Singers Kayan and Noor Chahal: On YouTube Music Foundry, and breaking out in style

Created in 2015, Foundry is YouTube’s incubator for independent music, and have till date, supported stars such as Dua Lipa, Arlo Park, Natanael Cano, Rina Sawayama and beabadoobee over the years

In a huge boost for independent music across the country, two Indian artists were selected among the global 30 for YouTube’s Foundry class of 2022.

Announced earlier this year, singer-songwriters Kayan and Noor Chahal are the talents, who will be mentored with annual artist development classes and ongoing release support campaigns, as well as mentorship from YouTube Music to navigate every stage of their careers.

Created in 2015, Foundry is YouTube’s incubator for independent music, and have till date, supported stars such as Dua Lipa, Arlo Park, Natanael Cano, Rina Sawayama and beabadoobee over the years; an elite alumni class that Kayan and Noor now are part of.

“This has come at just the right time for me as I’m doing my live tour, and I’m really grateful to YouTube for this. My collaboration with Yung Raja is the first single through this program. As a DJ and performer, this visibility and access will be invaluable,” says Kayan, who broke out as an Instagram star with her music, during the pandemic. 

The Be Alright and Cool Kids singer, who describes her music as “pop, with a bit of soul, jazz and R&B,” adds that as an English-language artist in India, the program opens up her work to a much wider audience.

“I have really enjoyed performing on stage in recent times, touring with my friends, and singing with guest artists. There is so much new music to come from me, and I can’t wait to show audiences that I’ve upped my game. It’s really important for artists today to be consistent and keep at it; for someone like me, my social media is vital in reaching out to the audience as well. I’ve also understood that it’s necessary to take a break sometimes and take care of oneself; I struggle with that sometimes,” she smiles.

One of Kayan’s favourite collaborators — Kabeer Kathpalia/ OAFF — recently made his Bollywood debut with the drama Gehraiyaan, which earned him a lot of fandom. Does she see herself entering films too at some point? “I’m super happy for Kabeer, and he totally deserves all the credit coming his way. One of my songs has now been licensed for a movie, and I’m really excited about that. I have sung for commercials before, and think this is another step in the right direction. Artists shouldn’t restrict themselves; what’s the harm in trying different avenues? Global domination is the goal!” she laughs.