The Punjabi artists team up for what the ‘Sakhiyaan’ hitmaker says was an “experimental project” and hints that he may have a collaboration with American artist Mike Posner
Punjabi artist Maninder Buttar behind the scenes at the shoot for the “Soda Water” music video. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Punjabi artists Maninder Buttar, Ammy Virk and Baghdadi chase their heart’s desire – in this case, a woman – on “Soda Water,” which released in April.
With over 4 million views on YouTube, Buttar says the song has received “fantastic responses from listeners.” A typically playful Punjabi love song on the surface, Buttar says “Soda Water” was more of an experimental project for him. “I wanted to explore using different vocal techniques and infuse them into a unique piece of music,” he adds. Best known for songs like “Sakhiyaan” rfrom 2018, “Ik Tera” from 2019 as well as his 2021 album Jugni, Buttar says “Soda Water” was an opportunity to push boundaries, with him, Virk and the masked artist Baghdadi each taking a verse on the song.
Buttar adds, “I remember when I was making this track, I was singing that verse ‘Mainu soda water laide ve’ and suddenly few words flashed into my mind and penned them.” He began making the music – with producer Trip Beats added to the project – and shared with Virk. “He liked it so much that he wanted to be part of it too. We’ve been friends for a long time, but we’ve never worked together on a song before. This was our chance, and now people are loving it,” Buttar adds.
In an email interview with Rolling Stone India, Buttar talks about other aspects of his artistry, including owning the copyrights to his music, trends in Punjabi music and what’s next. Excerpts:
Rolling Stone India: A lot of music you release is done independently. I assume you have copyrights over your own music, how important is it to have that kind of independence?
Maninder Buttar: I and the artists whom I work with are focusing on building our own channels. We feel that it is a more sustainable way of working forward. We have given hits previously with labels and now we look to replicate the same with our own channels too. It is time to consolidate the audience to your own channel now. There is a lot of freedom to drop your songs at any point you would want to, as an independent artist. YouTube has been pushing the creator ecosystem for a long time now. The followers that I have right now is due to the visibility that YouTube has been giving me for a long time.
I also want to express my gratitude to Believe Artist Services for their invaluable role in shaping my journey as an artist. They played a crucial role in supporting my recent release, providing the necessary guidance and promotion.
What kind of shifts and trends have you been noticing in Punjabi music over the recent years? It feels like it’s moving at a more rapid pace.
Punjabi music has been evolving continuously. We had reggaeton in Punjabi music even in the 1970s and 80s when there was no sign of it in the [Indian] movie industry. If I talk about myself, I have gained compositions and melodies from the artists before me. Back in the day, artists were in the backend [of music videos] and models used to act in front of the camera. It was after Honey Paaji [Yo Yo Honey Singh] that Punjabi music started becoming more popular globally and in India.
[Singh’s songs like ] ‘Angrezi Beat’ and ‘Brown Rang’ changed the scene overnight and we started getting shows! I feel lucky that many factors contributed to us getting more visibility. We, including me, were beneficiaries of these changes. We added our own style to the songs and gave it our own imagery.
A lot of artists also feel like they need to go international now, because there’s a big global listening audience for Punjabi music. What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel artists should focus on both?
It varies from artist to artist, but my personal thoughts are that, firstly I need to prioritize collaborations with Indian artists. There’s a rich tapestry of regional artists and genres within India that I’m eager to explore, such as Rajasthani, Gujarati, Pahadi, and core Pakistani Punjabi artists.
Once I’ve delved into these collaborations, I’ll certainly be open to international ventures. International collaborations are on the horizon. Mike Posner happens to be one of my favorite artists, and we’ve even had discussions about potential collaborations.
What else is coming up in 2024?
I will be releasing one song in May. I look to release about 12 to 15 songs in another 12 months. This is the time when an artist needs to drop songs as and when they’re ready. I had stopped myself from releasing many songs earlier and that’s a mistake I would not want to repeat anymore. I have a good song bank that is waiting to take shape now.
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