Bureau
Chandigarh : Spotify today announced the release of three Spotify Singles by much-loved Punjabi artists Diljit Dosanjh and Gurdas Maan, Nimrat Khaira, and, Tarsem Jassar. While Diljit Dosanjh and Gurdas Maan reimagined the iconic ‘Challa’, Nimrat Khaira created a rendition of the romantic folk song ‘Raanjha’, and Tarsem Jassar released ‘Maan Punjabi’, a song about Punjabi identity. This is the first time that the audio streaming platform has released three Spotify Singles together.
In recent years, Punjabi music has seen a remarkable rise in popularity, not only locally, but also among the diaspora and internationally. Spotify Wrapped, the year-end campaign that highlights what listeners streamed in India, highlighted that ‘Excuses’ by AP Dhillon, Intense, and Gurinder Gill was the most streamed song on Spotify in India, and the late Sidhu Moose Wala’s ‘Moosetape’ the most-streamed album. Additionally, four out of the 10 most streamed songs in India were in Punjabi.
“Today, we have become one of the most important platforms for Punjabi artists to reach their fans. In fact, Punjabi is one of the most streamed music languages on Spotify in India, with playlists such as Punjabi 101 and Hot Hits Punjabi emerging as the go-to destinations for listeners to discover the best and biggest hits in the language. With the brand new Spotify Singles, ‘Challa’, ‘Raanjha’, and ‘Maan Punjabi’, we have put the spotlight on the folk roots and traditional sounds of Punjabi music, and a few of the most talented artists in the country”, said Rahul Balyan, Head of Music, Spotify India. He also added, “We want to continue to take this forward, focus on regional content from every part of the country, and take Indian music to 500mn music listeners in 184 countries around the world”.
Since 2017, Spotify Singles have been an outlet for artists to express themselves, engage their fans with reimagined or new music, and connect with new listeners. In the past, the program has brought together artists from across the world and cultures, to create a unique moment. Three Spotify Singles, including “Enjoy Enjaami - Spotify Singles” [DJ Snake, Dhee, Arivu, and Santhosh Narayan], “Raataan Chill Mix - Spotify Singles” [Tanishk Bagchi], Jubin Nautiyal, and Hanita Bhamxbri, and “Tu/You” [Armaan Malik] have previously been released from India, garnering nearly 60 million streams till date, from across the world.