World Music Day 2026: Six women artists discuss why Indian industry needs to reclaim risk

MUsic today sits at an interesting cartesian product of technology, identity element, and rapidly ever-changing hearing habits. But for many artists, the core group idea of what makes music meaningful has stayed surprisingly constant. Whether it is playback singers, indie composers, DJs or singer-songwriters, women across India’s music landscape are reshaping the conversation around creativity, authenticity, and industry expectations.On World Music Day 2026, female voices from across genres—Shalmali Kholgade, Jasleen Royal, Kayan, DJ Nina Shah, Prateeksha Srivastava and Lisa Mishra—reflect on what good music means today, what the industry still misunderstands, and how artists are navigating a world shaped by both creativity and algorithms. Good music is still about feeling, not formulasAcross all six artists, one idea comes up repeatedly: good music is not defined by trends or charts, but by how deeply it stays with you. For Shalmali Kholgade, the definition has remained steady over time. “I don’t think my idea of good music has changed since the time I started. My listening has widened as I’ve consciously tried to listen to newer sounds, artists and genres. But good music has always been and continues to be the one that has a lasting impact. It isn’t a flavour of the season. It’s one that you want to keep going back to for one reason or another,” she says.Jasleen Royal shares a similar emotional compass: “It honestly hasn’t. Good music is still music that moves me and makes me feel something deeply.” For Kayan, the idea of good itself dissolves into subjectivity. “There is no good or bad music. Music is music. We may like something or not like something. That’s subjective and that’s on us. I guess that’s been my evolution in understanding music better. Who are we to dictate what is good music,” she says.Prateeksha Srivastava takes it further, almost rejecting the term entirely. “My idea of good music has dissolved. I don’t think in those terms anymore. There’s just music and whether it gives you something or it doesn’t,” she explains.And DJ Nina Shah, too, reflects on how emotional connection has replaced technical judgment. “Today, I’m drawn to music that makes me feel something, whether that’s joy or nostalgia, needs to feel connected! Good music doesn’t fit a genre or follow a formula, it just needs to be honest & from the heart.”Across perspectives, the shift is clear: music is no longer about classification, but connection.The industry’s biggest blind spot: formulas over individualityWhile the idea of music has evolved, most artists agree that the industry is still catching up. Shalmali points to the pressure of repetition. “I’d say it’s the need to make something that has worked in the past. To force a formula or structure down the creative process is more often than not a fruitless endeavour. It may result in a quick interest, but it doesn’t stand the test of time. Somewhere I find it lacks heart,” she explains.Jasleen highlights another gap—representation and opportunity. “I think we have an incredible amount of female talent today. What I'd love to see more of is an ecosystem that enables and amplifies it. More women in tastemaker roles, leadership positions, and decision-making seats across the industry,” the singer adds.DJ Nina Shah expands this to include creative freedom, especially in live spaces. “I think an area for improvement in our country is let an artist experiment… an artist is supposed to be hired for their sound but it’s like they want them to play the same commercial in-house DJ sets,” she asserts.She also adds that artists today carry far more roles than just performing: “Today, artists are creators, marketers, content producers, community builders, and entrepreneurs all at once. While visibility is important, there’s still not enough recognition of the mental and creative bandwidth required to constantly be ‘on.’” Lisa Mishra, meanwhile, reflects on the balance between industry structure and artistic freedom. “The music industry doesn't understand is that discovery has to happen organically and it can't be spoon-fed… individuality is ultimately what works, not formulas,” she explains. At the same time, she acknowledges the industry’s demand for consistency. “While retaining your authenticity and creativity… you do have to be output oriented. It is just like anything else… the frequency with which you release works… is how your career not only will sustain but how your art will grow,” she adds.Prateeksha brings it back to the listener’s shift. “The industry is still optimizing for moments, not artists. They’re chasing hits, trends, seasons but the Indian listener has outgrown that. They want someone to follow, not just a song to stream.”Technology: expansion, acceleration or both?On technology, the artists don’t take a single side—they see both opportunity and risk. Shalmali views it as a creative accelerator. “Technology is definitely expanding creativity. It depends completely on how one uses technology to explore sounds and express a musical thought. It is the collaboration of the human with the machine/technology that brings forth the magic,” she explains.Jasleen keeps it simple: “It’s definitely changing things. It’s here to stay and we might as well find creative ways to use it.”Kayan, who sees it as a push toward originality, adds, “I think it’s pushing musicians to be more authentic and creative… and hence pushes me to think more originally.” DJ Nina Shah offers a more layered view. “I think it’s doing both… it can encourage artists to play it safe or be lazy… making a lot of music these days sound ‘more uniform’… Ultimately, technology is a tool & creativity still comes from the individual," she says.Lisa Mishra takes a balanced, practical stance on AI. “I like to think of AI as a tool not a creator… we still have to make and the best we should be employing AI for is to help put small pieces together along the way.”Risk-taking: the real currency of modern artistryIf there is one shared concern, it is that artists are becoming less willing to take risks. Shalmali urges artists to be fearless. She says, “To be their authentic selves. To unapologetically say their piece, in the style they choose. To work less with the fear of fitting in, and being part of the current trend.”Jasleen agrees by saying, “Backing themselves. Trusting their instincts instead of constantly chasing trends.”Kayan offers a different kind of risk. She adds, “I think we should disconnect to reconnect. We get caught up in social media way too much… but a step back really helps give clarity and peace of mind.” DJ Nina Shah circles back to authenticity: “I think artists should take the risk of being more authentic, even when it goes against current trends.”Prateeksha perhaps puts it most sharply. “Being specific. Most artists stay vague so everyone can relate. The real risk in my opinion is saying the exact thing , the precise feeling, the one true detail,” she says.Lisa Mishra frames risk as the foundation of creativity itself. “I think we've forgotten risk altogether… it just doesn't make sense because it makes bad music. It makes boring music… The simple risk that we have to take is to take the risk at all and just go back to ground zero,” she adds. This World Music Day, India's popular female voices say that the future of the industry relies on tearing up the corporate formulas, diversifying decision-making leadership, and backing human intuition over automated trends.