Shubh Speaks: The First Interview with Punjabi Music’s Fastest Increasing Star

Shubh’s increase has actually occurred faster than he might have ever anticipated. In a peaceful minute, Shubh gently mentions in Punjabi, “I didn’t believe I would ever chart.”.

He’s done more than that. The 27-year-old Brampton, Ontario-based Punjabi artist has actually turned into one of the most talked-about names in worldwide music, collecting over 3 billion overall streams throughout platforms, an increasingly faithful fanbase and a launching North American trip on the horizon, consisting of arena dates in Oakland, Vancouver and Toronto. That’s all without a label or a single dollar invested in advertisements.

Around him, a set of his friends and Brampton housemates, Prince and Vicky, and his long time supervisor, Shivam Malhotra, lean in, smiling– not even if the remark is modest, however since the truth could not be more various.

This is his very first interview. It’s the very first time he’s openly assessing a journey that, in simply a couple of years, has actually taken him from doodling verses in a note pad to carrying out on arena phases throughout The United States and Canada.

His advancement came when his launching album, Still Rollin, debuted at No. 16 on the Signboard Canadian Albums Chart in June 2023 and his sophomore album, Sicario, got in the Leading 25 at No. 24 in January 2025. When he talks to Signboard Canada, his single “Supreme” is making a splash on the Signboard Canadian Hot 100 chart following a No. 13 launching for the 2024 single “King Shit.”

However today, Shubh isn’t on phase, considering charts, or in the recording studio. He’s seated calmly at the studio for his very first cover shoot fo r Signboard Canada, surrounded by the exact same group that’s been with him given that the first day. He responds to gradually and attentively, often in Punjabi and often in English. His good friends and supervisor action in to assist equate and translate, not since he can’t speak the language, however since he’s never ever done this before and wishes to reveal his clearest sensations.

Long before his tracks topped charts or acquired numerous countless streams, Shubh was simply a teen filling note pads with verses.

” I began composing when I was actually young,” he remembers. “I have actually been composing for 12 to 13 years. I have actually constantly brought note pads– nearly like journals– which composing ended up being the structure of whatever.” At the time, music wasn’t an expert aspiration for Shubh. It was an outlet, a personal routine formed by observation, feeling and self-reflection.

Today, that reflective procedure has actually progressed into a discography that’s made him billions of streams, consisting of almost 400 million streams for his breakout single “No Love” and over 370 million for “Cheques.”.

More than 10 years later on, that practice hasn’t faded. He still brings note pads and pens any place he goes, remaining linked to the handwritten procedure that formed his earliest tunes. To this day, all of his tunes start on paper initially.

Shubh’s course to this minute didn’t follow a script of a normal success story. He didn’t go chasing after viral popularity or presence. In reality, just like fellow Toronto artist The Weeknd, he kept his face and his identity concealed in the early phases, letting the music speak completely for itself. There were no fancy rollouts or trend-driven relocations. Rather, he invested those years in peaceful focus, composing non-stop, try out noises and improving each track in privacy.

” My objective wasn’t attention, it was accuracy,” the vocalist states.

Much of that focus and clearness originates from where all of it started. Maturing in Punjab, Shubh was surrounded by music in the house, frequently hearing his dad sing throughout household events or everyday regimens. His dad and older sibling (Ravneet Singh, a popular star and vocalist) have actually been his greatest motivations. They’re still in India, and he brings those memories with him all over. It’s that sense of home, that psychological imprint from his training, that continues to drive him. It’s the peaceful force behind the fire in his work.

In 2014, Shubh relocated to Canada to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Sheridan College. “I came here as a trainee on a research study visa,” he states. The early days weren’t simple. “I was a bit worried.”

Like numerous worldwide trainees, he handled homesickness, brand-new obligations and the weight of beginning over. Music wasn’t the objective then. It was more of a peaceful buddy. It wasn’t till 2021 that he chose to launch his very first tune. His launching track “We Rollin” dropped without a video and no press push. He didn’t even reveal his entire face, using a headscarf over his nose and mouth. He desired his music to reach individuals initially.

And it did. Within weeks, the tune was exploding internationally, with fans connecting from nations like Japan and throughout Latin America. Now, “We Rollin” has actually gone beyond 265 million views on YouTube alone, ending up being the stimulate that introduced Shubh into worldwide acknowledgment.

That preliminary wave of love altered whatever. “That very first tune made me recognize something unique was occurring.” However Shubh didn’t go to take advantage of it. He remained in the studio, silently concentrated on making much better tunes. “In some cases I take 2 to 3 months to make simply one tune,” he discusses.

” He enters into that shell, and he just comes out when it’s all set,” the artist’s supervisor Malhotra discusses. For example, the blending procedure for his 2022 single “Baller,” among his most renowned tracks, was so extreme, it reached 29 variations before he was all set to put it out. “We did 28 blends,” Shubh states, splitting an unusual smile. “The 29th was alright, I think. I still didn’t like it.” He just launched it, he includes, since “due dates” required his hand.

Shubh puts his music through an extensive test. He listens to each track numerous times. If he’s still not tired of it after 200 plays, that’s when he understands it’s all set for the world.

” A few of his tunes balance 8 streams per user on Spotify,” Malhotra explains. “The market requirement is 2 or 3– that’s more than double. It reveals individuals aren’t simply listening as soon as, they’re returning once again and once again.”

However it’s not simply the replay worth that sets him apart. Shubh isn’t simply concentrated on lyrics and production. He’s likewise broadening the vocabulary of Punjabi music. “Whenever, I attempt to bring something fresh,” he states.

A clear example is “One Love,” a reggae-leaning track motivated by Bob Marley’s tradition. “I utilized to listen to Bob Marley. Yeah, huge Marley fan,” he states. The track, which dropped without a video, has actually currently crossed 400 million streams on Spotify.

Next on his radar? “I believe I’ll attempt rock in the next 2 to 3 months,” he states. It’s not a stretch– he currently carries out deal with a complete band and avoids support tracks completely. “I do not think in doing minus,” he states. “Whatever is done live, begin to end up.”

Musically, Shubh’s impacts cover years and continents: Eminem, 2Pac, The Well-known B.I.G., 50 Cent, Dr. Dre. He discusses them with deep regard, linking their impact to his own course. Remaining in Toronto exposed him to worldwide music culture, and Drake– another home town hero– has actually had a substantial effect. “I have actually seen how a whole culture has actually been developed around Drake,” he states.

Residing in Toronto has actually assisted form an international noise that can cross borders. Despite the fact that Shubh sings in Punjabi, the styles in his music– migration, yearning, identity, his journey, determination– resonate far beyond the diaspora. “I discuss what it seems like to leave home, relocate to a brand-new nation, and figure things out alone,” he discusses. “It’s something a great deal of individuals can connect to.” Fans who do not comprehend the language still discover something genuine in the circulation and production. “Individuals feel the ambiance.”

He’s extremely selective about what he puts out. No matter how polished a track is, if it does not sit ideal with him, he will not launch it. That individual compass is why Shubh’s fans trust him. “For me, my fans resemble household,” he states. “I respond to them online. I see whatever.”.

Regardless of preventing public occasions and the spotlight, he’s constantly linked, simply on his own terms. “Shubh has actually never ever invested a dollar on advertisements or marketing,” Malhotra states. “Whatever has actually grown naturally.”

Now, he’s getting ready for his very first North American trip, and he’s avoiding the typical little places to carry out in huge arenas. “I never ever anticipated this,” he confesses. “However I’m really delighted that we’re carrying out in arenas.” The very first location? Oakland Arena on August 22, followed by Rogers Arena in Vancouver on August 23, and after that Scotiabank Arena on September 5, where a few of his heroes, consisting of Eminem, have actually carried out. He completes the trip at the Prudential Center in New Jersey on September 7.

Shubh had actually never ever even been to a performance before stepping on phase for his sold-out program at Indigo at the O2 in London in 2023. “My voice was shaking,” he keeps in mind. “I was really hyped up, however it likewise humbled me down.”

The surreal experience of carrying out live for the very first time, without ever having actually seen a program from the audience’s side, marked a remarkable minute in his journey.

He was expected to go on a 2023 trip of India, however it was cancelled after backlash versus a social networks post he felt was politically misinterpreted. At the time, Shubh called the cancelled programs “frustrating,” and he’s been conceiving how to make his shows even more powerful given that.

A brief trip in Australia and New Zealand the exact same year brought him to significant places– something he’s aiming to develop on in Canada and the U.S.

Now that he’s all set to start his very first North American trip, he’s been putting major believed into every information of his live programs: phase setup, noise, lighting, all of it. “I’m developing something actually unique,” he states. “It’s never ever been done before in our scene.” The trip is a declaration. As an independent artist, he wishes to lead the way for others. “If I can purchase a beat for $80 and get 300 million streams out of it, I think anybody can do it,” Shubh states merely.

Now, Shubh currently has his sights set even greater. “After this, I wish to go to arenas,” he states. “Then, I wish to load whole cities. That’s the vision.”

It’s clear he’s currently believing well beyond today. Not since he remains in a rush, however since he understands where this might go. He’s seen what occurs when you lead your life artistically and with genuineness. He’s living evidence that letting the music take spotlight can open doors.

One expression he keeps going back to throughout the discussion is easy however effective: “keep attempting, keep hustling, correspond.” As he puts it, “If you bring sincerity to your work, anything is possible.”

This Billboard Canada cover story originally appeared on Billboard Canada.