Punjabi pop’s having its moment worldwide

Transcending linguistic and cultural barriers, Punjabi artistes and their catchy tunes have captured the attention of audiences worldwide. Indo-Canadian artiste AP Dhillon’s historic performance at the Grammys, Diljit Dosanjh’s milestone show at Coachella, and American rapper Jay-Z’s rendition of Panjabi MC’s Mundiya Toh Bach Ke Rahi at a recent show are a few examples of how the ever-evolving genre has transcended geographical boundaries.

Social media reels and movies up the reach and popularity of Punjabi musicPunjabi tracks, accompanied by vibrant videos go viral in no time helping push its reach beyond it’s traditional boundaries. One such instance is Vicky Kaushal’s dance number to Riar Saab’s Obsessed, which magnified the track’s reach.“Social media has contributed a lot to the popularity of Punjabi songs. The reels grab the attention of the youth, making them include the tracks in their playlist right away,” says Bengaluru-based DJ Hemanth, who’s known to play Punjabi tracks for gigs.

‘Punjabi music is part of multi-genre collabs’Artistes from diverse backgrounds are increasingly collaborating with Punjabi musicians. These cross-cultural collaborations have resulted in blends of Punjabi music with hip-hop, R&B, and reggae, attracting listeners from various cultural backgrounds. “When people find lyrics that are easy to sing and tracks that are catchy and hummable, they’ll easily get hooked. Punjabi songs are simple and catchy. Besides, the influences of hip-hop, folk and bhangra make it all the more popular,” says musician Varun Sunil, who has collaborated with Guru Randhawa.

Diljit Dosanjh’s rocking the worldAccording to Spotify, since 2021, the consumption of Diljit Dosanjh’s music has grown exponentially, as the singer has continued to take his music to audiences around the world. In Canada and the US, for instance, his streams have increased by over 60% and 50%, respectively, while his growth on the platform overall has been even higher, at over 95%. And in the days following his performance at Coachella, consumption of Diljit’s music online went up by over 40% in the US. His top streamed song continues to be Lemonade, with Proper Patola coming in at second.

AP Dhillon’s song topped the most-streamed songs in India in 2022Out of the 10 most-streamed songs on Spotify India in 2022, four were in Punjabi, by AP Dhillon, Intense, and Gurinder Gill taking the top spots and Moosetape, by the late Sidhu Moose Wala was most-streamed album.

Fan favourite Punjabi tracks
1.Poh Di Raat/ 5 Taara – Diljit Dosanjh
2.Excuses/SummerHigh/Brown Munde – AP Dhillon
3.Amplifier – Imran Khan
4.Desi Thumka – Nouman Khalid
5.White Brown Black – Karan Aujla
6.Illegal Weapon 2.0 – Jasmine Sandlas
7.Dhundhala – Talwiinder
8.Into You – Manni Sandhu & Tegi Panju

Hit tracks at weddings
Ishq Tera Tadpave – Sukhbir
Mundian To Bach Ke – Panjabi MC
Amplifier — Imran Khan
Saturday Saturday - Badshah
Tunak Tunak - Daler Mehndi
Wakhra Swag - Navv Inder, Badshah
Suit Suit — Guru Randhawa