International music sensation and Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala has dropped his new album Moosetape on Spotify, which includes 32 singles, with one new video every week. The artiste collaborations in the album include those with DIVINE, Bohemia, Raja Kumari, Stefflon Don, Tion Wyne, Morrison, Blockboi Twitch and Sikander Kahlon, among others.

Going by his popular stage name Sidhu Moose Wala, Punjab-born singer and songwriter Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu says that “Shubhdeep to Sidhu Moose Wala is a journey made by (his) fans.” Known to the world for a style completely different from his Punjabi music contemporaries, Sidhu gives insights on the new album. Excerpts:

Your music and performance often lay at the intersection of pop and rap and are very different from what most contemporary Punjabi singers are doing. How do you create what you create?

To be honest with you, I am someone who has always composed and written songs based on incidents from the time that I was a child. This includes experiences that my family, friends, or I have been through or even those that my village ‘Moosa’ has seen. Maybe that’s the reason that the audience listens to it, relates to it and loves it.

You have dropped a new album on Spotify. Tell us about it and the multi-artiste collaborations in it.

My mother is my biggest inspiration. This album is close to my heart because this is for my ‘Maa’ and that is the reason I had decided to release it on her birthday. Whatever I am is because of her. It was always my dream to release an album, and the opportunity to work with Tion Wayne, Bohemia, DIVINE, Raja Kumari, and Morrison, all of whom are great artistes, has been fantastic. It was amazing to make music with them and have them feature in my album. It is not an album that was composed overnight. I have gone through many sleepless nights to make it possible.

What are your thoughts on platforms like Spotify revolutionising how one listens to music and the audio at large?

Spotify has always been a great platform for artistes who wanted to take their music across boundaries. Their reach all around the world is phenomenal and it is commendable that they push every artiste to find their right audience. They are doing great work.

How do you think streaming helped the popularity of Punjabi music grow, and what role do you think it plays in finding your audience?

I believe that Punjabis are in every corner of this world; wherever you go, you’ll find them. Earlier, they were able to access music from home through cassettes, Walkmans, and CDs, but from the time streaming was introduced by Spotify, every artiste and their music has the power to reach anywhere. The fact that platforms such as Spotify can take your music to 178 countries and help you reach a newer audience with its unique playlist curations, is exceptional. Millions of listeners around the world can consume music seamlessly because of streaming services like Spotify.

You have a highly engaged fan base on multiple platforms (YouTube and Instagram), how do you feel about that?

Shubhdeep to Sidhu Moose Wala is a journey made possible by my fans. The love they have shown over these years is overwhelming and has always inspired me to make more music. I hope they keep showing their love like this forever so that I can keep reciprocating in the form of my art.

What’s keeping you busy these days? What’s forthcoming?

So far, only a few tracks from Moosetape have been released, so I am waiting for my fans to listen to all the songs over the next few weeks. The love and affection of my audience is something I treasure and reading their heartwarming comments for the album on YouTube and social media is keeping me busy. At the same time, it immensely inspires me to write more for them.