Indian music has been identified as a synonym of Bollywood as the industry of soundtracks has been dominated by glossy music tracks. But the twist is here - India's rising global star is changing the trends.
The formula of success is being written by DILJIT DOSANJH, a 41-year-old musician, who is popularly known as musician, actor and producer hailing from Punjab. Dosanjh is now claimed to be the world’s fastest-growing musician who is proudly rewriting the formula of success. He is the king of the hearts of his fans and holds that position with his hits Born to Shine and G.O.A.T.
He is not just ruling the music industry of India but also breaking the boundaries with high-profile international collaborations with icons like Ed Sheeran and Sia. Notably, he was welcomed as “the biggest Punjabi performer on the planet” by Jimmy Fallon on his show The Tonight Show.
According to Warner Music Group, Diljit’s 2024 Dil-Luminati tour sold as many as 742,000 tickets across the world - which made the event the biggest tour by any Indian artist. Notably, the total number of fans ticketed combined by The North American and European legs totals 346,000.
As per Bloomberg, during a phone interview during his tour to the Middle East, Diljit stated, “Indian music is not just Bollywood music. The traditional folk music in every part of the country is supremely good. It’s unfortunate that the world so far could only get a taste of Bollywood music that is commercial.”
It is not just Diljit’s music that helps him to rule the hearts - his social media contributes, too. His funny and direct-from-the-heart videos on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram connect him directly with his audience, contributing to increased engagement with his fans. He also shares his cooking videos, which give a more personal touch to his feed.
For a larger engagement with his fans, he shares their videos on his new and trending songs on social media.
Along with this, Diljit’s live performances, which are full of energy and uniqueness, also make him the best as he dances with all his heart and engages with the audience.
Diljit’s Coachella Debut -
In 2023, Diljit made his debut at Coachella - becoming the first Indian, non-Bollywood musician to perform on the international stage. Being one and only, he gave his entire performance in Punjabi. He also stated, “Music is a universal sound and universal force. You cannot limit it to one genre or category,” according to Bloomberg.
Since then, he has just elevated his artist profile. He performed with Australian artist Sia in the Punjabi Song Hass Hass, and the audience at Diljit’s England concert enjoyed the special entry by Sheeran, where both singers remixed their hit tracks ‘Naina and Shape of You.’
Diljit as an actor -
Diljit is also one of the best actors in the Punjabi industry. He is well-known for his work in Punjabi films like Jatt and Juliet, Shadaa, and Amar Singh Chamkila. Notably, he has also acted in the action-crime Bollywood film Udta Punja.
India’s music market -
India ranks 14th in the recorded music market, and it is noteworthy that Indian music is streamed all over the world - thanks to the Indian diaspora, largely based in North America, the UK, and the Middle East. As per the reports by Spotify Technology SA, the consumption of Indian music has increased by 2000% from 2019 to 2024.