“I don't understand why people play Tu Aake Dekh Le in the gym,” says singer, songwriter and composer King as he reflects on finding his audience. “I'm definitely playing one of my songs when I'm hitting the gym next time.” King has been riding the indie music wave for a while now. His growth can be mapped between the short window of Maan Meri Jaan’s release and his collaboration with Nick Jonas on Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife). He’s only coming back for more with his latest collaboration with Jason Derulo. His track with the Talk Dirty hitmaker, Bumpa, sees him deliver a part anthem.
In an exclusive interview, King opened up about making songs, finding his audience and repping India in the international music scene.
How did you end up collaborating with Jason Derulo?
I've been a fan of Jason's so I was like yes! I don't know who reached out to whom but I found myself with this opportunity. Then Jason and I met and we talked about some things like what's popping in the city. He even asked me about some actresses. I won't name them but that's how it all started. We got into the studio and there was this vibe. Shoutout to my producers Riz and Kanan Kanchan who worked on Bumpa. It took us a total of three hours to produce the track. I asked him what he wanted to call it and he said “Bumpa”. I asked him what it meant and he just said, “It's a vibe, it's Bumpa”. And I was like alright bro. Then he went to Barcelona for a show and we ended up shooting the video there. He's super chill and amazing. He's a doer. I also learned some moves from him, he's such a great dancer.
What was it like not just performing but also writing with him?
He comes from a background where he knows how to write. I also know how to write. So he had his bag and I had my bag. We were exchanging notes. It was like “What do you think about this line?” and “Here's a phrase you can add.” So it wasn't just a feature, it’s a proper collaboration. If an artist is collaborating with me big or small, I'm going to the studio and asking them to give their precious time to me and I want to cook together. There's a huge difference between featuring and collaboration.
Did you ever imagine that you'd be dancing with Jason?
Definitely not. But you know when I'm in front of the camera I fear nothing. I just wanted to take full advantage of it. And I started grooving but I don't know how to dance. Dancing with him makes you want to go take a dance class or two.
What was it like shooting with him?
It's fun because me, Jason and even the director are coming from a different diaspora. And we're jamming together in Barcelona. There's a lot of give and take. You really respect each other and we're all open to learning. It's amazing to see how you pull off this international level music video. I was just on set watching the models perform. Jason pumped me up. That was such a great environment. I wish every artist gets this chance to feel the creativity.
There's a lot of nostalgia for Jason's songs, especially for millennials…
I mean, he understands our soil. That's the best thing. When he touches a song in this diaspora he makes sure he gives this nostalgia and this sense of belonging to the soil. That's a thing every artist should do if they're touching anything desi. You always feel good when you see an artist who has respect for our language and some knowledge of our culture. It feels nice to know that they're aware.
How do you balance between Indian sounds and Western sounds?
Before being an artist I'm a great listener. I grew up listening to everything from Bollywood to hip-hop, blues and rock. So I get very excited when there’s a chance to blend sounds. I see it as a little kid playing with clay. I'm just a kid, that's it. If you ask me how I balance it all, I guess I just love to blend them both and keep the essence that's it.
What's it like being the guy who got Nick Jonas to sing in Hindi?
I feel supremely powerful. It feels amazing to see where we've gotten. Not just Nick, I'm talking about everything right now. It's beautiful that as soon as we got the internet, and as a youth, we realised what we could do, we were all over the place. You can find brown people everywhere. We're less enchanted by the West. It's just us, 1.4 billion people we have. This is all I want. The international people see India and say “It’s a market.” But I don't see it as a market. I've been blessed that I had the chance to just sit and exchange thoughts with Jason and Nick. I hope it stays like this because they're so nice. They understand that the music and listeners are above the market. It's important to respect that.
The videos from your performance with Nick Jonas went viral. How heartening was it to watch that?
For me, the bigger picture is to make my fans understand that this is the kind of power we hold. The reel that we posted looks like a movie scene. Nick is in India. He called me up and gave me the chance to be on stage with him. We looked good, you know. I could hear people singing Maan Meri Jaan and Afterlife, both versions. And they were excited to see us get together and perform it. I want people to see this. It's not about me or him, it's about us. So all my collaborations are not just about me. It's about the potential Indian artists have. It's about our music legacy.
What’s it like finding yourself in the media gaze?
When I wasn't doing music I used to think about getting papped and making headlines. And when I fell in love with music I stopped looking at the headlines. I don't even watch TV. I keep to myself. I don't go to parties or try to make connections. There are two sides of the media. There are those who want to tell audiences the right thing and then there are those who have a different intent. When you open Instagram you tend to see both. Anyone can pay for publicity. Even if I'm not getting headlines I'm okay. If people are screaming my name at a concert, I'm more than happy. I don't want quick fixes and paid following that people crave. I always focus on what I want to do and where I want to go.
Do you feel you have to think twice before posting?
I don't overthink it because I know that the first impulse for people on the apps is to hate. Even if you open a reel about God and check the comments you'll see it. And I'm just human. I just put memes on my account. Just work and memes because I want my followers to have fun. Everyone's trying to show that they're successful. In real life, people are so different.
How do you take online criticism?
Imagine brown people trolling me about my complexion. I mean, I cannot help it. I can't change it. I love who I am and who I have become with this skin. And if I can pull off any colour I want with this skin. Then there are people saying he isn't doing hip-hop anymore. He's doing ballads and making love songs for girls. I just think bacche hai and they will get their answers soon.
