Exclusive: I don’t think anyone makes music like me: Arjun Kanungo

Singer-composer Arjun Kanungo was in the city recently as part of his pan-India tour for his debut album. Titled Industry, the two-part Hindi album sees him venturing into new territories, with some experimental and intense soundscapes. A seven-piece presentation, the first part of the album offers ‘an eclectic mix of reverential, socially-inspired soul, heady alt R&B and pop along with some vulnerable, gospel-tinged ballads.’
Written and produced during the pandemic, the album features several collaborators, including Mumbai-based rapper King, producer-songwriter Yash Vaid, UK-based producer-songwriter Martin Hollis (who has worked for the likes of Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Mumford & Sons) and Arjun’s in-house producers, Nemo and Vole.
“An album is about the artiste more than anything else. It’s almost autobiographical, a way for you to connect with your audience. It's like when you watch only a single scene from a movie, then later when you watch the whole movie, it all makes sense. An album is kind of like that. A single just gives you an idea, but an album reveals a lot about the artiste. For me, it’s a way to showcase my views on different things. For instance, there's a song called Bura Sapna, and it’s about my experience in the music industry. That’s why the album is called Industry,” Arjun shares, adding that the album has been in the works for two years. He says, “I wanted to release the album in 2020, but that got pushed because of the pandemic. So, we decided to wait because I wanted to release it with a tour.”
Having released several singles earlier, Arjun shares that the process of creating a single is wildly different from how an album is made. “A single is a small commitment. On average, it’s about 3-5 minutes of music and a video, whereas an album is almost an hour of music and videos."
We ask Arjun if his music and what it means to him has changed after the pandemic, and he shares, “Every artiste has a particular style that is unique only to them. I have always remained true to that style. I don’t think anyone makes music like me. It’s my style. Obviously, there is an evolution as you grow as an artiste.”