Months after facing criticism for her opening act at British rock band Coldplay’s January 18 Mumbai concert, Heeriye singer Jasleen Royal has opened up about the “overwhelming” experience.
Best known for songs like Heeriye, Ranjha, Din Shagna Da, and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Jasleen faced backlash for performing these very tracks during the concert.
The criticism came not only from online audiences but also from some in the music industry, who questioned whether she was the right choice for such a major stage.
Singer Antara Mitra subtly criticized Jasleen Royal’s performance on Instagram, suggesting talent should outweigh popularity. Around the same time, Vishal Dadlani shared a cryptic post many saw as a dig at Jasleen, calling a recent act “embarrassing for the country”.
“At some point, I just feel it—it’s time to go home. The pressure is overwhelming. I feel like I’ll die,” Jasleen said in a short YouTube documentary titled Dare to Dream, released on Sunday.
“I’m nervous. I don’t want people to think I didn’t deserve to be here or that they just want Coldplay. All I want is to deliver a performance that makes people feel selecting me as an opening act from India was the right choice,” she added.
Jasleen Royal made history as the first Indian artist to open for the British rock band Coldplay during their concerts in India.
“I’m a self-taught musician. I know I’m not perfect, but I learn and grow every day. I just want to give my best, put on a great show, and create an experience that makes the audience feel, ‘Oh, that was a good opening act’,” Jasleen signed off.
The video offers a candid look into her journey, capturing the excitement leading up to the event, the pressure of performing on such a massive platform, and how she processed the aftermath.
“Some moments change you forever. This was one of them. Nerve-wracking, magical, heartbreaking, yet deeply inspiring. It was all that and more. Dare to Dream Out Now,” the 33-year-old singer wrote on X.
Coldplay performed in India as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour, which seeks to promote their ninth and tenth studio albums, Music of the Spheres (2021) and Moon Music (2024), respectively. The tour began at the National Stadium of Costa Rica on March 18, 2022, and is scheduled to conclude at London's Wembley Stadium on September 8 this year.
The band returned to India this year, nine years after their 2016 performance at the Global Citizen Festival in Mumbai. Coldplay performed at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Sports Stadium on January 18, 19 and 21. The shows in Ahmedabad took place on January 25 and 26 at the city’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
The other supporting artistes who joined the band on their tour across North America and Asia included Nigerian singer Arya Starr, Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter Elyanna, Zimbabwean musician Shone Zw, South Korean girl band Twice and American singer Willow Smith.
Jasleen recently collaborated with Babil Khan, Neena Gupta and Jackie Shroff for her music video Dastoor, which narrates a tale of undying, timeless love. She also teamed up with Yashraj Mukhate and Amit Trivedi for the song Mann Dhaaga.
