Singer-songwriter Armaan Malik, who recently performed with Ed Sheeran in Mumbai, has credited his brother Amaal Mallik for introducing him to international artists which in turn shaped his understanding of Western pop music.

The singer made the revelation on his radio show ‘Only Just Begun’ on Apple Music Radio, and shared that it was an iPod he received from his brother which proved to be instrumental in his journey as a musician.

Armaan said: “I learnt everything I could about Western music because of that iPod and I feel today, if I am able to do English music justice or pop music justice, it’s because of that collection you put in that iPod. My journey in pop music and learning how to sing English songs the right way, or is authentic to the language, came only because Amaal introduced me to these songs that I never heard of before. I was 13 when Amaal gave me this iPod and all these artists to date have influenced my musicality in some form or the other.”

Talking about embracing Bollywood music, Amaal Mallik said: “What those English songs did to you, Hindi artists and songs did to me. I was born in the 1990s, and you cannot take that out of me. Even audiences expect a bit of cinema in my pop music. I keep that balance by creating simple melodies that are somewhat 1990s yet relatable today. So the soundscape is 2024, and the melodies are from the 1990s - it’s a mix of everything. I don’t treat it like it’s an Indie-pop song or a film song; I think a good song is a good song.”

‘Only Just Begun’ Radio, streams on Apple Music Radio.