Setting the rhythm for 2023, musicians share what drives them to experiment

Beyond the need to stay relevant, it’s the passion for music and an organic process that drives them to experiment with their genres and styles

Change is a welcome constant in an artiste’s life. While perceiving it as a sign of growth and evolution in their career, musicians also revel in their ability to shift genres, styles and languages. 2022 witnessed significant diversity in independent music — be it jazz and soul singer Vasundhara Vee’s foray into Bollywood playback, singer Devika’s recent deviation of the track Kalli kalli raati from most of her LoFi and slow-tempo tracks, or Rishaad Chaudhry’s switch to desi hip-hop and rap.

“For me, shifting genres constantly is the basic cog 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-creation process. I am never in my comfort zone and that’s the zone I thrive in,” shares singer-songwriter and author Vineet Singh Hukmani who released a book with nine stories and nine songs in 2022. His three singles that followed were in genres of electro-pop ( Dee da da da), country music ( City roads) and R&B Gospel ( Light of the world).

An artiste’s willingness to experiment becomes stronger if there is no demand for a drastic change in the identity that has established them. Vasundhara says singers often feel pressured to suit a trend or modify their singing to a previously established standard. “For me, that is non-negotiable. Instead, I want to offer who I am as a singer and let producers use that as a jumping board for new experiments.”

For her song Kalli Kalli Raati, Devika set her protagonist who is calling out to her estranged lover on a dark night, with emotional and edgy vocals in the electronic pop-rock genre, different from her usual slower tracks. “The video treatment, outfits and styling are also more dramatic compared to my earlier videos — with the dark black backdrops occasionally contrasting with the desolate shots in the desert,” adds Devika.

After the overnight success of Kheech Meri Photo in 2016, Akasa Singh has steadily been making a mark with her music and her 2019 Naagin became a rage. Subsequently, she created songs like Kamle, Shringaar, and Sanjhana in different genres. “When a song is successful, artistes and producers tend to release songs in similar patterns, whereas I love to explore a completely different genre and surprise my audience,” says Akasa.

For composers OAFF aka Kabeer Kathpalia and his collaborator Savera, the Gehraiyaan album was an overwhelming experience. They admit to being under pressure for time, but were able to push themselves and do things in ways that they would not have usually done. 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 to not be in one place but constantly moving, QAFF says, “I want to enjoy the process of creating. So, it is important for me to keep trying new things so that I’m excited about what could happen and not knowing where I will end up.”