Singer Shaan on his peppy new love duet track Zara Zara Sa along with Anwesshaa
Popular singer Shaan, who is known for his soul- stirring voice and evergreen chartbusters, has dropped a new track Zara Zara Sa along with Anwesshaa. The versatile singer takes us through the track, how he feels about the current music scape, and more.
How did the collaboration come about?
I have been following Anwesshaa’s career right from the beginning and I’m very proud of her. So, when she offered me the song, I was very happy to collaborate with her.
How do you feel the music scape has changed since you started?
It’s been over 30 years since I started. So a lot has changed. The audience has got much younger now because for streaming, your average age is about 16. Around 12- 22 years make up for 70 per cent of the listeners today. At the same time, the medium has changed so much. It’s more about streaming now while earlier it was records, cassettes, or CD’s. But I’m glad I’m still around and able to keep myself relevant and adapt to all the changes.
What do you think about songs becoming a hit or miss in 15-30 seconds short format content?
Sometimes even old songs that are long forgotten come back to people’s memories. At the same time, there are slow burner songs that don’t pick up initially but do slowly. There are all kinds of trends running together and working. Everyone has a market today.
Do you miss the cassette and album era?
What I miss about this era was that you had to put up with at least eight-nine songs in an album. You could get a good idea of what the artiste is all about. The artiste could experiment with different genres or stick to their forte. Today, with singles, you have to keep putting out singles every two-three months to stay in the minds of the people. That was more a listening and sharing format whereas today it’s more about what you listen to on your devices. Otherwise, a song is a song!
What musical trends worry you the most and what gets you excited?
One trend that confuses me is when you listen to the song just for the sound and not for its music, lyric, or emotional connect. A lot of people who I ask say that they like the vibe of the track. They really don’t pay attention to the lyrics or how musically enriching it is. What excites me is that it’s an open field for everyone and there are no restrictions to what you put out. It’s a fair chance at making a career in music.
Do you see AI as a threat or a tool?
When you look at whether it’s fair that someone actually works on composing, producing, or writing a tune with their own creative instincts; versus AI , where it doesn’t give credit, it does become a bit of a threat. But at the same time, it’s all about your integrity, which is rare today. Someone using AI as a tool to help them compose or write, might just think of it as a tool and not as a threat. It’s how you look at it.
As a singer what excites and worries you the most about live performances?
Yes, live performances are big and the exciting thing is that today people are spending money, buying tickets, and going to concerts. This wasn’t the case even six or seven years ago. At the same time, everyone should be comfortable so that no untoward incidents happen. It’s a trendy thing for youngsters. Even if they don’t know the artiste catalogue; they just want to be there.
Your sons Soham and Maahi are also into music. Can we see all three of you collaborating anytime soon?
My older son Soham is producing under the name Never Sober. They are producing some great music- indie and films. So, I’m hoping he can find some time for his old man too. I’d love to collaborate with him. It would be even better if Maahi and I can feature in a song by him. Hopefully, sometime this year itself.
Will we see you singing in Bengali films / OTT anytime soon?
I have been singing for Bengali films and quite a few regional songs too. There are quite a few in Hindi OTTs as well but it’s just that they are not among the big ones. But I’m still singing and I’m happy with the work I’m getting.
Zara Zara Sa is streaming on Asha Audio India YouTube platform.