World Music Day | King : Good music outlives trends, formulas and virility

LOng before sold-out concerts and chart-topping tracks, Arpan Kumar Chandel, aka billie jean king, was a schoolboy who discovered the joyousness of songwriting. On domain euphony daytime, the singer-rapper revisits the journey that shaped him into one of India’s most popular contemporary voices.“Music came into my life very organically. I still remember writing one of my first songs during school. At the time, I was more focused on football, but when I sat down to write, I realised how much joy it gave me. Years later, when life gave me the opportunity to pursue music seriously, I told myself that whether success comes after 10 years, 20 years, or never, I would still continue making songs because I genuinely enjoyed doing it.”He adds, “If I know how to make songs, I should give them to the world. That’s how this journey really started. Even today, I feel like I’m still on that path, still discovering new things through music and learning every day.” Despite being one of the most celebrated independent voices today, King’s relationship with music remains deeply personal. Success, he says, isn’t measured through numbers alone but through the emotional connections his songs create.Nothing exemplifies that better than performing live. “The most beautiful part of this journey is standing on stage and seeing people connect with the music. Sometimes, when I look out into the crowd, it still feels unbelievable that so many people have gathered because of something I’ve created. You see people smiling, singing, getting emotional, and forgetting about their worries for a few hours. That’s a very special feeling. I genuinely believe music and live concerts can be therapeutic. They allow people to escape, heal, and simply be present.”King believes the true power of a song lies in its ability to make people feel something, regardless of language or genre. “A song has a vibe before it has a label. Music doesn’t really have a language. There are songs I’ve loved all my life without fully understanding the words. What stays with you is the emotion. That’s something I always try to keep in mind while creating music.” His own musical influences reflect this belief. “I still listen to Mohammed Rafi sahab, Kishore da, and Talat Mahmood sahab. At the same time, I grew up listening to artists like Akon, Lil Wayne, Justin Bieber, and Elvis Presley. Music has no language for me. If a song makes you feel something, it stays with you,” shares the 30-year-old.Having recently shared the stage with singer Sunidhi Chauhan, King says the experience reaffirmed why live performances remain the most rewarding part of being an artist. Speaking about his admiration for Chauhan, he says, “Whenever I get a chance, I always tell her that if I consider anyone above me as a performer, it is Sunidhi ma’am.” Recalling a memorable moment, he adds, “Ma’am herself showed her love. She said, ‘King, you come, I have a show.’ So I attended that concert of hers. I always wanted to do it and I did. As a fan, I wanted to go and see, but I think I was lucky that I shared the stage with her.”For the singer, the magic of music is most palpable during live concerts. Reflecting on the experience, he says, “My only wish is that whenever I perform, people come to my show. The most amazing thing is that as far as I can see, it’s just heads and tails. At that moment, all these people are gathered to hear one thing, they’re coming to hear me. That is the best feeling. I cherish it when I see people’s emotions. Someone is happy, someone is crying, someone is just happy to be there. People forget where they came from for a while. I think any artist’s live concert is a kind of medicine for people.”For him, music resists formula, and its authenticity lies in emotional connection rather than structure or trend. “I always pray that good music, in the long run, wins over forced music. My effort is to make a song that I understand and feel is my own. I feel that my language and the language of a listener should be exactly the same. I always try to understand them,” he explains. He adds, “There is no formula for a hit. You just live with a song and you grow up with it. I just want to make such songs.”The singer, who has performed with global artists like Nick Jonas, Jason Derulo, Julia Michaels, Gucci Mane, Rayvanny, and others, says he isn’t chasing international collabs. “I have my whole India. I want to do music for my people. I’m open to all sorts of collabs, mainly solo, and then some unheard collaborations with new artists. I want to do something with them next year. I’m just so excited because even I don’t know what I’m going to do, but yes, there are going to be so many things, great quantity and quality both,” he says.Describing his creative process, he emphasizes flexibility over routine. “I write while travelling. I can sit at one place and write. I can write alone too. There is no such problem. If I have to write anything sad, I will write that too. If I need space, I take it. If I have to do it fast, I do it,” he concludes.Rapid Fire with King Studio or stage? StudioHeadphones or speakers? HeadphonesFirst take or multiple takes? Whatever works, Multiple takesSolo track or collaboration? SoloIndependent music or mainstream music? Good musicEmotional song or party anthem? I can’t chooseLate night recording session or early morning recording session? I am starting morning sessions nowOne timeless classic or 10 chartbuster songs? Both are importantStreaming platforms or performing live? Performing liveIndian music or global music? Good musicGrammy award or a sold-out world tour? Let’s do a worldwide tour first. Then Grammy awardBe remembered for your lyrics or voice? For my lyricsElvis Presley or Michael Jackson? Elvis PresleyDrake or Eminem? DrakeDivine or Badshah? BadshahKishore Kumar or Muhammad Rafi? Kishore DaArijit Singh or A.R. Rahman? Rahman SahabTrends or authenticity? Authenticity as trend