Obama nod sets up bright year for Indian ‘heartbreak’ singer

NEW DELHI: Starting out, Indian singer Prateek Kuhad gave himself one year to make it. He is still no stranger to self-doubt — but now even Barack Obama is a fan of his heartbreak-inspired songs.

The 29-year-old was enjoying a quiet New Year’s Eve at his family home in New Delhi when he received a message saying: ‘This is big.’

Former US president Obama had included Kuhad’s wistful hit ‘cold/mess’ in his annual list of favourite music, alongside the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce and Lizzo.

“It’s cool,” Kuhad told AFP, adding that being mentioned in Obama’s viral Twitter and Instagram posts was still “overwhelming”.

“He is one of the few personalities in our generation who has got a fairly clean image, is one of the good presidents that the world has seen,” he said.

“He listens to Big Thief. I love them, but they’re not a really big band.

“It clearly looks like Obama scouts his music well.”

Kuhad is not sure how Obama first heard his music but links it to his 2019 tour across North

America and Europe that helped him break through internationally, but tested his resolve.

“I almost hated performing when I started doing it. I’m getting used to it only now,” he said.

He describes the track picked by the ex-president as a “straight-up heartbreak song”, saying he accepts that writing about romance, longing and the complications of love has helped him find fame.

“People would say this is all I can write about. You question yourself, and I did have such a moment in mid-2019. But then I realised I loved what I do,” he said.

‘Ready to quit’

Kuhad had a comfortable upbringing in the northern Indian desert city of Jaipur before studying maths and economics at New York University.

When he decided to take up music professionally in 2013, he struggled while other paths beckoned.

“I gave myself a year. I was ready to quit — I knew I could either land a job or study further if my music career didn’t take off,” he said. — AFP