Shaan, who has been in the music industry for over two decades, applauds the surge of new talent in the industry while simultaneously lamenting how originality is being lost. Even in an era when the music industry is swamped with new voices, he says, “there are hardly any artistes who have quick recall value”.

“It is not the fault of the new singers,” says the Tanha Dil and Jab Se Tere Naina (Saawariya, 2007) hitmaker, adding, “There is tremendous pressure, especially on boys. Everyone is trying to be the next (singer) Arijit Singh and [in the process] failing to find their own identity.”

He believes that even in the ’80s and ’90s, this problem persisted. The 49-year-old recalls, “Everyone had to sound like (singers) Kishore Kumar or Mohammed Rafi at the time. That pressure was present even when (singer) Sonu (Nigam) entered. But when (singers) Kunal (Ganjawala), KK, and I started in the industry, there was no pressure to sound like someone else.”

Sadly, he believes that the same trend has returned: “Abhi ghoom firr ke wapas aa gaya hai. Everyone is looking for a voice like Arijit’s. As a result, everyone is starting to sound the same.”

He goes on to say that because of this, the kinds of songs being produced has taken on a monotonous tone.

“Before they start writing their own songs, people look at what’s working. Itne gaane hain iss chakkar mein bewafayi pe. What’s new about that?” says the singer, who claims that he is not required to do so and that he enjoys experimenting with his music. His latest, Rang Le, for example, is a Sufi rock single. “I try to find some or the other genre, for people as well as for myself,” he ends.