Have incorporated life learning of 6 years in ‘Industry’: Arjun Kanungo

Singer and composer Arjun Kanungo started his Pop career with the breakout hit `Baaki Baatein Peene Baad’ in 2015 and went on giving several Pop hits including ‘Waada Hai’ with Shehnaaz Gill, ‘Woh Baarishein’ with Shriya Pilgaokar. ‘Turn na ho’ with Prakriti Kakkar, ‘Dil Kisi se’ with Nikki Tamboli and most recently ‘Baha Le Jaa’ in 2022 with Saregama music. He has now released his debut studio album ‘Industry’ that is receiving love and adulation from his fans and followers. The songs include the Indian rendition of Vaultboy’s ‘Everything Sucks’, ‘Foto’ in which he has collaborated with ‘Bajre Da Sita’ famed singer Rashmeet Kaur and ‘Ishq Samundar’ featuring KING. The other tracks from the album are Barsaat, Bura Sapna ft. Sana sultan, and Waapas aa jao ft. Yash Vaid.

The singer is currently on a pan India tour to promote his album in which he is also seen venturing into experimental and intense soundscapes. The part one of the album features a 7-piece presentation and a mix of reverential, socially-inspired soul, heady alt R&B and pop and vulnerable, gospel-tinged ballads.

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In an interview with Firstpost, Arjun talks about yet another success story he has written with the album and why social media has become the necessity for the musicians.

Excerpts from the interview:

What is so different about ‘Industry’ from your previous works?

Every track in the album is distinct and unique and I was super excited to bring the ambitious Indian rendition of ‘Everything Sucks’ on home turf as the original American pop hit has received over 100 million views. Also, after a plethora of singles, this is the first time I’m dropping an album so a large body of work like this took a lot of time and effort. Albums show you what artists are truly capable of and I want to show people what I’m truly capable of. I don’t think people know that.

Were you expecting this kind of love for the ‘Industry’

The idea was to make a hit album and It’s still early days as the album has just been released but I am really excited that people are liking it. Overall my goal was to make a good album and I think I have done that. I don’t worry about things and I always try to learn from my success and failures. I think I was ready for the album because I have done so many singles and I have learned so much in the last 6 years that I felt like incorporating everything that I knew into this album.

It was not only a lot of fun making it but also a great opportunity for me to put everything I have learned into this album.You know, albums are long-term endeavors that grow over the period of six months and It’s only been two months since the first track of the album has been released and the full album has been released only a couple of weeks ago so I still have 6 months to figure out what my learning is for this album, and I am very excited so far.

Let’s talk about the high points of the album?

The album gave me a chance to collaborate with some great artists including Mumbai-based rapper King, and budding Indian producer-songwriter Yash Vaid. King and I wrote Ilzaam in the pandemic. It all started when we were hanging out at my house and I showed him the beat and the melody and he thought it was pretty cool. So he wrote some lyrics and I wrote some lyrics and the song happened. As with most good collaborations, it was an instant connection. I loved the hook line he wrote for the song and wrote my parts around it, lyrically. With Yash, it was a little less organic as he had a song which I liked and he wanted me to sing. So I just restructured the music and sang the song.

The album also features global production support from UK-based producer/mixer/songwriter Martin Hollis. He has worked on multiple diamonds and platinum-selling records for the likes of Adele, Ed Sheeran, Mumford & Sons. He became my go-to producer for the album and has produced more than half the songs.

How was the experience working on the Indian rendition of Vaultboy’s ‘Everything Sucks’?

Everything sucks is an international hit track and I have done the Hindi version of this song. There are a lot of people who have contributed to their version of the track from different countries and all of them have become so big on TikTok and Instagram. Now, it was my turn to give a hit for India and that’s why we have composed the Hindi version. We have just started the promotion of the track and because the original is so big, this one will also grow.

We see you doing some fun reels with Rashmeet Kaur on Instagram and promoting the song from your album. How important you think are social media for musicians in today’s time?

I think social media is the most important tool and has overtaken TV, Radio, and everything else. People today consume more content on social media than on TV and radio could ever make you consume and it’s endless as you have Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, and so many different platforms. If you don’t have a strong social media presence, it’s very difficult to promote anything.

You have also tried your hands in acting so anything in pipeline on that front?

Apart from focusing on my album, I am also working on a short film that will release soon, hopefully by next month.

What’s next in the pipeline?

I am currently on tour to promote the album and it’s super fun and exciting. The kind of love I am getting gives me confidence to keep entertaining and creating music.

Nivedita Sharma’s work experience includes covering fashion weeks in Milan, Pakistan, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Dubai, and award functions like IIFA, and TOIFA. 

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