Love, loss, and lyrics: Shashwat Singh’s soundtrack for every mood

This Valentine’s Day, no matter where love finds you—blissfully smitten or nursing a broken heart—Shashwat Singh has the perfect soundtrack to match your mood. With back-to-back indie hits like Talab and Burai, he’s striking a chord with listeners. Burai focuses on the pain of abandonment and the longing for closure after a heartbreak.

On the other hand, Talab focusses on how one person becomes this regular ‘want’ in your life, like an addition. “It’s a pure love song; just praising your partner and talking about how beautiful it is to be with them,” Shashwat says.

Hailing from Allahabad, Shashwat is the voice behind many Bollywood blockbusters including Show Me The Thumka, Kesariya Dance Mix, Haan Main Galat, De Taali, and Wat Wat Wat.

While he is up for Bollywood numbers and working with various artistes, he explains how there is a sense of creative freedom that he feels with indie music.

“Indie music has no boundaries, you can experiment and express yourself freely. Sometimes a song works, sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s the beauty of it,” he says.

In contrast, Bollywood music comes with certain expectations, which, while understandable, can be limiting. “Bollywood is for the masses, so there are certain rules we follow. But with independent music, there are no restrictions, and I can create something from scratch the way I envision it.”

“But at my core, I am a singer who loves being in front of the mic, whether it’s for my own music or someone else’s,” the musician adds.

One of Shashwat’s greatest strengths as a singer is his ability to seamlessly transition between different musical styles. Whether it’s a high-energy dance number, a heartfelt love ballad, or a patriotic anthem, he adapts his voice effortlessly.

“I think it comes naturally to me,” he says. “I used to mimic different sounds and styles, even before I had any formal training in Hindustani classical music. My mother spotted this talent in me and encouraged me to practice.” His method? Understanding the lyrics, grasping the emotion, and then letting the song guide him.

Although music has always been a part of his life, Shashwat’s formal journey began at AR Rahman’s KMMC in Chennai. Interestingly, Shashwat’s big break also came when he was recording chorus parts at KMMC, and AR Rahman took notice. A few months later, he received a call for a Skype session with director Imtiaz Ali. The song turned out to be Wat Wat Wat from Tamasha, marking the beginning of his Bollywood journey.

Since then he has been a part of many chartbusters in Hindi and other languages including Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali.

With new songs released already, and more on the way, 2025 is shaping up to be a big year for Shashwat. He is also set to launch a musical duo with a prominent female Bollywood singer, promising even more exciting collaborations.

Email: apurva.p@newindianexpress.com

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