Benny Dayal is back. And if his latest single, Yaaro Neeyo, is anything to go by, he has returned with his groove intact, his creative batteries recharged and absolutely no intention of playing it safe. After a two-year sabbatical from music, the singer is ready to make some noise again — but this time, on his own terms. With a musical repertoire that spans Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and several other languages, Benny has been a familiar voice in Indian playback music for years. From chart-topping film songs to his work with the funk band Funktuation, he has built a career on versatility, energy and an unmistakable ability to make a song move. Now, with Yaaro Neeyo, he is taking that versatility a step further, exploring amapiano — the South African-born genre that has found global love through artistes such as Tyla and Burna Boy — and giving it a Tamil twist. The result? A song that feels like a cool breeze on a warm afternoon: smooth, rhythmic and effortlessly catchy. The music video, featuring Shweta Ashokraj, follows the same philosophy, with cool styling, choreography and a relaxed vibe. No overthinking, no unnecessary drama — just music, movement and a little bit of magic. But behind the easygoing single is a more personal story. Benny took time away from the industry to focus on his mental and physical health, reconnect with his creative instincts and spend precious time with his wife and their baby daughter. Now, as he steps back into the spotlight, he is also preparing to release Funk World, Funktuation’s second album, a Tamil funk record that promises romance, humour, experimentation and a few surprises. We caught up with Benny to talk about finding his focus, bringing amapiano to Tamil, creating music that lasts and being a dad.
You are back after a two-year sabbatical and Yaaro Neeyo feels like a very cool comeback. What made you take that break?
Since 2024, I’ve been taking a sabbatical from music and everything. My health, mental health, everything was kind of down. I also felt like I was getting very saturated being in the industry. I was doing the same things again and again and again. I wasn’t feeling any creative control over how I wanted to take my musical career forward. I felt like I had songs, live concerts and everything, but that shouldn’t be it. My creative process needed to improve. I had done my last big album with Funktuation as the first album and I felt like we were losing a lot of focus on creating. Earnings are good, its all good, but where am I headed as a creator? So I thought, you know what, this is the time to take a break and go on a sabbatical. I was too affected by social media. I wasn’t focusing on why I was doing music, which is because I love making music. Why am I not loving this process anymore? I needed time to recuperate, get healthy, be mentally fit, be physically fit and do all those things. And then I would come back into the scene.
And during that time, you discovered amapiano?
I realised that amazing new genres were coming in. I always had this idea in my head that something would sound great in Tamil, Malayalam or Hindi. Because I have the advantage of singing in all these languages, I thought I could work with producers and writers, write some of my own stuff and conceptualise things. Then I came across a bunch of producers. I always wanted to do something in this genre. I knew nobody was going to approach it. Amapiano is blowing up in the world right now. I’ve always dreamt of being an artiste of global appeal. I still want to be that. I don’t want to be known just in India. I want to do something that attracts global ears, people from the rest of the world too.
How did you find the producer and get the song together?
I came across this guy called Prito on Instagram. I DM’d him and said, “I want to work on something.” He asked if I wanted to write an original or do a remix. I said, “no, I want to do an original song.” He asked me to make a melody and send it to him. So, I worked on a topline melody, a composition and explained how I wanted it. He said, “I only do amapiano. Amapiano is my forte.” I said, “That’s exactly what I want.” He’s a Tamil boy from London, a Sri Lankan Tamil and a wonderful producer and technician. He was kind enough to say, “give it to me. I’ll give it a go.” When he sent me back what he produced, it was incredible. We went back and forth with constructive ideas about the order of what needed to come after what. It was a very easy process. Then I sat down with my writer, Vignesh Ramakrishnan. What a quick writer! Unbelievable. I gave him the melody and he sent me lyrics. The first option came in about 20 minutes and the second option was written during a phone call. I told him the song should feel like a breeze. The crazy part is, when you work on a melody metre, you want every accent of the melody to match the lyric. He was on point. I had nothing to worry about.
You also cast Shweta Ashokraj, who brings a lovely energy to the video. What made you choose her?
I feel like women are not highlighted for who they are. I don’t agree with what’s going on in the industry right now. Everything is just very fair-skinned. There’s a contrast between the hero and heroine and they cast girls a certain way. The general DNA of the Tamil girl is a dark-skinned beauty. I somehow found Shweta at a friend’s audio launch in Mumbai. We spoke in Tamil for an hour and she said, “how refreshing is it to speak in Tamil, no? Mumbai is all in Hindi.” We clicked. I told her, “this will be only you and I.” I told her it wouldn’t be vulgar at all. It would be done right. She enjoyed the whole process and gave it all.
Are you planning to make Yaaro Neeyo part of an EP or an album?
No, no, no. I’m just releasing a bunch of singles. These are going to be my singles. I’m going to drop them individually as an artiste. I’m going to focus on albums with my band. Funktuation is finishing our second album right now — Funk World. It should be out around the end of September, beginning of October or mid-October. We’ve already shot two videos.
Tell us about the new album, Funk World?
It’s a full Tamil funk album. It focuses on eras of funk — how the genre has evolved through the eras in the west. We’re taking those genres and writing songs in Tamil. It’s a little more romantic this time. The last album was a fun album, but this one has more emotion and romance. We also have fun songs, some really cool ones, focusing on social issues. A very sarcastic take on things, mocking society. There’s a celebratory track and two amazing collaborations, one female and one male. I won’t reveal more than that. There is so much growth from what we were in the last album to now. A lot of maturity. It’s a very no-compromise album in terms of musicality. We didn’t want to write for trends or what is cool and hip now. We want to make something timeless. As a band, we need to hone our musicality, our skills and what we can do. It’s not a show-off album but a subtle display of really cool stuff in our music.
Let’s talk about fatherhood. Congratulations! How does it feel?
It’s amazing. My daughter has completed eight months. She’s doing fine. She’s really, really joyful. A peaceful baby. She reacts to music a lot. I sit with her. I change her diapers. It’s my wife, my baby and I, we don’t have any extra help. We do have a caretaker who comes twice a week, but that’s pretty much it. It’s mostly my wife though, because I’m travelling now. Whenever I’m home, I’m home just for her. I like to chill with her.
Is she already influencing your musical decisions?
A lot. A lot. The decisions I’m talking about today — I just want her to know her dad did great stuff when she grows up. She should say, “my dad made some cool music.” I want her to say that to her friends.
What else can we expect from you?
A few Malayalam movie songs. I’m not singing anything in Tamil or Hindi as of now.
Any plans of performing in Bengaluru?
Once Funk World is out, we’ll look for venues. We will showcase a full indie set — the old album, the new album and some new songs. We’ve already started working on our third album too. We’re done with the second album; we’re only mixing and mastering now. We’re taking a call on how it needs to sound before we roll it out.
Finally, you’ve always been experimental. Do you see yourself as an evangelist of interesting new musical genres?
Yes. That is my goal in life. To be unexpected. Unpredictable. Don’t predict me. You try predicting me and I’m definitely not going your way. That’s my thing. I don’t want people to say he will only do this. I want to do things that are not timely. I want to do things that are timeless. Doing something like a Tamil amapiano track at this time, which no one is even attempting right now, is my thing.
Yaaro Neeyo is now streaming online.
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