I engaged more with my fans this year: Badshah
In an exclusive column for HT City rapper and composer Badshah shares the highlights of his journey in 2016
Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination” as perfectly stated by Drake. This year was a journey of music and life, with friends and family. But how did this journey begin? Don’t worry, I am not taking you through my life, but reminding you that my journey did begin with music but I am where I am because of my fans.
So allow me to take you through my journey with my fans. I called them mine not because I own them or vice versa, but because we are in a relationship. A relationship that we both have chosen. Today you can’t just have a steady stream of music, Facebook and Twitter accounts and assume that that’s enough to make people care. It’s important to interact with fans, either through personal content or instant updates. It’s literally just about having a connection with them at a real level.
Developing a more direct and deeper relationship with fans is the core. Every time I release a piece of content, I tell them the story behind it and they feel much more involved. An apt example would be Mercy — a musical platform that I am working on. But I started seeding the thought to my fans almost a month ago. Some have expressed their opinion on the way it sounds and some fans have even created a logo for Mercy (a few of them are pretty good!) I believe the success (or even the failure) of Mercy will be shared equally by my fans and I. That’s what I mean by engaging with fans.
There is a big shift in the way artists think with the rise of the social web. These different forums allow fans not only to (passively) consume but also to create content. They take to YouTube to create covers of songs, becoming music producers themselves, or upload mixes to SoundCloud. Today’s subcultures and cultures, created by technology, continue to make participation in music easier for the online amateur. My singles that have amassed huge popularity have thousands of covers that range from acoustic, bhangra mix to animated voices!
What I made a conscious effort of doing in 2016 was to get up close and personal with my fans. I realise the youth in India have immense pressure on their shoulders. It’s a highly competitive world and each of them is struggling to reach their goals. I hear of so many student suicides and then I see the faces of their parents. It deeply saddens me. So, once in a while, I take to facebook or insta and share how I also experienced pressure and how I’ve worked to overcome it. Giving out positive energy is extremely important. I believe what you share is what you receive. The Bollywood songs that I’ve had this year, be it Kala Chashma or Kar Gayi Chull, have been all party numbers that get you up and dancing. I want to make music that gets everyone to smile and even the stiffest person to dance. If my music can add happy vibes world over then it makes me happy. I already know 2017 will be an amazing year for me and I am throwing this into the world so that it’s the same for everyone. I would like to end this with the song of my life which is “Tum mujhe yun bhula na paaoge”!
BADSHAH, I take to facebook or insta and share how I also experienced pressure and how I worked to overcoming it SINGER