“People think that I only sing romantic songs, but I have a lot more to offer musically and creatively. I wanted to take a very unconventional approach to my music, and I think that is what we have channelled for this song,” says singer Armaan Mallik, who is stepping out of his romance era for his next single ‘Baari Baari’. 

Released on June 18, the song is composed by his brother and long-time collaborator, Amaal Mallik, and lyrics were written by singer-songwriter Youngveer.

Armaan and his brother Amaal have collaborated on other hit numbers such as ‘Main Rahoon Ya Na Rahoon’, ‘Bol Do Na Zara’, ‘Naina’ and more. “We both know each other’s taste so well, that we are synced now whenever we come into a room to make a song. He knows exactly what I would love to sing, and I know exactly the zone that he is going to create,” says Armaan about their collaboration. “I think we both complete each other’s sentences in a way. If I start the line he completes it or if he starts the line, I complete it,” he says.

‘Baari Baari’ has a groovy, relaxed vibe that dabbles in Hindi and Punjabi. “My brief was simple. I wanted Punjabi that is consumable and can be understood by everyone in the country. As we were building the song we thought that a Hindi-Punjabi fusion would be the best fit,” he adds over a phone call from Delhi.

Unlike an album, which often involves a larger concept and longer timelines, ‘Baari Baari’ was created as a standalone single with a more focussed approach. “With a single, the advantage is that you are focussed on one song and making sure it is the best it can be,” says Armaan. “An album is a journey. It has a theme, takes time, and there are many moving parts. A single like ‘Baari Baari’ is laser-focussed on its sound and vibe.” Though the song was recorded a year ago, he adds, they waited for the right moment to release it. Remarkably, the final version retains the original one-take demo vocal recorded during the song’s early stages. 

While ‘Baari Baari’ marks a fresh chapter in his independent music journey, Armaan hints at more releases in the pipeline. “There is a lot of amazing music coming after this,” he says, adding that fans can expect a new track around his birthday on July 22. He is also working on a few English pop songs that have been in the vault for some time, and plans to take them to the stage later this year as part of a multi-city tour.

Even as he builds his catalogue of pop-driven melodies, Armaan is not afraid to push the envelope. “Something I have not really put out there is me rapping,” he says with a laugh. “I think it would definitely surprise a lot of people.” A possible rap-electronic fusion is something he is keen to experiment with. “Everyone expects the love songs, but no one would probably expect me to do a rap track — hopefully that will be really interesting,” he concludes. 

‘Baari Baari’ is now streaming on Spotify and YouTube