'Badshah is now a brand'

Paagal Hai singer Badshah on avoiding deviating from his style of music; says he can never croon a love song

As is with several tracks coming out of Badshah's stable, the last release, Paagal Hai, has continued to get the clicks online, ever since it released recently. But, the rapper is not devoted to climbing numbers. In an interview to mid-day, he discusses why YouTube isn't a platform suited to measure a song's success, and why he will never make an album after ONE.

Paagal has performed well on YouTube. Do you find the platform a bankable yardstick to measure a song's success?

I don't believe it is [the only yardstick]. It may be a reference, but it's not necessary that a song that has many views is popular, or the other way around. Kabir Singh's Bekhayali, for instance, is among the most popular songs right now, but it hasn't crossed even 100 million views on the [platform]. Party songs are visually appealing. Romantic ballads work on streaming sites.

What is your barometer to judge a songs' popularity?

My shows. When I perform, I gauge from the audience's response. When Tareefan released, I had to perform the song thrice in one concert, and this was only a week after it released.

Also Read: Badshah: Want to work with Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Karan Johar

Is there a type of song you can't do?

As much as I'd love to, I can't sing a love song like Guru [Randhawa] does. I always want to do something quirky; songs that will make people say: 'Yeh sirf Badshah kar sakta hai.' I don't want to sound arrogant, but Badshah has become a brand.

Is it tough to sustain the brand?

It is. People have access to a lot of music, so you must stand out. Fortunately, India is a country where you can compromise on the music, but the lyrics have to be relevant. That is the reason I use a lot of local slang. I constantly keep researching and talking to my teenage cousins and learn words from them. The first line of Paagal, 'Teri mummy ki jai', came from one such interaction. I have never worked as hard as I did on Paagal; being part of the styling, to the presentation.

Your maiden album, ONE (Original Never Ends) released last year after being in the making for several years. Is another album in the pipeline?

I don't think I will make another one. I was disappointed with the way ONE was received. I worked hard on each song, but people just picked a few [to listen to]. In the time of music streaming, albums aren't preferred. It is better to create singles.

Also Read: Badshah: My respect for actors has grown immensely

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