Breaking Borders: Diljit Dosanjh's Impact on Representing Punjabi Artists Globally

Written by: Dil Bola / Image from Andrew Chin/Getty Images

Diljit Dosanjh, once again, etched his name in history. This time we were privileged witnesses to his remarkable journey in person through his Dil-Luminati Tour, and also, closely on social media.

Diljit’s influence is global and it’s not stopping any time soon

For those who don’t know him, Diljit is not only a musician but a well known actor in both Panjabi and Hindi cinema. He has spent his career breaking the ever too common stereotypes of Sikh Panjabis within the Indian film industry — specifically those who wear a dastaar or turban. Breaking serious social and cultural stereotypes alongside his many talents make it apparent as to why Diljit continues to reach new heights of superstardom. Most recently, Dosanjh has acted in a new film, Chamkila, which albeit was controversial for many reasons including issues of domestic violence, still highlighted and explored the rising stardom of Panjabi and Dalit-identifying folk singer, Amarjit Chamkila. Among all opinions of the film and its background lies the issue of caste which the film intricately navigates and explores for the viewer to deduce the long lasting effects of casteism with a lens that explores the issue contemporarily and within the 1980s, when Chamkila rose to superstardom himself.

Last year, Dosanjh was the first Panjabi to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the first South Asian to play a set on their main stage. This was ground breaking for so many South Asian artists with dreams of doing the same. Amongst videos on YouTube and social media of the event was a crowd full of folks from all different backgrounds rocking it out to Diljit’s Bhangra tunes – invoking a sense of worldy and globalised culturemaking. Most recently, on April 27th, 2024, Diljit continued to expand his musical legacy and reach, performing for over 50,000 people in Vancouver, Canada. This time, Diljit broke records as the first Indian-origin and Panjabi musician to play this large of a show outside of India – he sold out BC Place Stadium to crowds full of not just youngsters, but varying Panjabi families including children and the elderly.

A Celebrity that other celebrities also adore

It’s not just that Dosanjh breaks multiple records as he continues to make his mark across multiple industries, he also manages to create unforgettable experiences and melt hearts across people from various backgrounds and walks of life – often emulating the magic and unconditional love that is so unique to feel when he performs. Yet, as a contemporary pop icon, he also holds a place similar to Taylor Swift as a musician —– the musician that other celebrities obsess over. Diljit’s concerts are just as star studded as other mainstream chart breaking musicians who have had the créme de la créme of the entertainment industry pay for tickets just like us to watch her perform. In the same example, Swift’s had the likes of Jessica Chastain, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Goldblum and many more.

Similarly, Dosanjh has actors, businessmen, directors and other notable film industry leaders attend his performances and they sing along word for word just as the Swifties would. A recent example of such is his performance at the Ambani wedding, where he performed alongside a power-celebrity roster including the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna, and for notable film figures like Karishma and Kareena Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal and their contemporaries within their respective field.

Diljit brings pride to the entire South Asian community and its effect is evident through all of his experiences and achievements within the industries he works in. But, one such moment for me really reflected this part of his personality and journey as a performer and musician. At the Vancouver stop of his Dil-Luminati Tour, Dosanjh brought a young 6 year old boy on stage while performing one of the songs on his set. The child was wearing an exact copy of Dosanjh’s Coachella stage outfit last year. The two danced it out together over one of his latest tracks, and the shine in their eyes could be seen from the furthest seats. The symbolism of the moment was so wholesome – how beautiful that the next generation gets to experience Panjabi culture so interactively and so freely not just within the diaspora, but openly, in public, too.

Snippets of Diljit’s historic Dil-Luminati Concert in Vancouver, BC on April 27th, 2024

Things are changing, and Diljit's stewarding how we interact with Panjabi culture going forward as a diaspora

Given that the millenial generation is growing up and the elder Gen Zs are too, it’s now our responsibility to the future generation to ensure we stay representing who we are, so that the effect and understanding is positive instead of negative. And Dosanjh is doing exactly that within the music and film industry – he is carrying forth culture, honouring, and acting as a medium for Punjabi culture to cultivate and evolve to translate into the world of a new generation.

In 2024, we all know that representation – especially within media – is very important. Representation allows young people to identify with someone who understands them from a cultural nuance point. As a result, they are able to form strong identities and negate negative stereotypes they may be experiencing and processing as they learn to understand themselves and navigate the complexities of the world. Cultural representation supports a strong sense of self esteem and that would naturally affect mental health.

Negative stereotypes are not limited to Apu from the Simpsons – in fact, Hindi cinema has on numerous occasions, consistently portrayed stereotypes of Sikhs as loud, uncouth, rustic, and clownish characters. I myself cringe every time I hear “Balle Balle” come out of a Sardar character’s mouth in a Hindi film. Dosanjh provides range for Sikhs — he’s played the loud, fun, jokey character, but he has also played very serious, mature characters, romantic leads, and more that we don’t typically see for Sikh characters. From his first role as ASI Sartaj Singh in Udta Panjab where he touches on the issue of drug usage by Panjabi youth to his latest appearance as the suave customs officer, Jaiveer Singh in Crew, Dosanjh holds range and creates opportunities ffor complex characters that add to Sikh representation to emerge on the silver screen – breaking away from cultural stereotypes to more accurate and varied representation of who we can be whilst being proud of our identities,how we look like, and the values we represent.

Snippets of Diljit’s historic Dil-Luminati Concert in Vancouver, BC on April 27th, 2024

Breaking Stereotypes looks like this

On the eve of his historic concert in Vancouver, Diljit said: “they said Sardars can't be fashionable, and I said, 'I will show you.' They said Sardars can't star in films, so I showed them. They said Punjabis can't thrive in Mumbai, and I showed them.” And he continues to show us all as he continues to make his mark through history while he continues to show up to represent Punjabis, the Punjabi language, and Punjabi culture across the world through the medium of performing arts.

Diljit Dosanjh has paved the way for so many South Asians in the future, and more South Asian artists continue to do the same. Punjabi singer Karan Aujla recently won the 2024 Juno Fan Choice award and AP Dhillon played at the Coachella Festival in California this year. It’s clear that South Asian artists are continuing to break barriers, and in another celebratory statement, many are breaking so many stereotypes and records all around the world, and proving that when you have a dream, you can achieve it – no matter what.

Article written by HIMMAT MEDIA Resident Writer Dil Bola with edits by Journal Editor Jagreet Dhadli

Last edit to include the film Chamkila’s exploration of casteism on May 8th 2024

R&B's Kaleidoscope: ASTU's Harmonic Merge of Eras and Identity Narratives

Image from Variant Magazine

Stumbling on ASTU, a musical artist based in the Bay Area of California, is an accidental surprise – this transcendent musical entity steps into the limelight with a sonic canvas that seamlessly blends elements of retro soul, a splash of nineties R&B nostalgia.

Embarking on ASTU's musical odyssey is akin to embarking on a journey through a kaleidoscope, one that unfurls from the deconstruction of outdated thought patterns to the sacred realm of introspection. With each lyric and every note, ASTU becomes our guide, leading us through a labyrinth of contemplation where we challenge the limitations of conventional thinking and venture into the uncharted territories of our minds. ASTU's musical journey is an intricate tapestry that intertwines diverse threads, creating an expansive soundscape that resonates far beyond the ordinary. Anchored in their rich heritage of R&B's generational rhythms, this sonic voyage is a testament to their boundless creativity. But it doesn't stop there – ASTU boldly weaves the vivacious colors of pop, the cosmic echoes of synth-wave, and the kaleidoscopic harmonies of psychedelia into a symphony that opens portals to the depths of the mind and soul.

ASTU possesses a magical ability to summon the spirit of 90s club songs, resurrecting the infectious rhythms that once ruled the dance floors. With every pulsating beat and groovy bassline, listeners are transported back to dimly lit dance halls, where neon lights and rhythmic movements created a symphony of youthful exuberance. The playful energy that characterized the 90s club scene is palpable in ASTU's music, infusing each track with an irresistible allure that makes it impossible to resist moving to the rhythm (just take a crack at their piece, Suit Up, and tell us otherwise!)

An integral part of ASTU's identity shines through their music – their unapologetic queerness. Their artistry transcends the conventional, offering a safe haven where listeners are free to explore their own identities. In each note, a celebration of diversity; in each melody, an embrace of individuality but also a counter-movement that invites celebration of a unique and fresh narrative of queer love as a physical manifestation within the music. ASTU's music becomes a bridge that connects hearts, minds, and souls, inviting us all to partake in a shared journey of self-discovery and acceptance, while simultaneously experiencing a narrative of love that may not be one it would otherwise conjure up on its own without invitation.

In between the intricate mix of pop, psychedelic and rhythm and bass lies the cadence of those hymns finds new life in the rhythmic heartbeats of their music, while the soul-stirring melodies weave threads of nostalgia that tug at the heartstrings while also creating a new array of sound that is experienced for the first time.

​​But perhaps most intriguing of all is the infusion of psychedelic soundwaves and harmonies. These auditory kaleidoscopes paint the mind's canvas with hues and patterns that defy logic, inviting us to transcend the mundane and explore the extraordinary.

ASTU – Motion via YouTube

Here’s our suggestion on how to dive in:

• sunsetmedown

• Motion

• Roots

• Satellites

• The Hunt

• Suit Up

• Staycation / Runaway

Santino Le Saint's “No More Icons” is a haunting symbol that allows for the existence of both self-loathing and radical self love

Image Credit: Santino Le Saint via his Instagram account

U.K. based musical artist and guitarist Santino Le Saint dropped his new album No More Icons on November 11, 2022. The 24 year old singer, rapper, and guitarist from Brixton dropped its first single, Goodbye Paris on September 21 to promote his album, followed by Damaged Goods on October 20. With 7 tracks, this album will take under half an hour to listen to – becoming the next perfect thing to mull over during your next quick commute.

The aesthetic vibe of the album (we’re a marketing company specialising in branding and we just have to speak on this after all) is starkly different from the highly contrasted bright colours and dark tones that can be seen throughout his previous work. This album’s aesthetics focus on black and white photography that reminds us of Jimi Hendrix and many rock and roll Gods in the same right – high exposure plays with shadows and intelligently matches the lyrics, tone, and overall feel of the album – vulnerability and exploring our own shadows are crucial narratives that take centre stage on the album cover alongside throughout each musical piece.

Read on to learn more about the album and catch our reviews and thoughts about the entire album and its tracks.

Image Credit: Santino Le Saint via santinolesaint.com

No More Icons is an auditory story that narrates the experience of given wisdom and often, dark night of the soul experience that is required to attain true enlightenment and understanding of harsh truths about life. Le Saint artfully narrates common interrelational and romantic situations that are often riddled with heartache and judgement; whether this includes judgement of ourselves, or how others perceive us, it is a symbol that allows for the existence of both self-loathing and radical self love. Pain can truly be dripping with sweetness – like a haunting lullaby, or, as Santino Le Saint coos in Burning, “like rain hitting an open fire.”

There is a heavy lightness that comes with the truths Le Saint sings about – the permanence of life is nonexistent, and the full range of human emotion is integral to our experience in this lifetime, in this realm.

We're living on borrowed time

So come get yours

Baby it's all borrowed time

So when it rains it pours

Oh borrowed time

I adore you

It's all borrowed time

Who needs more

– Borrowed Time [hook], No More Icons

Video: Borrowed Time by Santino Le Saint via YouTube

The entire album is unapologetic and raw, yet each track is masterfully crafted to almost sound the complete opposite at first listen – each song has a powerful, yet minimised feel, and Le Saint makes sure to capture each emotion he feels to the maximum artfully through his poetics. The lyrics have a transfixing, haunting quality to them, as does Santino Le Saint’s voice. You can hear, feel and identify so many different, often opposing emotions in his melodic coos between each song. This can especially be heard in the song Say What You’re Gonna Say. Santino centres the song around the concept of “nothing [being[ left to hide”; it is truly as if he’s giving his listeners reassurance through his own pain – it is completely okay to be in a state of being fragmented and dejected. There’s beauty and romance in this, too. 

Throughout Santino Le Saint’s lyrics, self-sabotage is also curiously juxtaposed with self-actualisation (figuratively, but also, quite literally in the song Somewhere Between Heaven & Hell) Both are essential to continue transforming and evolving in this life. The liminal space between seems to be just as much of a sweet experience as it afflicts pain.

Image Credit: Tidal

In terms of the genre of this album, Le Saint successfully continues to evolve on his own unique sound. It’s hard to truly determine what exactly that is as he creatively blends multiple genres of music together to produce this album. You will frequently hear grunge combined with dark R&B, and there is a heavy prominence of rockstar level guitar riffs with smooth, sultry vocals and strong percussion – it’s not rock, it’s not R&B. Just like this album’s lyrics and overall feel, the music creates harmony between contentment and escapism.

This is similar to the feel of his previous albums, where he often intermixed escapism through drugs and alcohol with complete and utter vulnerability and often, spirituality. Yet, here, Le Saint does it in a way that goes beyond all worldly concepts – there is truly something significant underlying the music and lyrics, a raw earnestness that hasn’t been explored by Le Saint in this manner before.

Video: Burning by Santino Le Saint via YouTube

Then we get to the track Wings off a Dove, which sounds slower, more sultry and has an immensely sexy beat, but is just as intense as the rest of the album. With no bars held back, in this track, Le Saint creates inroads between feeling guilty and accepting things for what they are, including our own mistakes. Here, Le Saint allows us to be free to make our choices, but also allows the people around us to feel free with theirs without letting our perceptions of ourselves and reputations get in the way. Through his eyes, we are able to see beyond imperfections and flaws – to see a person for who they truly are. 

No More Icons is a series of melancholic ruminations that investigate, inquire and analyse the honest truth of every kind of emotion without judging them – it is matter of fact. As we experience the album in full with you, we would like to ask you, the listener, the following questions inspired by the album to ruminate upon with us: how much smoother would our experiences in life be if we let ourselves feel our emotions without judging them? Wouldn’t we be more truthful with ourselves and the people around us?

Image Credit: Equate Magazine

Our rating of the album:

4.5/5

Our favourite songs:

Damaged Goods

Borrowed Time

Burning

Plunge In and Explore Deeper – Video: Kill My High (Freestyle) by Santino Le Saint via YouTube

Meet Pav4n: Strength in Numbers & Seeing the Future

Watch: Strength in Numbers by Pav4n via YouTube

Disruptive. That’s what comes to mind first when I think of PAV4N.

If you’re not familiar with his work your memory may be jogged with the fact that he is also a founding member of the UK hip hop group, Foreign Beggars. But, if you aren’t familiar with the hip hop scene, you’ll definitely remember PAV4N for his mind-bending aesthetic peppered with elements of Hindu mythology and the endless amounts of gold drip resting on his blue-tinted physique. When you first encounter his music, you’ll also immediately recognize classical Indian instrumentals with heavy bass and trap beats. And as you get deeper into his works, you’ll quickly realize every song is a mantra – you get roped in and captivated before you are even really able to comprehend why you’re so fixated. Yet, when you do start to understand, you’ll be quick to experience a tranquil acceptance of an emotionally and spiritually rich ride where you'll begin to see layers of the world that has always been in front of you. Such is what I like to call, the PAV4N EFFECT. When this happens, I’m floored, I’m schooled, and a lot of the internal storm within me starts making more sense. 

PAV4N dropped a single called Strength in Numbers on May 13 – one that is a mighty mantra dripping in emotional and spiritual medicine as we process the horrors happening right now in the world.

I’ve been tapping into the sheer power of this tune and channeling it to rebuild my own personal armour as I reflect about current global affairs since its release. Listening to PAV4N speak is like accessing pure, unfiltered streams of consciousness that see things as they are – so uncannily that it’s like he’s also seeing the future. This is something I don’t take lightly. It’s one of the few instances where I’ve instantly taken the backseat with ease to simply listen and reflect. 

My own consciousness takes a while to respond to PAV4N’s  energy because it recognizes the momentary trancelike state between his energetically sharp and quick observations of reality. This is something you’ll be quick to catch as you read on. It’s happened every time I’ve interacted with him, and unsurprisingly, when we video chatted for the first time for this piece.

PAV4N was kind enough to catch up with me so I could pick his brain about the track and figure out how and why it is so crucially accurate in contextualizing the world we live in.

they robbin’ us blind, they sellin’ our futures. creating more debt, they render us useless. the banks get stronger, the poor get poorer. till those who believe believe no longer.

J: Tell me about your thought process behind the lyrics and sound of the track.
PAV4N: This track was giving me goosebumps. I think if I’m having a physical reaction, it indicates this is working – whether it changes my heart rate or gives me goosebumps or makes me want to stand up and do shit. It sounded like some kind of big procession. Like a protest song, a march, or a call to action. I was imagining a big crowd of people moving in unison to change, for change. It had some gravity behind it, and there was real space for lyrics. It just shook me to the core. 

With Karma, I’m saying similar things but it’s not quite on the nose. Karma was about where we are at as a human species. With Strength in Numbers, the target I’m speaking to is you. For me, seeing everything happen, a right wing shift in England, France, Brazil, and suddenly India. I’m observing how easily people are now manipulated. We as South Asians kind of have a slight naivety or innocence, or we're quite submissive as a general population in terms of listening to authority. But, I’m just done with all the social hypocrisy that comes with it. The social pressures that come with family values – which are beautiful, but when it comes to the showing of the public face, how much people value money and property over actual family values like love and relationships and nurturing these things is increasing. People would rather manipulate, control, and silence their children, so that they look good in public, as opposed to actually, you know, growing their children in a beautiful loving way. 

Then, we saw big shifts with current political affairs with Hinduism being attached to nationalism and the detrimental effects of this. The result is just gaslighting the shit out of people and manipulating them constantly, just like the trend in twisted family values we are seeing. Inequality within genders and caste and between people is growing at massive rates. All of that shift is coming together and unfolding in the ugliest, most hurtful and grotesque ways.

It is being sold to everybody that this is new progress, that we’re making a different world, but you know, each level is bought by putting your foot on someone else’s neck, and everyone who believes in this progress is being used as a tool to further create divisions through the process of being turned into little consumption bots. This paradigm is squeezing and squeezing vulnerable people in reality.

I've tried to be poetic with how I put everything down. But I've been a bit ‘no holds barred’ with the lyrics. There's no subtext, it's just straight in your face. For me, it needed to be simple because we need to fucking understand and see here because everything that’s been happening has been an extension of a bigger propaganda machine.

leading from deep in their fortresses, while leaving their people impoverished.

they brandish our truth a hypothesis, while preachers convene to dishonour us.

Watch: PAV4N Live @ Dubai Opera via YouTube

J: How important is artivism to you? Why?
PAV4N: Especially in hip hop, everything I’ve learned and received is information that has come from people who go through struggles and don’t necessarily have a platform to communicate. But, this is such a beautiful platform because it goes under the radar for so many people. People who really care about things get the subtext of what’s going on. I think this is very important because it makes its way into certain places where certain voices wouldn’t get that platform. If Banksy comes out and does something it’s going to be a hit whether or not the piece itself changes anything. But, even if it just manages to raise awareness and communicates the issue or what’s going on to people, then that’s what really matters the most. 

Art is literally something that historically has had the power to break pillars or constructs that society, government, religion, everything those in control construct into place – whether they came about naturally or were imposed. Art and music go straight to the core and break all of that ish.

You’ll see lots of artists bring up things in different ways. Look at what Bob Marley did in Jamaica and how he’s impacted our thoughts and understanding of our emotions even today. 

Now, social media is a medium to bring more awareness to an issue. And awareness still happens through music, be it through a ‘where’s the love’ vibe or a more direct approach, which is one that I’ve chosen to take. 

Everybody going through any struggle anywhere or anyone living a peaceful life provides a gateway for progressive thought and empathy. To me, this is artivism. 

they’re keeping us quarrelling all of us, they’re keeping us beefing through monitors. then, monitor all of our purchases, they keepin us begging and borrowing.

J: This song does so well at capturing not only what’s happening in India during this battle with COVID, but throughout the rest of the world.

PAV4N: With hop hop coming about, the voice has broken through. People can speak, they can communicate and the younger generations can speak in a slang that these elitist mf’s or authorities can’t understand. This was seen in the 80s, where hip hop broke out in New York. But now, as it becomes more mainstream, the challenge becomes the increasing global political threats that come from free speech channeled through mediums like hip hop. How do we navigate this as artists and as populations? It’s completely new territory.

We have to speak our minds at some point. We keep thinking things are going to change and get better as new policies get put in place. But, if you look at Israel, Palestine, nothing’s changed since I was growing up, or when I wrote this song two years ago. 

J: I can’t believe you wrote this song two years ago. I think it would be more relevant now than it was two years ago.

PAV4N: We have forgotten what the eye of the storm was when we were living back then because we’re always in the eye of the storm for some reason.

J: What’s next for you?

Pav4n: More music, more music. The record label is kicking up (4NC¥). Looking at the present, with everything going on, the world’s a mixed up place, and so the present is the future already. I feel as if I’m already living in the future. I can infiltrate anywhere.

the energy’s deep within all of us, we walk with the strength of the gods in us.

Album Reflections – ZAYN's "Nobody Is Listening" begs the question ‘when will you come home?’

Video Courtesy of Zayn Malik via YouTube

We sat down to experience ZAYN’s Nobody is Listening. And the result is nothing but raw, honest bear-your-whole-soul-but-be-shy-about-it brilliance. This isn’t a space nor album for the weak-hearted.

Image courtesy of Clash Music

it’s a scary thought to be unheard

Although ZAYN has held a special place in my heart since I was a doe-eyed 14 year old girl watching Britain’s Got Talent, I’ve fallen off-track terribly when it comes to keeping up with his musical ventures in the last few years. So, it was natural that I hadn’t gotten to his album until a little over 4 months post its release. The curiousness of finding ZAYN live on Instagram at 3am one day with a new soundtrack in the background was enough to reignite my curiosity and convince me to commit to checking it out. It was snowing for the first time in 2021 when I decided to spend a few hours experiencing it in its entirety, on repeat. The combination of the accumulating softness outside and ZAYN’s sweet words were such a sweet, hidden delight. Yes. It really is that sweet.

Being a middle kid and a bit of an odd one, self-deprecation is the kind of humour I know a little too well; not as a way of putting myself down, but rather, as a channel that makes me feel completely liberated – all pretence of formality is dropped. I’m away from social pressures of having to prove my intelligence and existence to anyone and everyone I come across, to merge with infinite love and just be – whether it appears to be a watered-down version or excessively gratuitous version of myself. It’s all One.

So, the somewhat daunting album title “Nobody is Listening” resonated well with me – like a promise to cut out the external chaos and get comfortable with the unknown that lies within.  It’s a scary thought, to be unheard. And the privilege of holding space for myself is one I’m learning to appreciate.

By the end of the album, however, I was reminded how soul-soothingly enough it is to hold clarity within. To make space for internal dialogue that is authentic enough to listen to myself – from my deepest desires, to understanding the emotions behind so many different relationship dynamics, to sounds that remind me of snowy, beautiful, easy days.

And so, ignited by the mood of this album, I wondered… when’s the last time I listened to myself? Or reflected on my own perceptions of my life thus far? By the time I was 3 tracks in, the experience of this soundtrack reignited my appreciation for the richness of inner dialogue, and sparked much needed questions I needed to ask myself. Like stuff about my own authenticity in experiencing my thoughts and emotions about my inner and outer worlds. This definitely wasn’t a trip for the weakhearted. Not following? Read along to learn more.

Video Courtesy of Zayn Malik via YouTube

we are who we are when we’re alone

As an overarching theme, common threads between all of ZAYN’s albums post One Direction include nostalgia and introspection at the forefront –  a potentially deadly combo that sends even the most seasoned individuals under a path toward self-sabotage if not done right. Yet, it seems ZAYN’s got it figured out, irrespective of what his relationship with self-sabotage may be as he hums his tunes. Behind all this lays ZAYN’s honest, raw channeling of his own EQ. ZAYN’s not afraid of showing his vulnerabilities or documenting the innermost thoughts experiences he feels and ruminates on. I wonder why we don’t do this with each other enough. And, if there’s shame involved in the answer to this…. why the fuck are we so ashamed of what we feel?

ZAYN’s seemingly high EQ is something I’ve noticed and grown to admire in his lyricism any time I’ve heard his newest hits playing on the radio since I was a young girl. The earnestly unfiltered lyrics of many of his ballads in this album, the latest fragrance from this flower coming from the ballad Better, strike a chord of sheer appreciation for simple emotions. What a joy it is to experience and reminisce on them, regardless of what we may be experiencing right now. Check out River Road and Better, combined and deconstructed, they remind me of the earnestness, hushed resolute, and emotional honesty of iT’s YoU in a lot of ways.

And so, with Calamity, and Windowsill in the background I ruminate on how violent emotions can be hushed within us. When we will stop silencing ourselves and each other as we refuse to understand them?

“Nobody is Listening” holds tempos and beats that aren’t foreign to ZAYN, The album consists of tunes and melodies – fast and slow – that are all too delineative of my own musical taste growing up. A cross between the undertones of One Direction’s signature pop sound, 90s hip hop inspired beats, ZAYN’s usual crooning that puts my puppy to sleep, and electro-R&B sounds heard in his debut album, Mind of Mine and in parts of Icarus Falls. Each track is a different experience, drawing in inspiration from different genres to create eclectic sounds that are now part of his signature soundtracks. They are dichotomous in a lot of ways: edgy but soft, pop but alternative. A reminder that the in-between is safe, even as we experiment, and not opting to choose between either is perfectly fine sometimes.

Image Courtesy of The Silly TV

i know i’m always in my head,

damn, i thought that we would make it

I never thought that feeling deeply was a wonderful thing. Combined with all of the mental noise and relentless rationalization of what I feel, until recently, it’s never been a fun time internally.  The bluesy pieces ZAYN outputs feel like they agree.

The story in Outside is one that is quite relatable. Just like many of the break up songs we’ve all grown to love – regardless of which languages they may be written and expressed in – play out to be tough and worthy containers for our experiences until the song ends, leaving us to deflect again. In the case of Outside, the imagery of being left out isn’t something I’m foreign to. I’m sure you’re familiar with it, too. How often do we leave ourselves outside of our own hurting? Or, our fellow human beings out of feel-good experiences?

And yet, leaving my life outside is one I find joy in. To ruminate over the blessings of what and who used to be behind the door – with aspirations, dreams and future goals honouring the silent blessings of who was the One. Who will be the One. Physical presence or not, it all lasts. It’s not abandonment to walk away from oneself and return home. This is part of your hero’s journey. It’s how you learn to love the newfound emptiness behind the door. Liberation. Melancholy, but free. I am my own hero, always. I hope you are, too.

Video Courtesy of Zayn Malik via YouTube

connexion

This album, in its entirety then, begs the question of why we are so afraid of intense emotional connexion. Why do we work against our pain and suffering to miss out on another love? Another human connection? Another opportunity to string hearts together. Is our relationship with what hurts us real bliss? Or is there fear behind building something significantly honest and resilient with each other?

The sheer revolution that comes from sitting in one’s own sadness of letting go while holding onto the beauty of how once back when felt is something I’m learning to let speak to me. I’m learning to be quiet and not let false mental intelligence get in the way. As ZAYN explores the facets of it in this tracklist, I am always reminded that nobody is listening. There is no room for that here. ZAYN’s earnestness in this sense, no matter how smooth and transparent the lyrics may be, invokes such stillness and allows space for meaningful internal dialogue. Looking back, I’ve never really been able to vocalize the pain of losing someone I love. Or letting go. Or walked myself through experiences with so much love for myself and the world, even if they may be painful ones. ZAYN’s introspection and bear-it-all emotional depiction in pitch and tone are a reminder of how uncomplicated being with myself to unpack all of this really can be.

And so I ask you, when’s the last time you left yourself outside?

When will you come home?

INTERMISSION: fLoWeR is a part of Zayn Malik’s first independent album, ZAYN (2018).

Video Courtesy of Zayn Malik via YouTube

always for the culture

I’m always about an artist representing their culture instead of following a phenomenon of “white people dreams,” which often, coloured people are pressured against by our micro communities. For me, Zayn undoubtedly is representing a whole hub of people across South Asia as he beautifully mixes his Pakistani origins with his British upbringing. This is something I have noticed and jumped quickly to appreciate – where, a lot of my favourite South Asians in mainstream music circuits look like me, but refuse to sound like me. Tightrope induces nostalgia that gets me thinking – as well as wondering why externally from me, nobody’s listening. I’m thinking of ZAYN’S half-Pakistani heritage, and how the influence Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan prompted the creation of Intermission: Flower, to, now, the quiet, 21st century version of Mohd. Rafi’s classic, Chaudvin Ka Chand Ho. I think of the cultural hotbed diasporic South Asians hold so much regard for – a foreign place to us in a lot of ways, but tightly wound in our DNA. An imaginary connector that we can’t see, and don’t realize how much we long for. Yet, we exist in a liminal space. Belonging to neither region and constantly ostracizing ourselves and each other for it.

And then, I think of all of the remixes that come out of Bollywood – often turning such thoughtful classics into unrepeatable versions of legendary tracks, reducing the quality, meaning, and quite literally, all else involved that makes a track so great. I wonder why such music has so many views, when melodies like Tightrope are deserving of the spotlight. These are the real culture-making experiences that we can claim, but also close our eyes and feel those who came before us close by.

ZAYN’s recent music is not a bridge we can see, but it is one we can hear. A valuable gift and documentation of our existence in this in between place.

This album, then, for me is an ode to the diaspora kids. We grow up with a lot of unanswered questions, yet, we also long for a culture and people that are so brilliant at dividing us. We can say ZAYN’s music is often repetitive with the beats, subject matter, and tempos he utilizes – which are subjects that link reviews I’ve read of ZAYN’s previous two albums – but, the unabashed connection he has to his heritage that he holds proudly, regardless if its created by meaningless lines that label us as Pakistani or Indian, or anything else, connects us to the generations of our parents and grandparents. In this case, the familiar tempos create an emotional channel to merge us with the cultures and sounds that shaped us, while also bringing a unique, fresh take to all that we hold dear from them. For this, I’m grateful, and I can’t wait to hear what other part of my childhood is connected with the world around me today in ZAYN’s next beats.

Image Courtesy of Man For Himself

Jagreet’s favourite tunes

Outside, Tightrope, Vibez, Better

Close seconds

Sweat, Unfuckwitable, Windowsill, Calamity

Album rating: 4/5

ZAYN will take you to a far away place where music draws raw, buried emotions within you to the surface to be uncovered, examined and felt to their full potential. Here, it may feel cold at first, but if you let go, I promise, it will always be snowy, dreamy heaven.