Despite its popularity in the underground music scene, South Asian music still struggles to break into the mainstream. While Grime and other musical subcultures are having their heyday, Asian-influenced music seems to have been left behind. Even Panjabi MC’s bhangra hit Mundian To Bach Ke, which sold 10 million copies worldwide and could have been the start of a boom for Asian artists, turned out to be little more than a one-hit-wonder.
A handful of British Asian artists have had top 40 singles and even fewer songs with an Asian-influenced sound have made it into the charts. Singer-songwriter Jay Sean says he was judged before he opened his mouth when he first started performing in the early 2000s. “They would see a brown kid and immediately assume what kind of music I was about to play”, he explains.
Musician Naughty Boy, who has worked with Emeli Sande and Sam Smith, has also had experience of being “put in a box because I was brown and Muslim”. He has previously been told to “dilute” his sound to “make it more mainstream and increase the chances of it charting”, but has always been “unapologetic” with his music. Both artists have different stage names to their actual names, but say that this is not to hide their heritage.
While the South Asian underground music scene continues to expand, record labels are tapping into its popularity and a greater commitment is being made to sign South Asian artists. Vishal Patel, co-founder of independent label 91+, exclusively signs artists of South Asian heritage. He suggests that South Asian artists are struggling to become mainstream because of the lack of infrastructure. “It was like this once for black British artists, but they were able to come together and break through – it’s the labels, media and streaming services that have made Grime music cool. We need people in the industry who will champion South Asian musicians.”
Social media has also helped South Asian artists grow, and music festivals are making an effort to increase the diversity of their line-ups. Coachella’s 2024 line-up has been praised for its South Asian representation, with the likes of Mercury prize nominee Joy Crookes performing alongside Diljit Dosanjh, the first Punjabi artist to sell out the O2 Arena in London. However, Naughty Boy is wary that the music industry’s commitment is not just a passing phase. “We need a long-term commitment to change the landscape,” he says
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