Samarth Goyal writes on Hollywood and music, for the daily Entertainment and Lifestyle supplement, HT City.
Articles by Samarth Goyal
Will virtual concerts replace live gigs?
2020 saw the rise in popularity of virtual concerts, which at one point during the year was the only way musicians could perform Live. Yet, as the popularity for virtual concerts grows, musicians discuss missing the energy and the crazy rush of a performance in front of a live audience.
Updated on Dec 24, 2020 07:21 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
2020: The year indie music made it to the mainstream
With over a thousand song releases, independent musicians look back at how 2020 was the biggest year for them and hope that the popularity continues to grow in 2021......
Updated on Dec 23, 2020 04:02 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
Ikka: Music is all about vibes
Creating music is all about vibes and being in the moment for Ankit Singh Patyal aka Ikka, who hopes to become popular by inspiring people through his songs.
Updated on Dec 15, 2020 12:58 PM IST
Hip-hop is writing about your emotions: Raftaar
Rapper-composer Raftaar through his latest single, Tu Phir Se Aana, wants remind people about the hardships faced by migrant workers, who were forced to go back to to their homes when the Lockdown was implemented.
Published on Dec 11, 2020 01:05 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
Good health is the best way to feel successful: Amaal Mallik
Music composer Amaal Mallik talks about the initial struggle he overcame of being consistent with his fitness and how it has helped him become a healthier person.
Updated on Dec 11, 2020 12:32 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
Sona Mohapatra: Hoping we take more pride in growing an independent ‘music industry’
Singer-songwriter Sona Mohapatra feels she was able to release 11 songs during the pandemic, since she is an independent musician who does not have to depend on any music label.
Updated on Nov 29, 2020 11:01 PM IST
Priya Darshini on her first ever Grammy nomination: It means that I am doing something right
Singer-songwriter Priya Darshini talks about her first ever Grammy nomination in the Best New Age Album category
![Priya Darshini is an Indian musician based in Brooklyn, New York.([YOUR NAME]/BFA.com)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/rf/image_size_300x169/HT/p2/2020/11/29/Pictures/insert-event-caption-here_9640cbda-324a-11eb-af98-c66e283b3943.jpg "Priya Darshini is an Indian musician based in Brooklyn, New York.([YOUR NAME]/BFA.com)")
Updated on Nov 29, 2020 11:09 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
Creative liberty with no boundaries: Why the indie music space spells comfort for queer musicians
Queer musicians from India discuss why the indie music space is being embraced by musicians, especially those from the LGBTQ+ community, which allows them to express themselves without being judged for their gender identity and sexual orientation.
Updated on Nov 29, 2020 11:23 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
Rizwan Manji: It wasn’t a surprise that people loved Schitt’s Creek. It was a surprise that it took so long for people to find it!
Canadian actor of Indian origin Rizwan Manji, who played the character of Ray Bhutani in Schitt’s Creek, talks to us about being a proud cast member of the Emmy award winning show and how streaming platforms have changed things for the better for actors like him.
Updated on Nov 21, 2020 12:45 PM IST
Nucleya: I like making music, not because I need to make a post on social media
Electronic musician Udyan Sagar, talks about his decision to not sign with a big record company which helped him control his own music and how that has helped him in staying “honest” about his music, which he says he makes for himself and no one else.
Updated on Nov 06, 2020 07:52 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
Amaal Mallik: Musicians are being forced to make substandard songs
Composer Amaal Mallik says musicians are forced to sign ‘illegal contracts’ and singers are asked to sing scratches for free, thanks to increased corporate involvement
Updated on Oct 12, 2020 04:03 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Unity for tea, as ‘chai latte’ gets a big no!
Indian netizens, almost unanimously criticised a video posted by a Twitter account which gave people the recipe of making chai latte.
Published on Oct 04, 2020 04:44 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Delhi | Samarth Goyal
Recreating history.....
The German Ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner, has recreated the iconic song Winds of Change, in collaboration with Indian musicians, to celebrate 30 years of the German Reunification.
Updated on Oct 03, 2020 11:06 AM IST
Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Jaz Dhami: There’s a lot of bi****ng in the industry going on right now
British-Indian singer-songwriter Jaz Dhami credits his family for helping him become a successful musician that he is today — not by dissing his peers, but by focussing on releasing music independently.
Updated on Sep 28, 2020 01:08 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
A journey through soundscapes and time
Music composer Aseem Trivedi talks to us about his six-year-long journey as a musician, before bagging his first ever mainstream project, working alongside artistes such as Raftaar, Benny Dayal and Shreya Ghosal, and how those experiences helped him achieve his dream of becoming a composer.
Updated on Sep 22, 2020 06:14 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Anoushka Shankar: Many music festivals prefer popular or named artists
Musician Anoushka Shankar understands the difficulties for unpopular musicians to make a mark for themselves in the industry, and also talks about how the lockdown helped her fit her artistry around her two kids instead of it being the other way around.
Updated on Sep 20, 2020 12:23 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Carry Minati: A volcano erupted in me
Ajey Nagar aKa Carry Minati talks to us exclusively about breaking stereotypes through his comedy roast videos which often polarise the masses, dealing with critics and his “bold” decision to drop out of school which has seen him become the most subscribed individual creator on YouTube India.
Updated on Sep 19, 2020 07:11 PM IST
Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Sadu: Remixes were one of the many reasons behind the decline of pop music in the nineties
Sadasivan KM Nambisan aKa Sadu, a former member of indie-pop group The Aryans, explains why his desire to express freely as a musician kept him away from the scene for a long time and how the Internet was instrumental in his comeback.
Updated on Sep 17, 2020 07:09 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Ankur Tewari: Saying that all hip hop sounds the same is like saying all Asians look the same
Singer-songwriter Ankur Tewari, who is a member of Music Composer’s Association of India’s (MCAI), is appalled by the body’s recent statement that hip hop songs can be plagiarised since they sound similar.
Updated on Sep 16, 2020 06:31 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
Hitting the right notes..
Sharif Rangnekar, frontman of the Delhi based band, Friends of Lingers talks about the making, and the idea behind the band’s recently released single, I Am Who I Am.
Updated on Sep 16, 2020 05:40 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Sky is the limit....
For guitar player Keshav Dhar, whose hunger to experiment with different soundscapes helped him make remarkable strides in the Hindi music industry after making a name for himself in the world of metal music.
Updated on Sep 16, 2020 06:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Raftaar: If I take the dhun out of any popular Bollywood song, and make a rap song, will that not be a copy?
Rapper Raftaar questions the reasoning behind MCAI’s recent explanation, absolving the makers of the IPL 2020 anthem of any copyright violations
Updated on Sep 13, 2020 01:16 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
MCAI defends opinion confirming IPL song not plagiarised version of Kr$na’s song
MCAI’s committee members Lalit Pandit and Ravi, confirm issuing an ‘expert opinion’ to composer Pranav Ajayrao Malpe, which according to the association absolves Malpe of copyright violations, levelled against him by Delhi-based rapper Kr$na.
Updated on Sep 12, 2020 01:29 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
The secret ingredients in the making of a famous chef are...
Ahead of Teachers Day, here are a few mentors, experiences and anecdotes that helped these chefs become such a popular name in the country
Updated on Sep 17, 2020 05:15 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
A great collab for a great cause
Vishal Dadlani, Penn Masala and lyricist Poojan Sahil have collaborated together on a song, which aims to raise money for migrant workers who have been affected because of the ongoing crisis.
Updated on Sep 27, 2020 08:49 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Sandesh Jhingan on winning the Arjuna Award: When I told my parents that I have won the award, I could see the pride in their eyes
Footballer Sandesh Jhingan, a 6’2 tall centre back for India talks about being awarded the Arjuna Award, the 27th footballer from the country to receive the recognition.
Updated on Aug 31, 2020 01:51 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Meet Anuradha Doddaballapur: Cardiovascular scientist, holder of cricket records too
Anuradha Doddaballapur shares a unique tag with Lasith Malinga and Rashid Khan.
Updated on Aug 30, 2020 05:49 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
BTS fans’ rape threats force Neha Bhasin to file police complaint
Singer Neha Bhasin has decided to file a complain with Mumbai Police’s Cyber Crime branch after she and her family received abuses and rape threats by the fans of Korean pop band BTS.
Updated on Aug 26, 2020 12:11 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
Arjun Kanungo: Life does not change after you have Covid-19
Singer songwriter Arjun Kanungo who, along with his girlfriend, Carla Dennis, were tested positive for Covid 19, talk to us about how psychologically he is at peace now and also talks about how he was more scared for his girlfriend Carla who had to be hospitalised because of breathing issues..
Updated on Aug 25, 2020 01:02 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal
Invoking divine flavours
We ask chefs to share some of their food memories, as well as recipes, associated with the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi
Updated on Aug 22, 2020 12:26 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Samarth Goyal, New Delhi
