Ahead of his performance at Nykaaland 2.0 in Mumbai this weekend, mid-day.com spoke to Jay Sean about performing in the city, his music and how it has evolved over the last 20 years
Jay Sean is performing in Mumbai this weekend at Nykaaland 2.0 at Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Photo Courtesy: Nykaaland 2.0
British singer-songwriter Jay Sean is very excited to perform in Mumbai this weekend. While he promises to play his classics like 'Ride It' and 'Down', he is also looking forward to showcasing his newer music like 'Piche Piche' and ‘Call You Mine’ among others. It is definitely going to be a journey of two decades that every Indian Millennial and even Gen-Z has been a part of, including this writer—all of whom grew up singing his tunes.
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Now in Mumbai, Jay is going to be performing at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse for fans at Nykaaland 2.0, the second edition, which has been produced by BookMyShow Live. While the three-day beauty and lifestyle festival will see other artists like OAFF & Savera, Kayan, GauriWho, Yung Raja and Anuv Jain to name a few. It will also see the singer, who is known for his smooth vocals and songwriting. He shares, “I am very excited to perform this weekend because Mumbai is one of my favourite cities in the world, and I've never performed at Nykaaland before, so this is going to be new for me. I'm going to be throwing a party (during my performance) because that's what I love to do. I love to make people dance and sing by providing all the classics to the new material all the way.”
Understanding fans
Starting out with The Rishi Rich Project in the early 2000s before launching his solo career, he has been active for two decades since ‘Me Against Myself’ (2004). With English music interspersed with Punjabi lyrics and beats, he became an instant hit with the Indian diaspora and in India, immediately cementing his relationship with his family’s country of origin. Born in a Punjabi Sikh family as Kamaljit Singh Jhooti, Jay Sean has been able to connect with his ancestral roots in more than one way over the years.
Almost two decades later, every time he comes to India, fans can't help but tune into his music to live the 2000s again, but not without the latest releases. It won’t be any different this weekend, and that shows how he has evolved as an artist. Ask him what makes Indian fans connect with him so easily, and he shares, “I like to make music that is genuine and authentic. I am a songwriter and write my own music, and it is a blessing to be able to do that. Everything that I'm giving you is me, and it is genuine. It is a 100 per cent Jay Sean. I'm not trying to sound a little bit like this person because it is just me and what I like to give to the world.” It has also helped him know what his fans around the world want from him. “I know what they love, and that is a beautiful thing. It is the biggest dream for any artist to be able to touch the hearts of your fans, and knowing how to do that is just the biggest blessing,” he adds.
This very realisation has also given him the liberty to be true to himself and his music, and that has helped him evolve, which he considers to be an important part of his success. He shares, “Evolution is important for survival in life. As you get older in life, you learn more about yourself, life, and the world—and that is important not just in music but also in life. It is a skill that allows you to go seamlessly through this life without longing for the past or being disingenuous. So, for me, I think it has a lot to do with self-awareness and knowing what my fans want musically.”
Evolving and promoting South Asian artists
Two decades and four albums later, including My Own Way (2008), All or Nothing (2009) and Neon (2013), he has not only paved the way for himself but also for other South Asian artistes. Personally, he has seen how it has all grown by leaps and bouts. He explains, “The sound of music will change. If we are talking technically about music the sound of certain instruments changes, and you may not use that music anymore or even use that instrument anymore.”
Believing it is the same with some of the artists coming out, he highlights the change in India itself. “I know that hip hop has taken India by storm in the last few years, and the number of rappers coming out of India is the most mind-blowing thing to me. When I started off 20 years ago in India, rap wasn't even a thing, and that's why it is so cool to see all this happening.” This has inspired him to start his own record company, 3AM Entertainment, earlier this year to promote South Asian artists. “We have signed a rapper from ‘Dilli (Delhi) called Zefaan, who is from India but sings in English and also does his dialect a bit.” Over the years, he has collaborated with many artists in India, but most recently he released three of them. While the first one is ‘Heartless’ with Ikky, the second is 'Piche Piche' with Jai Dhir, and ‘Call You Mine’ only last weekend, ahead of his performance in Mumbai. The best part about them is that you can see the evolution in his music, but it is still the Jay Sean we know.
Interestingly, there is more to the singer-songwriter than his music and Mumbai. Ever since Jay has been coming to India almost every year for the last 20 years, he has made a lot of friends in the city, and when he is not performing, the singer-songwriter is busy enjoying the city’s culture and food for one reason. “I gave up meat and have become a pescatarian, so there is a lot of seafood, and I enjoy that,” says Jay, who admits that most people don't know that Mumbai has a lot of good sushi restaurants, and undoubtedly, he enjoys savouring that here. While Jay Sean has released three singles from his upcoming album ‘Last Call’, they are still to decide on a release date, and fans are definitely hoping it will be soon.
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