In an exclusive chat, celebrated playback singer Jubin Nautiyal opens up about his latest track Barbaad, marking his first-ever collaboration with director Mohit Suri and Yash Raj Films. From being blown away by debut composer The Rish's emotional depth to reflecting on how personal experiences shape his music, Jubin shares the journey behind creating a song that's resonating with fans across generations.
What was your first reaction when you heard the composition of this song?
When I first heard the song, I was like, Did he really compose this? I’m talking about The Rish (Rishabh Kant), the composer. He’s a very young boy, and I was honestly stunned that such an intense song came from someone so young. I couldn’t believe it at first. But once I found out he actually wrote it, I became a fan right away. I think this is his first song, and it’s incredibly powerful. I just feel lucky to be the one singing it.
It’s been a lot of firsts! My first project with Mohit, although our bond goes way back. And my first time working with Yash Raj. Honestly, what stands out is how focused both Mohit and the YRF team are. Usually, multiple projects run simultaneously, but Yash Raj is different. They focus hard on one project and give it their all. That’s the kind of cinema we need right now—good filmmakers, good music labels, and focused teams.
The only pressure I felt was doing justice to the song. It needed tension, hard work, and a lot of emotion. I just wanted to make sure I nailed it for Mohit. Thankfully, we recorded the song, YRF approved it, Mohit loved it, and most importantly, the composer was happy.
Every time I sing, I become the voice of the hero—I express his feelings, his mood. Usually in cinema, when the hero is in love, he becomes fearless, thinks he can conquer the world. But Barbaad captures a more real emotion. When someone falls in love for the first time, there comes a point where they actually feel scared—scared of losing that love. That fear makes this song different. It still has heroism, but also vulnerability. That’s what makes it special to me.
It’s all rooted in personal experience. When I record a song, there’s no visual yet—just lyrics on a page, a tune, and the director’s brief. That brief is crucial because only the director knows what the final visual will be. To bring out the right emotion, I go back to my own journey. If I can’t relate personally, I can’t sing it authentically.
I’ve been lucky to sing some amazing Bollywood songs recently. I had taken a break from music videos, but I’m planning to do about 6–7 really good ones selectively. My main focus is on film work because I’m a playback singer at heart. I won’t name projects yet—it’s all in the pipeline, and anything can change till the last moment. But there are big projects coming up, even in the South Indian industry. I’m also working on some English music, so 2025 is looking exciting!
What are the top 3 songs currently on your playlist?
Right now, I’m listening to Barbaad the most. And I’m not just saying that because I sang it—even my father is listening to it on loop. It’s rare when two generations connect over one song. Second would be my recent music video Ishq Mera, which just entered the charts. We’re super excited about that. And third—Ganga Kinara. I truly love that track.
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