In the late 1990s and 2000s Adnan Sami became the voice of pop for the South Asian community with songs like Lift Kara De and Tera Chehra. Recently, the singer redefined himself for the current generation with his latest single Lipstick, and he feels glad to be connecting with the youth. “I know all people are looking at today is that 15 second hook in their song, but I don’t let that govern my thought process. Although, unconsciously, my songs have always had those hooks, and so does Lipstick,” he says.
Watch the full interview with Adnan Sami here:
Talking about the music culture today being governed by algorithms more than art, Adnan Sami says, “Musicians today put so much emphasis on the hook that the rest of the song suffers at times. We don’t care about the rest of it but if you make a good song in its entirety, the hook will come on its own. But music today is data-driven, and while data is good for analysis, it will not help you make your next hit. Don’t allow yourself to be dictated by it and make you subservient to creativity.”
Apart from his music, Adnan’s views, especially political ones, make him hit the headlines a lot. His meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also subjected him to criticism and trolling earlier this year. The singer was born a Pakistani national, but chose to give up his citizenship and become an Indian citizen in 2016. While he is a vocal patriotic, his patriotism is often questioned due to his birth roots. Ask him if he has made peace with the fact that he will always be questioned by a section for being an Indian and he says, “Main unko maaf karta hun, they will learn eventually.”
Adnan elaborates, “If they have got that mindset, it’s their problem. You were born into something you didn’t put any effort into acquiring. But when you make a choice as an adult to make such a drastic change, it’s a very calculated and thought after decision. You analysed every facet and chose that after deliberation. Such people are more dedicated as they don’t take it for granted. They didn’t inherit it, they had to fight and struggle for it.”
Recalling his own struggle, Adnan shares, “I had to fight for over 18 years and there were many rejections along the way. I just didn’t scream about it in public. I have been subjected to a tremendous amount of scrutiny on both sides of the border. But when you acquire it [Indian citizenship], your loyalty is greater than anyone. So, when someone questions it, I just laugh at them as they inherited it, but I fought for it.”
