'Raina': Arijit Singh releases first independent song after playback retirement; 'Feel it deeply, let the night take over'

Arijit Singh has released his first independent song, 'Raina,' after announcing his retirement from playback singing. The full track dropped on February 27 and quickly drew strong reactions from fans. While he has stepped away from new film assignments, the singer is now focusing on independent music. ‘Raina’ marks a new chapter, and listeners are already praising his voice and the song’s romantic mood.Arijit Singh and composer Shekhar Ravjiani announced the release on Instagram. Their caption read, “RAINA is OUT NOW and all yours. Turn it up, feel it deeply, let the night take over. Watch the official video on the @garuudaamusiic YouTube Channel." Arijit lends his voice to the track, while Shekhar Ravjiani has composed the music. Priya Saraiya has written the lyrics. The song is described as a “deeply romantic ode to a woman who feels like the night itself, mysterious, breathtaking, and endless.” The track leans into a slow, emotional sound that highlights Arijit’s signature style while stepping into the independent space.Fans flooded social media soon after the release. One user wrote, "Nothing, just Arijit Singh dropping insanely good independent music after retiring from playback." Another commented, “This feels like another side of Arijit Singh, slow, sweet, and soulful." A third fan posted, “Independent Music By Guruji," while another shared, “Finally happy tears by hearing his voice again."Arijit announced his retirement from playback singing on January 27 through Instagram. He wrote, “I want to thank you for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. " He called his journey “wonderful" and said he was “calling it off."Later, he addressed confusion around the announcement. He clarified that several unreleased and incomplete songs remain in the pipeline. Those tracks will continue to be released through this year and possibly next year.Meanwhile, Arijit has also sung for the Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi starrer ‘Ek Din,' produced by Aamir Khan. The makers recently released the film’s title track, keeping his presence alive in cinema even after his decision to step back from new playback work.