Desi Pop Neo Origins: India on the Global Map as Badshah, J Balvin and Tainy release their ground breaking trilingual hit “VOODOO”

22^nd April, 2022: Is there even a benchmark when we are talking about Badshah? Indian singer, rapper, producer, entrepreneur and all-around superstar Badshah links with Latin global superstar, music icon and entrepreneur, J Balvin, for international hit “Voodoo,” out today via Capitol Music and Universal Music India. A trilingual anthem — Hindi, Spanish, and English — produced by top hit making producer/ artist Tainy (who has churned out hits with Bad Bunny, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Anuel, Rosalía, Daddy Yankee to name a few), “Voodoo” is a cautionary tale of lust and magic. The song’s supernatural theme is reflected in the striking, effects-filled video.

“Voodoo” marks the first proper collaboration between Badshah and Latin icon, J Balvin. “J Balvin is like an idol to me,” says Badshah. “He’s been doing what I have been trying to do in my own space, and the way he’s made a way for himself despite the language, despite the odds, really inspired me.” It’s a very humble thing to say by Badshah, the Gentle Giant of Indian Music Industry, but in our honest opinion, Badshah himself must be an ideal to many across the continents in the industry and beyond.

Our Indian star is steadily, and rather rapidly, not only elevating his own version of himself but is also showing everyone in India how it’s done globally! At the same time, a lot of this can be credited to the spirited and focused teams at Universal India to take Indian music at the global scale in its truest form and sense. With Devraj Sanyal at the helm, Universal Music India seems to be on a Mission at all times, backing the artists and their craft to the hilt. One of the most out and loud, ambitious and meaningful, progressive and yet natural goal that Devraj Sanyal has been working towards, for over time now, is for Universal Music India & South Asia to take all of its music to the world, in stages. His belief that world is his market place is surely showcased in “Voodoo” which brings two distant continents together through music. This is an incredibly major step towards the big picture, a song that covers over one third of the world population, being marketed and distributed by the mighty Universal Music Group across global territories.

Over eerie synths and swinging dembow drums, Badshah and J Balvin trade verses about being spellbound by a woman. An alluring mosaic of international influences and otherworldly references,” Voodoo” captures the sultriness, danger, and desperation of being lovestruck. The single’s eerie aesthetic is matched by the music video, which features sharp choreography and an intricate, candle-lit ceremony invoking spirits.

“One of the many reasons I was drawn to creating music is because it’s universal. It connects people despite language barriers,” said J Balvin. “Badshah and Tainy are tremendous artists, and this collaboration is just another example of how we’re able to unite people of different cultures to find common ground and vibe together.”

“Voodoo” follows Badshah’s latest EP Retropanda – Part 1, that released last month. The four-track set includes smash hits “Tabahi” and “Jugnu,” which thus far have accrued over 290 million combined views on YouTube and over 47 million Spotify streams. Badshah’s 2021 viral hit Bachpan Ka Pyaar has over 415M Views on YouTube in just about 8 Months.

Badshah is ready for the world to catch his light and has been on a mission to take Desi-Pop global, bridging Indian and Western cultures through jubilant rhythms and hooks that transcend language. Born in Delhi, Badshah is India’s most successful musical artist of his generation, having generated more than 15 billion streams worldwide, performed more than 700 live shows and become an ambassador for global brands. He is one of the few artists to have 18 songs cross over 200 Million + views on YouTube.

In 2021, Badshah inked an exclusive agreement with Universal Music Group globally. “Voodoo” continues the ground breaking artist’s mission, ultimately leading Desi-Pop and Indian non-film music to a global stage.