Armaan Malik: When it comes to global music, Indian artistes have always been on the sidelines

Armaan Malik has received a nomination at the 2022 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) for his English single, You, and the singer hopes that it is a step towards Indian artistes getting more international exposure

“The representation of Indian artists at the global scale is relatively low compared to other countries in the world. It is extremely important that Indian artists also get the recognition they deserve for their music,” Malik tells us, adding, “I am really grateful to be given this chance to take India to the world and hope that people appreciate Indian artists and the music coming out from here”.

In fact, according to him, Indian music is still living under the shadow of Bollywood, and wants people to get over the perception.

“Indian music around the world is widely known for its Bollywood music or film music and is restricted by that perception. Although people do appreciate it, the representation of singers and artists on the global map still has a long way to go. We have always been on the sidelines when it comes to global music and I would like to change that,” says the singer, known for numbers including Tu Hawa, Naina, Main Hoon Hero Tera, Hua Hain Aaj Pehli Baar, Sau Aasmaan, Dil Mein Tum Ho among others.

For the upcoming EMAs, Malik is in the race to win the Best Indian act trophy, This is a second nod for him in the category at the annual music gala. His first international single Control won him the MTV EMA in 2020 in the same segment.

“It is an honour for any artist to bag an EMA as it is reflective of their representation in the international music scene. Receiving a nod for the award is like achieving a milestone in my career for me, as it shows that my music is being recognised across the world and that is the best feeling for any artist,” Malik asserts.

In fact, it instils more energy in him to continue creating space for Indian artists globally.

“In terms of my music, I am trying my best to deliver songs that can be heard by a wide range of people. I try singing in various languages so that my fans across the world can understand Indian music better. I have also collaborated with international artists such as Ed Sheeran, Eric Nam, KSHMR and very recently a trilingual (Hindi-Telugu-Korean) song called ‘Memu Aagamu’ with K-pop group TRI.BE – all of which aid in representing India globally,” he adds.