Armaan Malik is already a massive name in the Bollywood world, and one of the youngest and most successful artists in the Indian music industry, credited with over 15 hit songs, performed 200 + shows around the world and sung more than 150 songs in almost a dozen different languages, all by the age of 24! At the age of 23, he became the youngest Indian singer to be a coach on the Indian version of reality show 'The Voice'.
Already having over 1 billion Global Streams across his collection of tracks, 8 million Instagram followers, 6 million fans on Facebook and 1.5 million Youtube subscribers, today he has released his first English-Language song 'Control' via Arista Records. Collaborating with Wayne Wilkins who was worked with the likes of Beyonce on the track, Armaan and Wayne (who is also of Indian descent) meticulously seeded a few Indian inflections throughout the track’s bouncy pop ear candy.
Armaan had a chat with us about his new single, inspirations, his massive success and social media.
Please introduce yourself to our readers!
"Hey everyone, I am Armaan Malik. An Indian singer-songwriter. I have been professionally been singing for about 15 years (started at the age of 9) in the Bollywood Music industry and now I am venturing into the global pop market with my new single Control, which also happens to be first English language international single."
Where are you from?
"I am from Mumbai, India; born and bred here."
When did you start making music?
"I started singing at the age of 4, professionally started working as a recording artist at the age of 9, and started writing my own original songs at the age of 16."
Can you sum up your sound?
"My sound is a proper pop/r&b sound, but it has some intricately seeded Indian elements (either vocally or instrumentally) that make it stand out so it’s unique and fresh. You might hear guitars in my tracks, that’s one of my primary instruments after vocals, and it just happens to be my natural medium of musical expression."
Which artist / artists are you listening to right now?
"I am currently listening to Lauv, Charlie Puth, BTS, Sam Smith to name a few."
You have just released your newest single ‘Control’ which your debut English Language song. Are you excited to hit that out at the UK audience and music scene?
"I am stoked! I have always dreamt of this day, and I’m finally living the dream. Control is a very special song because it’s my first English language single and I’m proud to showcase my true music to the world."
Who or what has inspired the track and who is your favourite English artist / artists?
"Control is a song that describes the push and pull feeling of being trapped in a controlling relationship and how confusing it can be to want in but also want out. It’s inspired by the relationships I’ve seen around me. It’s got a slick pop sound and a super groovy bass-line.
My favourite artists: Charlie Puth, Zedd, Lauv, Justin Bieber. My favourite English/British artists: Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Anne Marie, Shift Key."
You are absolutely killing the socials right now - with a combined total following of almost 18 million! What is the most important thing about social media to you and do you think that it has helped further your career?
"Social media has definitely contributed to my journey in a big way. My YouTube channel really benefitted from my social accounts too. It’s one thing to make good music that connects with fans, and it’s another thing to actually connect with fans, and that happens via social media. In today’s day and age, we cannot ignore the importance of it. I think it’s very important to use these digital platforms effectively because it is definitely a place where you can be discovered by new fans and the possibilities are endless!"
You have had a phenomenal career for someone who is still quite young including being a coach on the Indian version of ‘The Voice’, being the voice of Aladdin in the Hindi dubbed version of the Disney remake and the singing voice of Simba in The Lion King. What’s been your biggest or favourite achievement in your life so far?
"By far, the biggest achievement in my life has been performing a headline show at the SSE Arena Wembley in London. I was the youngest Indian singer to do so and it truly felt magical. 24th September 2016 was the date and It will always be clearly etched in my brain for life."
What can we expect from you for the rest of 2020? Are you hoping to do a UK show to debut your track live?
"I will be releasing quite a few tracks this year, ranging from my English language material to my Hindi singles. I am excited about all the new music I have in store for all my fans. I wish to do a show in the UK again soon and sing Control live on stage but given the current Corona-Virus scenario I don’t think we can decide on any tour dates just yet. But yes it will definitely happen in the near future!"
'Control' is out now on all platforms.