Lately, Armaan Malik’s music has been reflecting a love of the grand romantic gesture in a tongue the 26-year-old is not known for. Singing in English, he has been able to crawl on to the global pop music scene, delivering well-crafted earworms like Control, Echo and the just-released You, all of them unspooling as perfectly as his easy-on-the-eyes looks. The video for You looks at what it means to be with (or away) from the person you want to share a lifetime with. What does he have to say about leading two lives? We found out during a recent chat.
Your new English song You fits well into a string of titles you have been releasing lately. It seems that an album or an EP is in the works.
I do feel I am ready for it but for me as an artiste, and that too an Indian artiste, we are trying to break into the global chart scene. With each release that I have had, I have learnt on the go. With an EP or an album, I have to be sure about what my sound is going to be and what I am going to be presenting in that one project. But yes, I am working towards it. I hope my body of work consolidates in the form of an EP — at least — sometime this year.
Making You special is Spatial Audio (with Dolby Atmos; creates an immersive experience). What kind of difference has it brought to the recording process?
Spatial Audio is a special feature that Apple and Dolby have collaborated on. All listeners out there can now enjoy audio not just in stereo format, but in a format that gives them a more immersive experience within the soundscape. Often, when we make tweaks in the volume and levels, reverbs and delays, not a lot of people understand that because they are not able to experience it properly. Through Spatial Audio, people can really get an immersive experience and get to know all those immersive experiences we work so hard on. We try to give a feel of how a song gets made in the studio through things like BTS videos but hearing those elements will give a lot of information to listeners and fans. I am glad that I was able to put out You in Spatial Audio. Fans can feel the same experience I had while preparing the song.
Singing in English and having the song on Apple Music ensure that you reach out to a larger audience. Has that brought about a change in how you go about making music?
It’s beautiful when your music travels around the world and is heard by fans in different pockets of the world; at times in places where you never thought you would have fans. I am glad that in the last two years I have put out five (English) singles so far. The kind of listenership I am getting around the world has been very encouraging. The goal here is to make Indian voices heard worldwide. That’s my ultimate goal with my English music. I want to see Indian artistes being in places they have never been to; reach out to more global fans.
A moment from Armaan’s new video for the song You
It also makes you lead two careers. Doesn’t it?
It’s complicated as I am leading two parallel careers. I have legs in both the industries. Actually, there’s more to it. I also work on music from South India. For me, I am juggling a bunch of stuff. I think it’s a good problem to have. As an artiste I have always wanted to head towards a global direction. That’s been my dream as an Indian artiste. When I had initially put out English music, fans were scared that I wouldn’t do Hindi music anymore. That’s not true. I am doing all that I am known for. I am going to continue doing all that and also do English music on the global stage. Doing everything has always excited me. That’s the artiste I am. I can’t stay put and do just one thing.
What’s the message in the song, You?
It reflects a part of me and everyone out there. All of us have this one special person, the person who you can spend the rest of your life with, the person whom you want to share all your experiences and memories with. I think that’s the crux of the song. It’s not just about loving a person, the song also captures the feeling of missing an important person in one’s life. A lot of people have connected with the song and it has done wonderfully well everywhere. The song has done really well on Apple Music and I am happy that what started out as just an idea in my studio has become an emotion for people around the world.
You are quite careful when it comes to putting out videos. There is a certain image that’s associated with these videos. Is that a calculated move?
I want the story to be told in a simple manner while my artistic side should really shine. Through my English music videos I have been able to put out scenarios that present me effectively and also appear aesthetic. But none of the videos have complex storylines, ensuring that someone new trying to delve into my discography can do so easily. I want them to get into a song immediately and not think a lot about it. (Ultimately) I really want to go crazy with my videos. Michael Jackson used to put out long videos and I would like to go in that direction eventually. But I am glad how I have managed to curate the videos so far. For me aesthetics are important. Also I have tried to experiment with my looks. Control had a very sleek look, it had an edgy vibe to it. (The video for) You has a very warm, romantic feel to it. I hope to do more such stuff.
You were recently interviewed by Apple Music Radio’s Brooke Reese, who’s quite knowledgeable about music. How was the experience and does such talk shows make you look at music differently?
I was probably the first Indian to be interviewed on that show (The Global Chart Show). It’s something surreal for me. It has always been my dream to represent my country on a global platform. The conversation was amazing… on the kind of music I have been doing so far and the kind of the music I would like to do in the future. We talked about my transition from Bollywood music to independent music and now global pop. I did share quite a bit about my journey. We were able to break down the process behind You. Honestly, interviews like the one I had with Brooke… it delves into things not always touched upon. I am compelled to dive into aspects of music I wouldn’t generally talk about. Getting to talk about the process is always great.
Streaming at the moment…
Ella Mai
Divine
There is a bunch of music I listen to on Apple Music. I listen to Justin Bieber, Charlie Puth, Ella Mai… and then there is Divine, Rahman sir… it’s a mix of amazing music.
