‘Two labels rejected Khat’: Navjot Ahuja reveals how his song became a viral sensation without marketing | Exclusive

APacked bombay schedule, eternal traffic and soaring hot up would unremarkably allow for most artists visibly exhausted. But independent singer-songwriter Navjot Ahuja appears surprisingly calm in the middle of it all. Fresh off a promotional shoot and moving between interviews across the city, the Rajasthan-born musician speaks with the same quiet detachment that now defines both his personality and his music. And perhaps that emotional distance is exactly what makes his music resonate so strongly.Navjot’s breakout track Khat, with over 10 million streams on Spotify and 46 million viewerships on audio on YouTube, recently became one of India’s biggest independent music success stories, topping Spotify’s Global Viral 50 chart for over 30 days without marketing or a major label push. But despite the sudden visibility, the singer insists fame was never the goal. For him, songwriting feels less like ambition and more like instinct. “I never chose music, but music chose me,” he says early into the conversation with Hindustan Times. “I have no other option but to bring it out of me.”I don't listen to musicOne of the most surprising revelations during the interview comes almost casually. Unlike most musicians shaped by playlists, influences and favourite artists, Navjot says he barely listens to music at all. “I don't listen to music,” he admits.The confession immediately catches attention because it feels almost impossible coming from someone whose songs are built so heavily around emotional intimacy. “Listening to music is something that—I mean, I cannot do it at all,” he explains. “And I cannot listen to my own songs at all. I never go back and listen to my songs.”According to him, music arrives naturally rather than through external inspiration. Sometimes entire melodies appear in dreams. “A lot of times, songs come to me in dreams, and I wake up and record them, and then I go back to sleep,” he says.While he deeply respects other musicians and recognizes skill instantly, he rarely feels emotionally connected enough to replay songs himself. “I can absolutely tell you that, ‘Brother, this person is very skilled.’ But if you ask me, ‘Would you listen to it again?’ I would say no.” Finding his sound after years of experimentingAlthough audiences now associate Navjot with stripped-down emotional ballads like Khat, Tu Hi Hoon and Dhun, his musical journey has involved several creative detours. He experimented with pop, rock and more polished commercial sounds through tracks like Ye Waadiyan and Kyun Na Jaane before eventually returning to emotionally driven songwriting. “So initially, I felt connected to emotional ballads,” he explains. “But now, after experimenting a lot, I am getting back to that.”Ironically, one of his earlier experiments brought him his first noticeable streaming growth. Ye Waadiyan significantly increased his listener base, but the success itself left him emotionally disconnected. “When Ye Waadiyan worked, it did work for me,” he says. “But still, it didn't feel very good because that wasn't my sound.”That realisation eventually pushed him toward complete creative honesty. “So after that, when even its success wasn't feeling very good to me, that's when I thought, ‘Not anymore. Now I will only write what I like. If it works, it does.’”The Khat song that labels rejectedThat mindset later gave birth to Khat. Today, Khat is recognised as one of the biggest independent breakthroughs in the Indian streaming space. But according to Navjot, the song was initially rejected by two major labels. “I will not name the labels, but two labels rejected Khat,” he reveals. “Then we released it independently after that.”Despite the song eventually becoming globally viral, Navjot says he consciously avoids attaching himself emotionally to outcomes. “I just want to keep myself detached from the results as much as possible because that's good for my soul and brain,” he says.That emotional distance also protects him from the emotional extremes of both success and failure. “If I have to be happy for Khat, then I will have to be sad for Bayaan too. So I don't want to be either.”The artist says what matters most is hearing listeners connect emotionally with the music. “What feels better is them telling me that it helps them in some other way,” he says. “Even if they feel like crying, they are letting their emotions flow.”Perhaps the most shocking part of Khat’s journey, however, is how little industry machinery was involved. “On Khat, we have not done even ₹1 of marketing,” he says. “And it became globally number one viral.” “I only want to make a not bad song”Navjot’s creative philosophy is equally unconventional when it comes to perfectionism. Unlike artists who endlessly revise tracks, he believes in simplicity over obsession. “My bar is very low,” he says with a laugh. “I only want to make a not bad song.”According to him, Khat itself came together incredibly quickly. “I wrote Khat in five days,” he says. “And total, it took me two-and-a-half to three hours.”The production and recording process moved equally fast. “So if you really think about it, in my life, Khat was made in total 10 hours.”Rather than chasing technical perfection, Navjot focuses on emotional honesty. “If it's not bothering my ears, it's good to go,” he says.Album plans and an India tour aheadEven while Khat was exploding across streaming platforms, Navjot was already focused on his next project. “I was working on my next album,” he says. “I would give two hours of my day to Instagram, and six hours working on the album.”Now, after years of singles and smaller releases, he finally feels ready to put together a larger body of work. “After Sukoon in 2024, I felt that now I want to release a really good project,” he says. “One where I can explain myself fully and properly.”The upcoming album is currently in development and is expected to release within the next three to four months. Alongside that, the singer is also planning his first India tour spanning around five to ten cities.