In this exclusive interview, The singing sensation Guru Randhawa shares his journey, musical inspirations, future projects and his dream of representing India on a global level with his music.
The ‘High-Rated Gabru’ aka Guru Randhawa doesn’t need any introduction. Over the past two years, this young sensation from Punjab has orchestrated big hits and has captured the hearts of millions of people across the globe with his captivating, high-energy songs like ‘Lahore’, ‘High Rated Gabru’, ‘Suit Suit’, and ‘Ban Ja Tu Meri Rani’.
Just recently, the popular singer made everyone hit the dance floor once again with his cross-culture collaboration with the global sensation Armando Christian Perez a.k.a. Pitbull. The duo has come together for their brand-new single ‘Slowly Slowly’ which has created a storm across the world, literally. “It is a dream come true moment. I always wanted to represent my village, my state and my country at an international level, this collaboration with Pitbull Sir is one step towards that representation. I can’t thank Pitbull Sir and T-Series enough for all their support and love. We have worked hard on this single and I hope this will put Indian music on the world map,” shares Randhawa in a statement.
Well, his hard work has indeed paid off; the music video, right from its upbeat music to the catchy visual featuring beautiful beach shots and yachts, has turned into the most-viewed song and created history with 33 million views on YouTube in just 24 hours. Randhawa expressed his excitement over the brand-new record on his Instagram page; in a post that shows him performing to the song, he wrote, “History has been created. MOST VIEWED SONG WITH 33 Million hits on YouTube in 24 hours. Number one in the world right now. SLOWLY SLOWLY is creating a buzz worldwide. THANKYOU for your love and support.” (sic)
Starting from a small town in Punjab, to becoming the only Indian featuring on Billboard Top 25 Songs on Youtube, and now making a song with Pitbull in Miami, Randhawa has certainly come a long way. While his inspiring journey has been anything but a cake-walk, the talented singer likes to define it in one word – great, as he says, “From a very young age, I wanted to sing and be in front of the camera. From making independent singles to them being placed in movies, topping Billboard charts and finally being on TV as a judge, I feel life comes in full circles. My journey has been great and I’m thankful to all the people who have been a part of it, without them it wouldn’t be possible.”
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Randhawa’s fascinating journey in the world of music kick-started when he was a kid. Like many young children, he used to watch a lot of television, it was then that he actually started listening to music and decided to be a singer. “I was born in Gurdaspur in Punjab. In this small village, the satellite used to catch only regional channels along with DD National and a few others. I used to listen to old folk and pop music that used to come on TV then and I used to keep singing those songs, that’s how it all began,” recalls Randhawa. Not surprisingly, Gurdas Maan, Hans Raj Hans and Babbu Maan, and other music legends have had a major influence on this international star.
Interestingly, music made such a strong impression on young Randhawa that he actually started penning down his songs in school. In fact, some of his popular hit numbers were actually penned during his school days. “It all began with listening to songs on TV and singing it at an early age. I started writing songs since I was in school. The songs you hear now were actually written long back. I started releasing independent music and I didn’t give up. It’s all about making efforts and putting your heart into it. It’s all a blessing and I am very grateful for it,” shares Randhawa, thankful for the opportunities and love he has received trough his music.
While Randhawa’s family was completely supportive of his passion, especially his Canada-based older brother Ramneek Randhawa, who bore most of the production cost for his songs, the singer ensured that he completed his MBA degree before taking up music as a full-time career. Randhawa believes that his knowledge sets him apart from the others, as he knows exactly how to promote a song, and where to promote it.
Today, with his inherent musical talent and acquired business cognizance, Randhawa has undoubtedly carved an enviable niche for himself in the world of music. Ask him what were the challenges he faced at the beginning of his career and how things have changed over time, Randhawa smiles and says optimistically, “I don’t take it as challenges. It was a part of my process which helped me grow and learn. Initially, it’s about making a good song, rest everything falls into place.”
Wise fellow indeed, but one wonders what was his perception of the music industry before he became a part of it. “I think there is always space for new music. I still feel the same and if one makes a good song there is a wide audience for it. I love making independent music and seeing Bollywood open to independent music is a great move, and the digital space has changed the game too,” explains this creative music genius, who writes and composes his own songs apart from singing them.
Singing, writing, composing – which out of the three does he enjoy the most? “It’s a process and I enjoy every part of it. From composing, writing, singing and finally performing it for an audience… It is the best feeling,” exclaims Randhawa. Speaking further about his inspiration and creative process, the celebrity artist states, “I compose music taking inspiration from everyday lives. It usually starts with getting the tune and lyrics in mind, maybe in [the] car or plane or anywhere. Then we work on it more and then record it. I always try to keep my songs very easy with lyrics and catchy young compositions.” Ask him, if there is any particular strategy that he follows before coming up with his musical masterpieces and the talented singer-composer says, “No, there is no particular strategy at all. Creating music is a very natural process for me.”
Interestingly, irrespective of the genre, Randhawa’s music has always found a connect with the global youth, which makes us wonder what is his dream now? Does he feel that his music could go be beyond its current form? “It’s my dream to represent India on a global level with my music. Recently, ‘Lahore’, my independent single was featured on Billboard charts. It was a moment of immense happiness for the entire team and fans. It’s all by the love of fans, that we artists are able to achieve this,” explains Randhawa.
Speaking about his future projects, Randhawa reveals, “I have T-Series’ Mixtape, where I have collaborated with Neha Kakkar on two high energy songs. Many more singles and movie songs are due. Looking forward to 2019.”
A pattern that one has often noticed in majority of popular Punjabi singers is that the next big step for them is to face the camera as actors. Does Randhawa have any such plans? “Not currently, I’m enjoying the space of doing music,” he sums up.