ARMAAN MALIK

The Indian pop star talks about the positive influence BTS have had in pop music, how they opened doors for Asian artists and why now is the time for new voices in global pop culture.

- RACHANA HALDAR AND RIDDHI CHAKRABORTY

In a country where Bollywood music is prevalent and a sureshot way to success with the Indian audience, cutting a character outside the family heritage and Indian film music was not easy for Armaan Malik.

“I had this dream of becoming a pop star and doing my thing globally,” says Malik, the trailblazer who took Indian independent music to a global level earlier this year with his first official English single “Control.”

Malik's subsequent english track Next 2 Me proceeded to hit Number One on Billboard's Top Triller U.S. also, Top Triller Global Charts—a first for an Indian artist. Both his singles “Control” and “Next 2 Me” are in the Pop/R&B space.

Malik has found inspiration in K-pop to fight for representation and believes that Korean artists have helped to create an outlet for Asian artists to be recognized on a global platform.