Interview: Armaan Malik Chats About ‘How Many’ & Breaking Out In Global Pop!

Bollywood heartthrob, singer-songwriter Armaan Malik, is one of the youngest and most successful Indian music industry artists. Ever since his debut release, he is ruling the hearts of the 17 million Armaanians with his soulful, heart-touching romantic tunes. Recently, Armaan released a brand new spell-binding track titled ‘How Many’ via Arista Records; he also celebrated his major win at the MTV EMA for ‘Best India Act.’ After making his mark in the Bollywood industry with his heart-warming tunes and versatility, he is headed to embrace and conquer the global pop industry. 

The latest track revolves around the complexities of a relationship cycle with constant fights and making up, where one is taking the hits yet carrying on. The process keeps going because you don’t want to give up on your loved one, but the real question is, how many times are you willing to try before you call quits and close the chapter for good? (Feels pretty relatable, huh?) ‘How Many’ marks Armaan Malik’s third English single, preceded by the MTV EMA winning, ‘Control’ and ‘next 2 me’. With over two billion global streams, a mile-long musical resume, and a renowned musical family background, spanning over three generations of Bollywood music, Armaan Malik is definitely continuing his family’s musical legacy by emerging as one of the finest young talents in India.

Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Armaan Malik about the inspiration for his latest release, experimenting with sounds of Desi and English Pop, representing India on a global stage, future projects, and much more. Check it out below!

Your new song ‘How Many’ is written about dealing with the end of a relationship. In what ways do you find that music helps you out during difficult moments in your life? 
I believe music is a great healer. It has the power to instantly change your mood and make you feel better during a low moment. As a musician, I love writing songs that have a certain realness and relatability; songs that people can find themselves in and find solace in.

Has your new music been influenced by any of your older music? Would you want to infuse the sounds of Bollywood with English pop?
Not at all. You can definitely hear a few Indian-ish vocal inflections and Hindustani instruments (for reference: ‘How Many’ which employs the use of the tabla as part of the main beat) in my English songs, but I refrain from fusing the east and west in a way where it sounds more fusion than pop. From a stylistic point of view – that’s just not my thing.

‘How Many’ has a different sound compared to your first English single ‘Control.’ Would you say you’ve solidified what you want your sound to be, or are you still experimenting?
With every new release, I am discovering a new side to my music. At this point, I am really not restricting myself in any way. I just want to make great songs that I really resonate with and put them out there for my fans. My sound will develop as I go!

What was the process of creating the ‘How Many’ music video? What inspired the concept and who came up with the idea?
‘How Many’ is a very special video for me. I was very clear with my vision for the song since the inception stage. I am so glad that Shivin & Sunny (the video directors) were on the same page and brought my vision to life in such an awesome way. The idea was not to explicitly showcase the heartbreak or the falling apart but to keep the storyline a little disjointed and experimental. We wanted the aesthetic and visual imagery to convey most of the emotions.

You’re a big name in Bollywood and have released a lot of music within that realm, have you found it challenging to switch over to releasing English songs and breaking out in the western industry?
It was quite daunting to re-introduce myself and start my musical journey all over again in this new big world of global pop. A lot of people here in India thought I was taking the biggest risk of my career, not knowing how it will pan out and if it would affect the career I’ve built in India all these years. However, I’m so glad that this switch has happened smoothly and I’ve received so much love and support globally be it the Spotify Times Square billboard for my debut single ‘Control’ or winning the MTV EMA Best India Act; I am very confident about this new journey!

You’re fondly referred to as the ‘Prince of Romance.’ What do you believe are some of the key components of being a romantic person?
I love ‘love’ and as cheesy as that sounds, I truly feel that it’s the most beautiful feeling in the world. I can’t really pinpoint what it exactly takes to be romantic, but you’ve gotta have a lot of love in your heart to give. I am very expressive as a person and will go all out for the person I am in love with. Being vocal about how one feels about another person I think is a strong characteristic of a romantic.

We’re seeing music in other languages such as Latin Pop and K-Pop come into the international spotlight over the past few years, do you think Indie-Pop is something we could see on the rise soon? Do you think there’s something that Indian artists can offer that we haven’t really seen from western artists who are dominating mainstream music?
I truly believe that India has a lot of talent and potential. We never really knew how to go about making a plunge into the global music scene up until now. 2020 has changed a lot of things for Indian artists and I can foresee Indians being up there with the big mainstream western and international acts.

And unlike the western industry, songs produced in Bollywood are mostly commercial & restricted to movies. But nowadays, younger generation singers like yourself are being experimental & evolving with Indie-Pop & English fusion. What do you think of this change? Do you feel that it is going to evolve the music industry in Bollywood?
The overall music scene in India is changing rapidly. With the entry of global streaming giants like Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music in the last few years, a lot of our artists are getting heard globally. Due to this massive exposure, the soundscape here is constantly changing too. A lot of artists aren’t restricting themselves to just Bollywood projects and have actively been doing non-film music independently. This has led to the creation of a separate parallel music industry that is not part of the Bollywood universe, thus helping Indie musicians to be heard and recognized widespread.

A lot of your fans look up to you and love how you’ve represented India in the international music scene, how does it feel knowing you’ve made such a big impact on people through your music?
It has always been my dream to take India to the world and I’m so ecstatic and proud to represent my country on an international stage! I feel blessed to have received the kind of opportunities that have come my way. I couldn’t have achieved any of this without my fans so a lot of credit goes to them for supporting me so whole-heartedly and always having my back.

Can we expect an all-English EP or album in 2021? What can fans look forward to in the next year?
I’m currently working on a couple of Hindi and regional singles, a few exciting international collaborations, and preparing my live set for when I start gigging again! As of now, I’m working on singles, but I definitely have the idea for an EP/Album on my mind.

And that’s a wrap-up! Thank you, Armaan, for joining us on The Honey Pop; we loved every bit of it.

We’re jamming to this brand new track throughout the weekend for god knows ‘How Many’ times and hoping you’re enjoying it too. If you still haven’t listened to the track yet, don’t miss out on this one!

Listen and listen to ‘How Many’ below!

But still, our big question for you is, how many times are you willing to try and give chances? Let us know your answers and thoughts in the comments below or by tweet to us at @TheHoneyPOP! You can also hit us up on Facebook and Instagram!

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Featured Image Source: Armaan Malik via Dedikated PR