[THE ENDORSEMENT]

Mass Appeal A&R Navjosh Singh shares why the South Asian hotspot is more than just Bollywood bops
India is one of the fastest-growing music markets in the world. If we only talk about streaming, it's literally the fastest year-over-year in growth. So it's a very exciting time. India has been historically dominated by Bollywood [but] non-film music has boomed in the last five to seven years. Of course, much of that credit goes to the growth of streaming platforms—Spotify, in particular.
India has so many languages and cultures within one country, which is very different from 90% of the world. So everybody—whatever language they speak—has an opportunity to find their own niche audience. That's the most beautiful part about the music market in India. It's also challenging. There are so many people in the country; it's so densely populated. And now anybody who can use software, sing a little bit, or rap a little bit, can become an artist.
The success of Hanumankind’s “Big Dogs” was a surprise—but not for people who work in the industry. It was almost a given with the kind of talent we have in India and how the market is growing. People are so in tune with trends and mix that with their own culture and sounds. It was a moment that was waiting to happen. Hanumankind is Indian but is rapping in English on “Big Dogs.” Because of his upbringing in America, it's very Americanized—the way the visuals are shot are so rooted in culture.
We will begin to see more and more moments happen from South Asia. The world is paying attention. Companies and record labels from the West are looking at India because the numbers are there. In 2019, Mass Appeal was the first proper American label to enter the market, in partnership with Universal Music India. So we have that first-entering advantage. We've done a lot of dope stuff in India, generated special moments and hit songs.
I think in 2025 we will begin to have songs break out globally in one of the Indian languages; a moment like “Mundian to Bach Ke” by Punjabi MC, back when Jay-Z hopped on it and it was a hit on the Billboard Hot 100. A full Punjabi song. Punjabi is a genre and language that everybody bets on because of its global appeal. So I won't be surprised if more songs in Indian languages break out globally, this year and beyond. —As told to John Kennedy
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