King on meeting Ed Sheeran in Mumbai: He's like a brother and we connected on a personal level
Global star King opens up about meeting pop icon, Shape of You hitmaker, Ed Sheeran in Mumbai last month.
Recently, pop singer Ed Sheeran expressed his desire to work with King, following which their meeting sent their fans into a tizzy expecting a collaboration soon. The global music icon says the meeting was all about connecting with him on a personal level, instead of talking work. (Also Read – Ed Sheeran leaves India: Here are the 5 best moments from his Mumbai trip)
Last month, Sheeran came to India for his music tour, and opened up about his love for Indian music, with a special mention of the Maan meri Jaan, saying he would love to collaborate with him on a project. It was during that tour that he took some time out to meet King. The singer took to social media to post the pictures of the meeting.
In an exclusive interview talking about his meeting with the pop icon, King tells us, “Well, more than collaborating, we connected on a personal level during our meeting," adding, “He is like a brother and the things we discussed when we met, shows how similar we are when it comes to things that matter in our lives.”
While the meeting raised fans’ expectations of a union between the two, the singer hints that there might be some time for that. “Whenever we collaborate, it would come from a place of pure intent,” he teases.
King has made a name for himself by collaborating with global icons such as Nick Jonas in the past, and KSHMR and Zaeden more recently for a song, Aawara.
“To give new music to the audience, to learn new trends globally is what keeps me motivated and all the collaborations that I have done till now or the ones I am doing are all different from one another. The main idea continues to be that you keep experimenting with new sounds and entertain the audience with your artistry,” he says.
Talking about the song, Aawara, which is about first love, King shares, “Specifically for this song, the best part was our own individuality that we brought onto the table when we sit for a collaboration, and the beauty of working with other artists is that you bring your individual artistry and work together to create something unique for the audiences."
Collaborating with someone like KSHMR, known for his electronic and EDM influences, suggests a willingness to experiment with different genres. How important is genre versatility to you as an artist?
“Genre versatility is my thing so I like it. It is not necessary but it’s good to have versatility in music. Again I am saying it’s not a must-have thing, if you are killing it in your specific genre that’s also great,” says the singer, who made waves with bangers like Tu Aake Dekhle and Maan Meri Jaan.
For him, working with global icons gives him a wider scope to experiment and grow as an artist. “I just wanted to explore music beyond my heritage and boundaries. It is very important to learn music from global artists because it gives you a new perspective and also offers variety,” he ends, with a promise to keep on exploring global space through his music.