In fact, the Indian pop world is also home to some viral videos, but one of its latest releases, Candy Shop by Neha Kakkar, is ruffling some serious hackles. This high-energy track, released in collaboration with Neha Kakkar’s brother, aka Tony Kakkar, is being torn apart on social media platforms right from its lyrics and melodies down to its artistic direction.
Teaming up with producer/DJ RAVASA and DJ TAE, Candy Shop is designed to have a glossy and high-energy musical style, and as such, it relies heavily on colourful sensibilities and styling. Unfortunately, the perception of an attempt to have a modern pop style as an artistic vision has had the complete opposite effect. Social media sites like X (formerly Twitter) have been filled with complaints from disappointed followers who find the song ‘extremely vulgar’.
One viral comment summed up, “She is obviously trying too hard to come off as a ‘cute Korean queen’ but ends up stuck in this weird, awkward and honestly, pretty un-authentic spot.” Not all comments were so diplomatic, quickly declaring it nothing more than a publicity stunt.
Lyrical backlash and comparisons
The lyrics of this song, written by Tony Kakkar, have attracted the most severe criticism. The repetitive and childish lines have been likened to ‘meme-songs‘ by Dhinchak Pooja, with questions raised about artiste standards when someone like this has been a judge on such popular shows like Indian Idol for this long.
Influential people in society, such as voices in the form of a folk singer named Malini Awasthi, commented on this issue. Awasthi questioned whether reality show judges are appropriate as role models in front of emerging talent.
“Neha Kakkar’s downfall doesn't have to be studied,” posted a viewer, suggesting that the singer is going down the wrong track by straying from the melodious tunes that won her a massive fan base.
Changing fan expetations
The Candy Shop response reflects a substantial paradigm shift in the Indian music industry as a whole. With exposure to global trends such as K-pop, listeners are becoming increasingly particular about their choices, unwilling to tolerate ‘trend-driven’ experiments that come crosswise, so to speak. Although Neha and Tony Kakkar have had phenomenal success with songs such as Coca Cola in the past, Candy Shop appears to have ticked a different kind of box. As of now, the singer is yet to react to the controversy, giving one the impression that she might go back to her conventional ways or carry on with this new venture.
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