From desi artistes taking centrestage on global platforms, and videsi artistes turning attention to India, here’s all the hot music news that hit headlines in 2024
Hanumankind
Hanumankind’s world domination
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Sooraj Cherukat aka Hanumankind, a 31-year-old rapper from India, gripped the attention of music aficionados from across the world and dominated the Billboard charts. His track, Big dawgs, created in collaboration with producer Kalmi Reddy and directed by Bijoy Shetty, amassed over a whopping 184 million views in five months. Hanumankind performed inside a “Wall of Death” (known as Marana Kinar in Malayalam), where motorcycles and cars are driven along vertical walls. In August, the rapper entered the Top 10 tracks on the Billboard Global 200 singles. Hanumankind also performed at the Nassau Coliseum in New York in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian diaspora.
International artistes find promise in the Indian market
Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Maroon 5 were among the artistes who performed here
India continued to be a country of interest for international artistes from across the globe. Ed Sheeran kicked off the first of a string of concerts that unravelled the unparalleled demand for live music in India. Sheeran’s March act brought traffic to a standstill in the city, compelling concertgoers to abandon their vehicles and make their way to Mahalaxmi on foot, like devotees do while turning up to religious sites. American pop rock band Maroon 5 performed their debut India act this month, and so did Brit band Blue, after interest around their work was renewed when their decades-old song, One love, became viral on social media. “We’re very grateful. We just don’t know how it happened,” the band had previously shared with mid-day about finding themselves in the spotlight again due to the social media boom. Bryan Adams, Dua Lipa, and the Jonas Brothers were other popular artistes who played in India. Up next, Coldplay returns to the country for multiple acts across cities. News of their arrival was overshadowed by controversy surrounding allegations of ticket scalping by the event organisers.
It’s Tay’s world, and we’re just living in it
2024 continued to be the year of Taylor Swift as the highly accomplished pop star continued her world domination with The Eras Tour, gaining as much attention in India as she did overseas despite not performing here. Having recently concluded the 21-month tour that gained attention for the surprise guest performances and new releases that she unveiled, Swift broke several records. Having grossed more than $2 billion, the tour reportedly doubled the gross ticket sales of any other tour in history. Swift is the first musician to make the billionaire ranking primarily based on her songs and performances.
India at the Grammys
Three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej bagged yet another nomination for the upcoming gala. Kej was nominated for Break of Dawn, with other Indian artistes including Varijashree Venugopal (A rock somewhere), Radhika Vekaria (for Warriors of Light), and Chandrika Tandon (for Triveni) also earning nominations.
Punjabi aa gaye!
Just when you feel Diljit Dosanjh cannot achieve more fame than he already has, the singer proves you wrong. After hitting headlines last year for becoming the first Punjabi singer to perform at the prestigious Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, Dosanjh—during his India concerts—enjoyed unrivalled attention from fans who put him on a pedestal. Apart from Dosanjh, other artistes primarily crafting Punjabi music, including Karan Aujla and AP Dhillon, continued to be sought after for their live performances.
$2billion
Amount Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour earned
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