Exclusive! Armaan Malik on artists lip-syncing on stage: It is extremely lazy and disrespectful to fans

He is mad-talented, extremely popular amongst ladies, and has this devil-may-care attitude his fans love to L-O-V-E.

Armaan Malik—undoubtedly, at the peak of his career—doesn’t fear irking people with his thoughts and opinions about music and life in general. “I believe in being true to myself,” he explained to us in an exclusive interview following his win at the recently held Changemakers 2023 where he was awarded the Pathbreaking Musician of the Year title.

Edited excerpts from our chat with the star musician:

At the recently concluded OTTplay Changemakers 2023 event, it was a perfect blend of movies, music and all things pathbreaking. What does it mean to be called a ‘changemaker’ and you are not even 30 yet?

I feel very grateful to be awarded the Pathbreaking Musician of the Year award at the OTTPlay Changemakers 2023. Such recognition by the industry only pushes me to create and release finer music for all my listeners. Being called a ‘changemaker’ seems like an overwhelming title that has been bestowed upon me, but it does give me the confidence of being on the right path with my music and life in general. I hope I can continue to lead by example and bring about the change I desire to bring to the music industry.

Growing up, what were your favourite tracks and the music that you listened to that prompted you to take up music professionally?

I consumed and listened to a lot of music while growing up. From classical music to old Hindi classics, from Kishore Kumar to Sonu Nigam, I heard all the music I possibly could. Becoming a singer was always a dream I had since childhood, and at the age of 9, I finally decided I wanted to pursue music as a career professionally. Hence, began my singing journey!

Speaking of childhood, you have never known what it's like to NOT be famous since you started pretty early. Do you ever feel that you have missed out on a life that may be called 'simple and normal'? Any regrets?

Honestly, I wouldn’t want to have my life any different than it was in my childhood. While I did find success at an early age in my career, it has led me to where I am today.

The title of being a music sensation was bestowed upon you from a very young age—and rightly so—do you ever feel the pressure to constantly churn out music that resonates and, like they say, be 'Reel worthy'?

I write and record music that I connect with and that my audience can vibe to. Today, the audience has a ton of music to consume at their disposal and it is becoming even more difficult for one’s song to break the clutter. Hence, platforms like these come in to boost the track and reach a wider audience.

I focus on first creating good music and then supporting the release with a well-defined digital strategy so as to use the platform towards the advantage of the song.

They say Ed Sheeran is one of the nicest guys in the global music industry. How was your experience of working with him?

I have been a huge fan of Ed Sheeran for as long as I can remember. Working with him was always a dream of mine, as his music has inspired much of my own. When I finally got the opportunity to collaborate with him, it was an ecstatic experience. As an Indian artist, it felt like a proud moment to collaborate with one of the biggest singer-songwriters out there.

Although we did not meet for the recording of '2step,' I did get the chance to hang out with him at one of his concerts in Copenhagen. During that brief meeting, I can safely say that as an artist, he is one of the most genuine and honest people I have ever met. Given his stature and the success he has achieved his humble and down-to-earth nature is truly admirable.

"Armaan Malik is never afraid to speak his mind," is something we all know. Do you ever fear that, on a bad day, your honesty may backfire on you? How do you stay authentic in an industry where egos are fragile and honesty is often mistaken for brutality?

I believe in staying true to myself and focusing on my craft. As simple as that.

You recently called artists out for lip syncing at live concerts. Do you think art is being replaced by technology and artists, retorting to what seems like an ‘easy route’?

In today’s era when an artist performs at live concerts, it’s not just about singing, it’s also about the whole performance and presentation. There are many occasions where while I’m dancing and singing simultaneously I lose my breath and, in those sections', backing vocals do kick in to support me. But apart from that the entirety of my show is purely live and that’s the way I like it to be. I think the said technological advancements genuinely help enhance and elevate the overall performance, but complete reliance on it is just being extremely lazy and disrespectful to the fans who’ve paid a lot to see their favourite artist perform live.