there was a phase where I was replaced. from quite a few songs okay in Bollywood. which kind of like uh scarred me in a. way I've moved on from you know doing. stuff like this I'm more than. concentrated on doing my independent. Stuff stage I'm always scared even today. pizzas are very important uh a luxury. car for sure is very important is this. last ticket do you ask for you and your. team first to be manglatan first class.

thing yeah. in today's episode we have armaan Malik. The Sensational singer from India who. sings in more than 10 plus languages and. comes from a hardcore music family still. his father didn't want him to join or. get into music at all in fact when he. joined a reality TV show he got rejected. because of nepotism we've always heard. that nepotism gets you ahead in your. life but he got blocked all the way and.

why you're gonna figure out in today's. episode we've talked about how does he. make songs which gets viral what is his. process to become a brand which he's. becoming how does he chooses the next. step how does he make sure that he's. building right now kind of community and. how does he makes money and spends that. money as well. foreign.

I think you know we should get him. trained or whatever and then I think at. the age of quite early four or five I.

started you know I got enrolled into a. music class and uh I absolutely hated it. when I initially started okay. you know Rags. five five year old jumping into a whole. world which is unknown to him he know he. knows that he has some like internally. can add in all these complexities.

so I immediately went to my mom and said. okay then we found another uh uh guruji. who taught me uh you know semi-classical. not exactly full okay full-blown. classical and vape. music education that became the. foundation uh for me as a singer and. then uh you know my mom comes from a. background which is completely. non-musical okay she's in uh you know a.

family's full of Engineers doctors that. she's a South Indian so yeah you know. the the really educational background. she comes from and. um she wanted me to complete my. education complete education which. eventually didn't happen. when we come to that we'll talk about it. but uh you know when she told me that. she wanted me to pursue this as a career. because I thought always that my mom is.

you know the very business oriented or. like we have to we have to land a job. yeah okay job career is what probably. she thought because she she saw my dad. not being successful in in this chosen. yeah and she's seen his struggles and. been with him through those struggles so. she's like we I don't want my kids to go. through all of that I want them to be. well educated and get all security you. know how Indian parents are especially. when the like our parents Generations.

so dad also was pretty much on the same. page music let them do it as a hobby. um. foreign. it became serious when I started winning. these competitions when people started. coming to them and saying okay listen. your son is really really good at what. he does he's really good at singing so. somewhere they're like if we curtail if. if we stop him from singing or stop him. from doing music maybe we'll Rob him of. a future that is actually destined for.

him true true so my parents got really. behind me at eight nine to pursue. singing completely okay because they saw. the potential in me they saw that you. know he's doing well in it uh The Next. Step however was the controversial one. within my family okay where is it I and. my me and my mom actually took the call. of uh you know going for the audition. for saregamapa where my dad wasn't very. much on board of that or like he just.

didn't want me to go on any reality show. or you know be out there in the public. uh because you know obviously he might. have had scars from the industry which. he doesn't want foreign. I won't clear the audition or I won't. participate in it but at least if I go. at least I know that I tried given the.

fact that I've done so many inter-school. competitions and won them I thought. maybe you know this could be what. happened when you won this so I went I. auditioned and I auditioned not as. armaan Malik I just auditioned as armaan. from Mumbai okay oh because I did not. want anyone to be like okay he's you. know double Malik's son and I know Alex. nephew and he comes from this big family. so I didn't want any of that uh yeah it. would be very honest uh as much as I. hate seeing it it was a baggage because.

I'm very proud of my family and my. legacy that that I'm carrying forward my. dada's legacy is something which is very. very important for me so I would never. want to call it baggage but there is. there is baggage because the name is so. much yeah it's so prominent in the. industry so uh I didn't want anyone to. make that a judging point I wanted them. to judge me for me whether I'm a good. singer or no and in in in any of the. decisions it would affect you and and it.

would affect everyone if you start using. your name if you would have started. using your name there keyboard. I got rejected at a point where and one. of the judges said. so that kind of like hit me and I was. like okay maybe you know people that by. that time they had realized that I am. from this family background okay uh.

actually the first day I appeared on TV. my dad didn't know about it and he got. calls from like all his friends. and then suddenly uh we surprised him. and we switched on the audition tape and. that's when he realized I have. participated in the show he didn't want. to live what was his reaction. my dad is full Dal badlu after that okay. what happened when he got started. getting all these calls.

that's what he became but I mean. honestly I'm so glad I went on that show. because I learned a lot what did you. learn what was the main thing uh I. learned that I have lots to I learned. that I was not a good singer not that. good um. okay I was like I was decent I was young. very young I was nine when I entered on. the show and I turned 10 on the show and. the other kids were way more mature than.

me when it comes to singing uh when it. comes to having done live shows they had. more experience than me in that manner. and eyes on the show I realized here I'm. good but I'm not there yet true I'm not. the best at what I do so I think that. was very very important that Awakening. for me as an artist here after I'm done. because I got eliminated on that show on. the eighth position I was in top ten and. eighth I was eliminated as soon as I got. out of that show I worked so damn hard.

so damn hard on My Singing I was like I. do not want to ever feel like on stage. I'm any less than perfect and do you. feel that now uh I mean you still feel. that no I feel that I'm not good yeah no. I don't think so I don't I don't you go. on stage with think believing that. you're the best yes that's very. important why do you feel like do you. feel that I mean it's important but do. you ever look at other creators other. artists or the musician be like I'm not. saying.

am I best at what I do there's a very. clear difference between that there are. there are two ways of looking at it. that is my confidence that is not. overconfidence it's just confidence in. what you can offer as a singer and. that's what I wanted because at that. time when I was on that show I was a kid. not knowing what was happening I was.

just singing. today after so many years having done so. many songs so many shows I have that. confidence that when I go on stage and I. get a mic in my hand I will slay and. come back that confidence is there Fair. no one is 100 perfect in this world that. you me anybody no one is perfect too but. we have to be great at what we do you. cannot you cannot just be okay yeah you. have to be awesome at what you do if if. Tiger Woods was not Tiger Woods at at.

his playing he wouldn't be Tiger Woods. it's ashamed even even Sachin sir yeah. or you know take any other Sportsman or. musician Michael Jackson for a uh you. know for a reference point from a. musician he was amazing at what he does. best dancer best life performer best. singer that I have seen and singer and. Dancer together yeah that's again a very. rare combination very rare so you have. to be amazing at your craft and today. also literally if one note also goes off.

on on like a live performance I beat. myself about it. and I I feel I feel like. next day again I get back again to the. drawing board and I'm like. I started analyzing. and start working on it okay so you know. there are two three things I want to.

tell you first was about the passion you. said I'm a big believer of this that. people's people keep saying right find. your passion discover your passion I. don't believe that ever happens. you are always given passion you're. given by other people so you do. something and because you just felt like. there was a curiosity the moment you do. it and somebody compliments you on that. you're like oh damn I'm good at it and. then you because someone else. complimented you you work harder to.

prove them that hey you know what I'm. really good at this that's why I'm doing. it and you want more people's. compliments and that eventually becomes. your passion because if you look at any. process or there's music where this. podcasting speaking entrepreneurship. whatever worldwide any anything you're. in passion is really boring. like you get I mean singing. right everybody wants to be a singer. though real viral okay everybody likes.

it. but you actually when you start taking. classes you realize. right I and I got my first sense of this. I thought that. music is my passion and I want to play. it because I heard Green Day and. Coldplay. I went to guitar class do three days. into it I was like what the hell am I. doing cookie one two three four like you. know that finger exercise one two three. it's just three days seven years.

sorry I don't like this it's so boring. so it's so boring it's so irritating. it's so annoying that is where. Perfection lies exactly the boring stuff. yeah when you do boring stuff again and. again again and again. that's when you become a master at what. you do too that's how it is true people. can't like especially people who want to. excel at what they do you have to do the. boring stuff repeatedly oh for sure yeah.

so there's a I recently read a quote. that. when your board of your boredom is when. you have done something good. because. yeah but still if you're doing it your. drive is so big that you don't care. about your boredom you don't care about. your discipline you don't care about. that you're doing it every day yeah is. when you actually kind of start. achieving certain things because you're. done with it okay so tell me one thing I.

had a question. okay about. one thing you said key your dad maybe. didn't want you to go to reality show. yeah right why do you think. obviously you don't know the reason but. she didn't want to know I think maybe he. just didn't want his son to be judged in. front of the whole world. and maybe in a way I thought he he felt. I'm too young or too. uh underprepared maybe could be. Fair I've always felt like I've had to.

make sure like I remember this one. performance I had done uh at an awards. show this was a few years later when I. kind of was uh you know just starting. out as a playback singer okay uh and I. was given this opportunity to do a uh do. an srk tribute actually oh nice and I. sang I sang mitwa and uh you know I. could and that's the first time the. industry was in the audience as in the.

most important people in our industry. were in the audience and there was srk. service well obviously and I was singing. it and that was my first I would say. introduction as a singer to so many. people uh from our industry who were. at least for us it was at for me and my. dad and like our family was like yeah. this guy is. this is this guy is someone to look out. for so that pressure and if you if you.

see that clip also it is online uh. there's a certain dirt in my eyes and. I'm looking at my dad and Dad's looking. at me so we're literally talking to each. other and communicating through our eyes. and saying. we have to do our best because very. rarely you get such moments where you. can prove that you are worth it but you. have are you happy about that I was. extremely happy extremely happy I was. not ex I was not happy about my facial.

expressions because it looked like I was. scared but internally I was like I have. to prove a point that's why you know the. face always mirrors what you're feeling. inside singing was on point which I'm. glad about. uh but uh it's just the fact that you. know there was time. you know we we were the Lesser known. Maliks from our family okay so it was. like yeah I had to show that you know. why we why we deserve a place at the.

table um. so many emotions mixed together so many. emotions and the the fact that you know. I've seen my dad go through his share of. uh fair share of struggles uh you know. the kind of um stuff that didn't happen. for us the stuff that should have. happened and didn't happen and like you. know always. a family so I was like you know I have.

to put a stop to this today with this. performance so you know there are a lot. of those moments in life where uh. it's a good pressure I feel because you. know when you're nervous you always want. to give you more than 100 yeah and I. feel like the nervousness is very. important even today I have these. butterflies stage I'm always scared even. today bro. both important.

uh I don't know if if where I had. learned this or heard this but I this. there was this one line here if you're. scared that means you care yeah and and. that that is one emotion that I want to. keep within me till I'm human it's. humanly possible to still perform you. know I believe that musicians rappers. performers you guys are the best at. reading audience you are the best. Educators you're the best cultural.

culture Builders you're the best like. how do I tell you that's a word. like connection Builder or something I. don't know if that's a word but you guys. are the best at just you have the crowd. control in a way which is wild so srk. like what do you know that you you. control a crowd in such a good way. because I've seen great performers. like it's so difficult you're performing. in front of thousand people two thousand.

ten thousand people and these ten. thousand people they they are silent the. moment you are silent they shout when. you want them to shout they they sing. when you want them to say like it's the. control is so much yeah do you practice. that like how do you control how do you. build that connection with audience. is it just because of music no I mean. see it depends on what kind of a show it. is and uh it also depends on how. experienced you are as a live performer. because the more you perform the more.

you get to know your audience and each. audience in each city is very different. okay especially when I because I sing in. more than 12 languages so when I go to a. Bangalore and I'm singing in kannada uh. that audience reacts very differently. and I have to be a little different in. that City when compared to a Delhi or a. Mumbai so this is my way of functioning. uh and it's not because I do this. because people expect me it's because I. as a person I'm like that yeah I want to.

be. I want to merge with people where they. are how they are and be part of their. family wherever it is whether it's in. Bengal whether it's in Bangalore or. whether it's in Hyderabad I want them to. feel like I'm one of their own and you. can only do that when you have a very. very very glued in understanding of what. the culture is about wow dude that's. that's so interesting do you read about. cultures Do You observe for me it's more.

observation for me it's more about. listening to what people are uh you know. saying talking feeling uh what are they. happy about what are they sad about what. is marked as respectful and what isn't. what is disrespectful there are. different things what is respectful in. one part of the country may not be. respectful in the other part too so I. mean it's always it's very very. different and especially in India we. have a very very varied like cultural. Fabric in our country like the north is.

completely different from the south and. yeah the East has its own Vibe. completely. and uh you know you have to just be. spending more and more time around the. people there just grasping that you can. never learn this by reading anything. obviously you can learn history you can. learn where people came from and what. their culture is in general but culture. culture is different and culture what. you get in books is different. you can know uh you know a places.

culture or a regions Culture by staying. with the People by learning how they're. living their life in general and how. they're talking feeling that's where I'm. glued in I'm glued in on a more human. level than then I would say uh you know. yeah rather than a bookish level I'm. more like what are you as a person like. I I let the other person tell me who. they are without even telling me who. they are and that's where I pick up all. these signals and then I know that you. know when I come on stage this is what I. have to do uh very interesting cookie I.

think that's so important. if you are operating in different parts. of the country if you're operating. worldwide you just need to understand. and observe okay what are they made of. what do they respect what do they value. the most and you have to be emotionally. aware I feel as an artist as a singer as. a performer you have to be very. emotionally aware because people have. come there to watch and feel. hmm whether it's a whether it's a party. feel or whether it's a something that.

they've come with their better half so. they want to feel romance or feel love. or feel emotions or that you have to be. very emotionally aware as a performer. yeah singers have a lot of technical. Radars as well technical technical. Raider radar what do you call it Raider. right I don't know radar I think yeah. definitely does in what way like what do. you have your own requirements. so when Justin Bieber came to India yes.

um. so artists do that a lot okay so I. started reading about it on multiple. Pages everywhere that fascinated. [Music].

because I know. it looks very easy for a lot of people. but organizations. right it's very difficult to convince. them to do it so I started reading about. it and started finding out. given artist is singing completely in. the moment there in the zone okay there. are highest chances of them to face any.

kind of. stroke or heart related things or any. kind of like you know blood pressure. related okay because they are such they. are at such a high of their life. emotions. so there are a lot of artists. I read it like it so it becomes very. closely because I just thought maybe. because they are artists of a superstar. level they have certain same even though.

I started reading right tusks or. whatever bro there's proper science. behind it there are certain so Michael. Jackson used to have oxygen cylinders on. its stage do you know this. so Michael Jackson used to have in his. Green Room on this stage he used to have. oxygen cylinders because that is the. only thing which was keep his skin. properly glowing throughout the entire. performance wow because at this stage. when you're super in the zone.

and you're putting your in your full. efforts is in that game and you need to. be looking the certain way singing the. certain when you need to feel zero. uncomfort because oxygen Authority. when they are they're usually. high on certain substances they are. usually in there may be emotionally. maybe on alcohol maybe on some substance. so do you have a rider or have you ever.

thought of these things every artist has. a writer it just depends on how uh crazy. your Rider is. health coaches performance coaches. I mean for me it's uh I mean the the. basic right part of any Rider is.

obviously the hospitality and the cars. or the hotels and stuff like that but. from a from a more uh comfort point of. view uh The Green Room technicalities. are something that I make sure that I. have like give me a list of armaan Malik. Rider which. for me bro I I'm I have uh very English. personally. okay uh I need uh I need a kettle so.

that I can make warm water okay you need. Kettle you'll warm your own water you. need somebody to just keep giving you. warm water again no no I mean there. should be enough water for me to hydrate. myself because when you sing you need a. lot of water okay uh I need a kettle to. make warm water so that I can keep. sipping it until I can I go on stage uh. and uh lots of uh hand towels because. you're sweating. uh I need uh my separate mic which is my.

own mic though we carry all the time. yeah I carry on my obviously uh firstly. because. um of hygiene purposes because all of us. used so many different mics uh from. different people they've been close to. it you don't know what germs are there. so hygiene purpose is most importantly. and second aesthetically I have my logo. on the mic so pictures of kitchen. so I mean my uh Rider Percy is not uh I.

don't have jacuzzis I don't have any of. these asks no it's not like Emoji G63. jhr bounces. are very important uh a luxury car for. sure is very important okay is this last. ticket do you ask for you and your team. yeah yeah that's for sure first to be. mongolism first class. you shared a recent you shared recently.

an experience of lip synced performance. very viral okay so I that reminded me of. one of my favorite artists favorite is. Justin Bieber yeah I love the guy. and I went to attend his concert in Navi.

Mumbai. and I hated it yeah okay maybe he was. not going through a good phase or. whatever the reason was he was lip. syncing the last leg of his uh. he canceled his full North America dates. after the India show and South Africa. show or some show you performed there no. no no no okay so Justin Bieber life I. went there I was super excited. right afraid it was terrible performance.

or lip sync performance so I hated it. lip sync performance so when you posted. that it gave me that Vibe here okay. that's so what's your take on that the. thing is in India another problem it's. not I wouldn't say problem see there are. there are different breeds of. artists and performers. some artists are artists that do not. sing life and people in the Western. World know that they don't sing they. just go because there's their favorite.

artist they want to listen to their. music. there's that perspective there okay uh a. lot of times hip-hop artists are not. singing live okay do you know that I. don't know if you know that mm-hmm. and now I know. actually God they're not they're not. showing effort there's no effort per se. but they're vibing they're chilling.

that's probably how hip-hop concerts. work I don't know I'm not in that world. so I really can't comment on those. performances but there are actual people. who are claiming to be singles but are. not singing live in concerts and I have. a problem with that because. see people work hard earn money they. don't want their money to go waste. they do not want their love for the. artist to go waste now when a fan of. mine comes to a concert of of mine.

it's my responsive responsibility to. give them the best concert I can now if. I'm not well on that day or if there's. some other circumstance I'm not being. able to give him 100 my 70 80 percent my. 50 is also acceptable. but completely not doing it or even a. cancellation and then doing a show later. on is fine but lip syncing is I. personally feel is not not something. that is Justified because if you're a.

single singer now when it comes to. rappers and like I don't know that whole. hip-hop space how it works I have mostly. seen them. completely lip syncing and just hyping. the audience of her rather than actually. singing the song Maybe it works in that. world I could be wrong in the singing. world but in the singing world where you. are a singer you have songs where you're. singing not rapping. um single songs are you claiming that. you're a singer it just works out if. you're a singer then sing. if you're a singer and you're doing a.

concert the least someone is going to. want is for you to sing now least you. must love. to do I would say I do 90 of nine I. would say 90 95 of my concerts live. there is a five percent aspect where I. have a backing vocal behind because I'm. going to be tired in a certain section. in my concert where I have to dance and. sing their vocals are playing and I. openly admitted to my fans my fans know.

it and everyone who comes to my concert. also knows which which that section is. there's a dance section where I'm. dancing and singing there are vocals. playing behind with my live voice also. okay. but it's there for support because. a person cannot sing those many hours. without. it yeah it's not going to be possible. but I can 100 guarantee saying that my. shows are 90 95 life. um. very and there are 100 live also but it.

depends on the show whether you do. dancey songs whether you require that. energy throughout that two and a half. it's a very different it's objective is. relative but live gonna say if you're a. singer. why is someone paying a ticket and. wanting to see you. because you're gonna give them an. experience. [Music].

I might be wrong but at least if you're. a singer or claiming to be a singer. same hey this this gets me to a like. quick detour of from my question. overrated underrated okay yeah which one. do you feel is your most underrated song. I put out this song called. which was a Ghazal with uh sanjali love. and salisa okay and I feel like more. people should listen to that because. people feel like I don't sing uh you.

know in that classical Vibe of Brazil. Vibe uh they should check that out and. see I have that side to me as well okay. and which one do you feel is the most. overrated song overrated. very difficult for an artist to answer. this but you have to I don't know I feel. like. overrated. um. there's this one remake I think which I. had done uh which. I'm like okay it's.

uh like I I like it but it's not it's. not worth that crazy hype like uh this. was this uh I don't know if you remember. that song. and uh you know I was like okay tickets. I mean it's it's true as a good special. name. I love that the way you recreated it and. like sounds so fresh.

especially. but yeah I mean I I would say yeah that. I feel is overrated but I mean I could. be wrong yeah this gets me to a point. that. especially post pandemic generation the. younger generation every music. enthusiast is now have started shifting. to Indie music like they've started. accepting that as a genre before that in. India it was not there right so do you. feel that people are shifting from. Bollywood to Independent music.

okay so I was coming to like a reason so. that is happening the shift is happening. okay shift has happened. people don't honestly like I feel like. the content that's coming out from. Bollywood music is from Bollywood movies. in terms of music is not is not there. yet I mean very very few individuals. like uh you know Vishal shekhar uh. pritam sir uh Arijit these are the guys. who are I would lit I would say.

literally saving Bollywood music at this. point because they're putting out some. amazing songs in the last you know few. months uh but other than that I don't. think there's anything that's that's. really clicking with me is it because a. lot of Bollywood also started having. like just remix remix I've moved on from. Bollywood to be very honest okay as a. singer also what's your take on the. remix and the remake music I've done. I've done a few myself uh I've done uh I.

don't know how many but I've definitely. done eight to ten remix. uh I would say I'm proud of the way that. they have been remade. I just don't like that there's so many. number of remakes happening. 90s early 2000s. um you know there were those uh really. you know the DJ remixes that used to. happen at one point. uh so there have been phases in the. industry but there have been phases.

in the last four or five years original. songs are like almost 20 and 80 is. and uh I mean some of them are good some. of them are not so good and uh you know. my take on it I wouldn't say take I mean. today also if someone asks me to sing. one I'll think 100 times before singing. it because firstly you want to get Flack. for it yeah because the real purists of. the industry will be like. true but at the same time there have.

been remakes of mine that have gone to. win people's hearts like garcinical. there was a song which had put out which. uh uh you know got famous through meme. uh at one point uh but uh the song. really the people really loved that song. and today's generation you know. especially the youngsters didn't know. the song. yeah so in that way I feel like there. are certain songs which have been.

brought back to life and have become a. new song for the for today's generation. which they would never know that the. song ever existed if it wasn't remade so. I would say a few remakes here and there. there's no problem the sheer quantity of. the way that it's been done and the you. know like every movie now has like a. remake from some other yeah. to be very honest you know as as a uh as. someone who's part of the industry like.

from a uh from an artist perspective. I've moved on from you know doing stuff. like this I'm more in concentrated on. doing my independent stuff and my. English and first coming to regional. songs I was coming to that do you. did you shift from playback Bollywood. singing to Independent singing because. you saw that shift happening. or what was the reason I always wanted. to do that I foresaw I mean I I feel. like I had a certain bit of a.

you would say sixth sense that dear. shift. I called it quite a few years back and. uh I would say I was one of the first. movers in the industry to move from. capture that space uh especially when I. did English music when one expected me. to One Fine Day people wake up and. there's a new song by armaan Malik which. is not in Hindi and it's in English and. it's the video is international and like. he's on a Times Square billboard and. he's signed a deal and suddenly people.

are like wait what has happened. but it's not been sudden for me I've. been planning it there's been a strategy. to it uh you know I've always wanted to. do that and silently I was working. to do that uh while I was doing my. Bollywood playback singing uh but I saw. that transition happen there were two. reasons uh you know. firstly uh there was a phase where I was. replaced from quite a few songs okay in. Bollywood which kind of like uh scarred.

me in a way okay as an artist I was like. you know am I not a good singer am I not. being able to sing well no doubt Channel. again that is not something that I can. ever let that happen to me because I. know that I'm very sure of how I am as a. singer but these circumstances sometimes. just you getting replaced and someone. else yeah it's not because I'm see if if. now I'm being replaced because I have.

not sung the song well I'll accept that. but if I'm replaced uh because of. certain factors or some politics that's. happening that's unacceptable for me and. that happened so much to me at that. point and still happens to me at this. point also let me be very Frank with you. I moved on from Bollywood I was like. there's nothing left here for me as an. artist because. I go to a studio. I sing a song I mean I I don't know if. you're aware of this I've said this in. multiple interviews singers don't get.

paid to sing in movie songs uh I don't. know what if you have learned you do you. know that yeah yeah I've heard that you. I've heard that from you only yeah you. said in some other interview as well so. uh I mean to be honest there's there's. no uh. obviously if you do certain things for. the love of music. but there's also a monetary motivation I. mean why are you doing your job true. true you love your job but it also.

earning from it for sure there is it's. being streamed it's you do shows you do. talks there's a monetary stream that's. coming in because you are getting the. money in and the pleasure of what you do. or what I do is we just make money by. doing what we love but at the end of the. day we want to make it yeah that's a. beauty but at the end we need it or else. I enter the studio because I want to. sing a song yeah not because I want that. money but yes after I've performed the.

song I do want that money of course and. it's because I've done a service it's. it's just at the end of the day think of. it as a job now I've gone and done my. work. you know you have people who are working. on laborers or whatever you are going to. compensate them. be at the lowest level or the highest. level or whatever it is whether it's an. employee or a boss or a partner or. whatever they're all waiting for yeah I. put in my work I want this true even. prime minister gets paid bro yeah so. yeah so it's as simple as that.

and uh it's it's it's crazy that you. know as as singers we don't get to see. that but however playback singers don't. get paid yeah and we are so used to that. fact that wolves. oh so it's like it's always a. conversation like people don't get paid. there's no conversation.

there's no conversation it's just that. listen are you free to come to the. studio I'm like huh I can come let me. come we sing the song. um. it goes to the labels.

so I mean it could be a story that we. are uncovering here or that there have. been talks about it before but you know. not many people know this yeah general. public doesn't know that their favorite. artists are not being paid uh general. public the fields like bro you are. married.

but yeah I mean you know it's it's uh. that phase where I was being replaced. and you know it hurt me to a point where. I was like you know to hell with this. um I don't want to do this because I'm. not being my soul is not being nourished. even if I'm not being paid. it's it's crazy that we're putting the.

money to the side but leave it to the. side even the fact of singing is not. giving me happiness because I'm firstly. not doing songs that I want to do yeah. when I want to do certain songs and I. sing it being replaced without being. told what the reason is there's no like. I would say suppose you're a composer. and I'm singing for you. um I have sung the song and I go back. and tomorrow releasing someone else's. voice no problem. you felt like someone else.

I feel it's not something that I feel is. suitable for the song we'll do another. song soon this one I might not be able. to use your voice simple conversations. once he understands that the song was. not given to him because maybe it didn't.

suit the song that's something that he. can still. deal with and move forward no problem. next time. when you realize that it's replaced. because of other factors. then you're like the other factors like. some see there are factors where people. want to push other singers where they. feel they have a vested interest in. pushing out the singles okay. what are the best they're interested. tell me about it I want to know I mean.

there are times where you are signed to. a label you're not signed to a label. there are different factors signed. artists get more priority over no. unsigned now that I was not not non-sign. I was also signed to labels uh but. that's sometimes what happens is that. reference is given more to other singers. and uh that happens and they go ahead. and sing that no problem there's no. stress I have I'm so sure of myself now. I didn't ever feel like a singing. I knew that it's all other kind of.

politics and uh this happened quite. often. when it happens quite often uh you start. thinking yeah wait is there some is it. then again. and I was like listen I can't let this. happen to me I took a break from. everything from shows from songs. everything and went to search myself. okay where did you go what did I went in.

New Zealand okay it's uh my I have. family that's there and it's a beautiful. country and I just wanted to open my. mind and. when I came back I decided something I. decided to care. Bollywood songs it's fine I know my fans. will be disappointed they'll be like. why am songs coming in movies why don't. you sing more abibi I get a lot of. messages. you know a lot of people message me. advance.

I can't explain to them the politics of. the industry but it's fine to the side I. decided here if I am to continue doing. music because I love music okay I'm. gonna do music that I believe in on my. own terms and the way I want to do it. that's when I did independent music. I'm the deciding factor I am in control.

and control was my first song as well. I mean it was about a controlling. relationship. but. um it actually echoed the feelings that. I felt you know I can't take it anymore. is one of the lines in that song. so to be very honest I I was so done. with being a playback singer because it. was not giving me the. as an artist you want to feel fulfilled. or you want to feel happy your soul. needs to feel nourished to doing.

something and. systems. so that's when this transition happened. from being a playback singer to an. independent and a pop artist you know. but. honestly. amazing Sweet Valley Instagram posts. plus right when you look when we look at. you. it's like it looks like oh child prodigy.

um. correct. right because I and. you read these comments you read these. things people talk about this life is. so how did you face like any struggle. apart from the struggle which you are.

facing right now because yes. to me that's a very wild thought yeah. it's talking to me I don't know general. public okay. so with you you felt see this is one. part of my struggle but if I say if I've. struggled struggle with. [Music]. there are so many people who want to. become singers.

everyone is going to look at someone. like me who comes from a family be like. this guy got everything on on a silver. plate yeah. okay I come from this family uh the. reason I didn't take my family's name. while going on saregamapa was that I. don't want these questions to come but I. foreign because I. belong to this family those questions. will never stop. so my job is to continue doing my best.

work. I cannot sit and answer everyone and. prove to everyone why I am uh why it's. Justified I am where I am hmm. true and it's also. because if you actually go down to do. that now. you can't you can't really win any. argument with those people because. they're like no but you are this. person's son you got to meet this person. you got that song yeah they will always. have that reasoning but when you go to. explain to them that are if I didn't. sing that song well I wouldn't know.

foreign. tough for a person who who's completely. from no musical background who doesn't. know film industry comes and becomes a. superstar I mean that I respect that. Journey a lot I respect my journey also. a lot maybe people might not respect it.

as much as a outsider's journey. but I know what I have faced I know what. I have what obstacles I have had to. clear to be who I am sitting in front of. you having this conversation and. millions of people listening to us right. now I look it up srk a lot like like I. look up to him a lot because of The. Branding the way he's in building. everything and I. I study I told you like one of my. favorite subjects since so I started my. first business when I was 16. yeah and. since then 15 16 said I just study why.

people do what they do it's just I don't. know why it just makes me super curious. it did drives me. intentions. do you do the certain branding things as. well yeah yeah there's a strategy to. everything I'll give you an example. which I noticed in srk.

the Shahrukh Khan. played an emotionally available man. in every of his in in most of his movies. and he just showed that in every movie. he is emotionally available to the women. um.

I don't think that's coincidence. do you do certain things in with your. music or maybe the way you look at. social media with your audience which is. very subtle and you want.

yeah you don't need to do anything else. yeah yeah so I think that same rule. applies even in my life okay or uh you. know with the kind of uh music that I. put out a lot of my music uh naturally. uh tends to be liked by the female. population. so even even if you see my fandom there. obviously Qatar guy fans also who feel.

very sad that I don't reply to them. like out of 100 messages almost 99 are. like from girls so I don't realize but. um majorly when when you uh you know. when you have a female dominant fan base. and you do more projects or more music. or whatever it is be it as an actor or. uh as a musician when you do more.

projects that attract more of the female. audience. it's Sure Shot in a way I don't know how. to explain it like if you have made a. female fan. now whether she's dating someone. or she not dating someone she will. attend your concert maybe with her. boyfriend to watch her concert. um. or maybe alone just because she loves. love songs or wants to be part of that. so you're attracting I've seen so many. people so me at my concerts I'm singing. I'm seeing couples just like you know.

going like this you know it's a Vibe. left to it from it seeps from the artist. to the song the music reaches out to. those people they feel those emotions. they're like oh I am with the person and. this song feels like. it's telling my love story. you've hit that emotion hmm that's it so. I mean one part is obviously the music. other part is branding also okay so you. know when it even comes to uh with.

respect to the brands associated with. also uh Cadbury is something that I. recently did yeah and I have uh been. doing uh you know a lot of associations. with them in the last few years they're. the most perfect brand for romance for. yes beat Valentine's Day every. Valentine's Day I've done something with. them which is formally strategic in. nature one part of it is strategic one. part is my love for the brand as well. okay so it's very important that you are.

firstly firstly even with when it comes. to Brands a lot of people you know uh. say that you know I would really a fan I. said I am a fan I have kidney chocolates. firstly like like I love the brand and. it fits my brand language as an artist. when you when you place armaan Malik on. like a piece of paper and you write five. attributes.

that attribute leads you to think of the. five brands that lead that that cover. those attributes one is PG which is. obviously which Target group that I'm or. audience that I'm catering to as an. artist so it's like 13 to 24. yeah. that's the core of your audience core of. my audience and uh what do you what are. the first few words that come to your. mind when you think of armaan Malik. like if I'm asking you okay love yeah.

soft. okay that's another one. I also feel like you're very like a very. sweet person to talk to every time I've. met you you've always even if it's in. the gym when you don't want to work out. yeah or just come on like you're woken. up with like I've not seen you angry. I've seen you very sweet like calm calm. is it and. what else I've seen you smiling and. laughing most of the time so I would say. smile laugh that emotion also like a. happy emotions also so you don't mind.

all of this whatever brand really really. resonates those five attributes are what. I'm chasing after or getting myself. Associated to so there are there are. strategic points also very interesting I. think very first time I'm even telling. people that but I think it's a cool way. for people to get an insight as an. artist because I think as a business. person also as an entrepreneur musical. entrepreneur like in the west the. biggest examples are uh Jay-Z Diddy Dre.

uh I mean uh Drake uh they've they've uh. you know chartered careers not only as. musicians they're obviously musicians. and artists themselves but they're also. Moguls yeah they've also set up Empires. they're also empowering other artists. and that is my goal you know the label. that I've begun like started now always. music is uh it's an imprint with wano. music and uh in the next few years. obviously right now is releasing my. independent music in the next few years.

I'm going to be searching artists that I. feel would be the face of Indian music. globally going forward and I would love. to give them my learnings so that they. don't need to go through any of that. stuff and start right from where I feel. like this is the right way that we. should go about it yeah because I've. done all this. this homework and blueprint is already. done we just need to create good music. with you guys whoever the artist that I. feel I want to onboard onto that label. that is my goal yes brother thank you so.

much thank you see you in the gym next. yes and we have to not miss it. thank you so much for watching this. episode till the end. you never know one conversation can. spark a new idea and that can change. someone's life forever until the next.

episode keep figuring out.