Music

Birthday Special: Underdog to Oscar King - AR Rahman's Hollywood Struggles, Slumdog Breakthrough, and India's Global Music Win

While the West looked for a "Bollywood sound," AR Rahman gave them a global pulse - paving a path from the keyboard of a jingle-maker to the golden glow of the Dolby Theatre. Most people think Rahman’s Hollywood story began with a phone call from Danny Boyle. In reality, it started decades earlier in a small, windowless studio in Chennai, where a young A.S. Dileep Kumar was battling both grief and poverty after his father's early death. He didn’t just stumble into Slumdog Millionaire; he built the bridge to it through thousands of ad jingles and the revolutionary synth-beats of Roja. The "Slumdog" Near-Miss Jai Ho - the song that every Indian remembers (@9xm.music4u/Instagram) Can you believe he almost rejected the film that gave him two Oscars? Rahman recently admitted at TIFF 2025 that his manager at the time was terrified he’d get fired if he took the project. "Nobody ...

Devyani
  • 1 week ago
  • 3 minutes read
A Long-Awaited Musical Revival: How 2025 Brought Travis Scott, Enrique Iglesias, and 20+ Global Stars Back to India’s Stages – The Ultimate Year-End Celebration
A Long-Awaited Musical Revival: How 2025 Brought Travis Scott, Enrique Iglesias, and 20+ Global Stars Back to India’s Stages – The Ultimate Year-End Celebration
After years of “maybe next season” cancellations, 2025 finally turned India’s concert FOMO into a full-blown victory lap - mosh pits, glow sticks, and...
The Soundtrack of 2025: 10 Songs That Defined Our Mood
The Soundtrack of 2025: 10 Songs That Defined Our Mood
From heartbreak ballads to high-octane anthems; the Bollywood playlist that summed up a year. 2025 gave us a soundtrack that felt personal playlist...
Birthday Special: Top 10 Lucky Ali Songs That Defined a Generation and Still Resonate Today
Birthday Special: Top 10 Lucky Ali Songs That Defined a Generation and Still Resonate Today
On his 67th birthday in 2025, let’s take a look at songs that not only defined a generation but continue to echo across playlists even today....
Sing, Dance, & Enjoy - Celebrate Lohri With THESE Bollywood Songs
Sing, Dance, & Enjoy - Celebrate Lohri With THESE Bollywood Songs
How about infusing a bit of Bollywood into your Lohri celebrations this year?  Is it even Lohri if you don’t dance your heart out with your lo...
Tuning Into Nostalgia: When Monsoons Meant All India Radio
Tuning Into Nostalgia: When Monsoons Meant All India Radio
Crackles, commentary, and Carnatic – relive the monsoon magic of All India Radio Long before Bluetooth speakers and Spotify recommendations, rainy...
From Bhajans and Qawwalis to Shabad, A Guide to India's Devotional Music Forms
From Bhajans and Qawwalis to Shabad, A Guide to India's Devotional Music Forms
Bhajans, qawwalis, shabads—India’s devotional music brings prayer and music together. India’s spiritual landscape is as diverse as its people, and...
K-Pop Royalty: The Top 5 Korean Bands Taking Over the Globe
K-Pop Royalty: The Top 5 Korean Bands Taking Over the Globe
Whether it is music, films, or arts, Korea has added a different style to all of it. Korea, a brand like no other, is taking the world by storm wi...
Remembering Mohammed Rafi: 10 Timeless Songs That Still Touch Our Hearts
Remembering Mohammed Rafi: 10 Timeless Songs That Still Touch Our Hearts
Mohammed Rafi has been a master of every genre, and his voice continues to inspire singers and listeners around the world. Mohammed Rafi was not j...
National Science Day Watchlist: Movies That Blend Science and Spectacle
National Science Day Watchlist: Movies That Blend Science and Spectacle
Every year, on 28th February, National Science Day is observed in India to honour the discovery of the Raman effect by Sir C. V. Raman on the same day...
World Music Day Special: How Does Your Brain React When You Listen to Music?
World Music Day Special: How Does Your Brain React When You Listen to Music?
Behind every emotion you experience while listening to music, there's an entire science at work. Ever wondered why your music craving changes with...
From Nijinsky to Beyoncé: The Iconic Dancers Who Redefined Art, Culture, and Movement
From Nijinsky to Beyoncé: The Iconic Dancers Who Redefined Art, Culture, and Movement
Michael Jackson performs during his HIStory World Tour concert in Vienna. From ballet’s wild genius to pop’s queen of rhythm—meet the dancers who d...
Happy Birthday Shakira: Popular Songs of the 'Latin Queen’
Happy Birthday Shakira: Popular Songs of the 'Latin Queen’
From global anthems to heartfelt ballads, Shakira's music has defined generations and continues to inspire the world. Shakira, the global superstar...
KK's Death Anniversary: The Magic Trio of KK, Pritam, & Emraan Hashmi - Songs That Hit Different
KK's Death Anniversary: The Magic Trio of KK, Pritam, & Emraan Hashmi - Songs That Hit Different
KK’s voice, Pritam’s tunes, and Emraan Hashmi lighting up the screen — aah, those were the days when life had its own soundtrack! There was a phase...
Janmashtmi Special: From "Radha Kaise Na Jale" to "Go Go Go Govinda" - THESE Bollywood Songs Will Elevate Your Celebration
Janmashtmi Special: From "Radha Kaise Na Jale" to "Go Go Go Govinda" - THESE Bollywood Songs Will Elevate Your Celebration
Celebrate Krishna’s birth with a foot-tapping playlist that blends devotion and pure Bollywood magic! Whatever the occasion, music sets the mood an...
From Madonna To Ed Sheeran, Famous Artists Once Rejected By Top Music Labels
From Madonna To Ed Sheeran, Famous Artists Once Rejected By Top Music Labels
Being in a new band is seldom as glamorous as it seems. Long days and nights spent honing your skills on the pub gig circuit. Some musicians have s...
Lata Mangeshkar's Death Anniversary: The "Nightingale Of India" Never Listened To Her Songs, Know Why
Lata Mangeshkar's Death Anniversary: The "Nightingale Of India" Never Listened To Her Songs, Know Why
Lata Mangeshkar recorded thousands of songs in thirty-six Indian languages and a few foreign languages. However, she never listened to her own songs....
Birthday Special: When Sanjay Dutt Took the Mic - Songs You Didn’t Know He Sang
Birthday Special: When Sanjay Dutt Took the Mic - Songs You Didn’t Know He Sang
Over the years, 'Sanju Baba' has lent his voice to more than a dozen songs. Sanjay Dutt as an actor is so good that another aspect of his career ha...
Happy Birthday, Shruti Haasan: Beyond An Actress - Exploring Her Music Career
Happy Birthday, Shruti Haasan: Beyond An Actress - Exploring Her Music Career
After completing her graduation in Mumbai, Shruti Haasan moved to the US to learn music at the Musicians Institute in California. "Music has given...
Sound Bath to Silent Disco: The Wellness Music Trends of 2025
Sound Bath to Silent Disco: The Wellness Music Trends of 2025
In a world that’s constantly evolving, music continues to be a vital tool for enhancing well-being and music trends in 2025 are pushing the boundaries...
World Music Day: Instruments That Shaped Civilizations - From the Timpani to the Electric Guitar
World Music Day: Instruments That Shaped Civilizations - From the Timpani to the Electric Guitar
Let’s groove through time! For World Music Day, we're exploring the incredible stories behind instruments that didn't just make noise – they shaped wh...
World Music Day: Legendary Musicians Who Changed the Course of History
World Music Day: Legendary Musicians Who Changed the Course of History
Let’s groove through time and meet the iconic sound-shapers who didn't just play music – they rewired the world's heartbeat, one legendary note at a t...
World Music Day: The Unsung Heroes – Producers Who Made the Stars
World Music Day: The Unsung Heroes – Producers Who Made the Stars
This World Music Day, let’s flip the script and shine the spotlight on the sonic wizards behind the stars – the producers who turn musical dreams into...
World Music Day 2025: How Indian Classical Music Evolved into Hindustani and Carnatic Styles
World Music Day 2025: How Indian Classical Music Evolved into Hindustani and Carnatic Styles
The split between the music styles started to take shape around the 13th century during a time of intense historical transformation. The world gear...
World Music Day: The Most Iconic Instruments of the Past and Present - From Ancient Strings to Synths
World Music Day: The Most Iconic Instruments of the Past and Present - From Ancient Strings to Synths
Grab your air guitar, friends! For World Music Day, let's take a joyride through time, celebrating the utterly iconic instruments that have made our h...
World Music Day: From Classical to Club- How Indian Instruments Are Getting Remixed for the Dance Floor
World Music Day: From Classical to Club- How Indian Instruments Are Getting Remixed for the Dance Floor
Tablas in the club? Sitar on the synths? India's sound remix is here! This World Music Day, discover how heritage instruments are rocking the dance fl...
Vinyl, Cassettes, Streams: A Generational Walk Through Music Formats
Vinyl, Cassettes, Streams: A Generational Walk Through Music Formats
From music boxes to streaming apps, here’s how the way we listen to music has changed across generations. We live in an age where music is just a c...