Singer-songwriter Zaeden on his new song ‘Raaz’ and what inspires his music

Singer-songwriter Zaeden’s first song of the year ‘Raaz’ is inspired by journeys; not just his, but of the many people around him. 

“My journey is a bit of a ‘Raaz’, a secret,” Zaeden laughs. “But there are so many other stories around me of people who love in secrecy and in silence, and these stories never really turn into proper partnerships owing to a host of reasons. Subconsciously it just sparked something in me, about a song,” says the young Mumbai-based musician. 

Having begun his journey in music at 14, Zaeden, born Sahil Sharma, has donned many hats; as a DJ, music producer, songwriter and singer. While he shot to fame with the song ‘Tere Bina’ in 2019, he released his debut album Genesis 1:1 in 2021, and has since released independent singles that include ‘5 am’, ‘Aa Mil’ and ‘Dooriyan’. 

Zaeden
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Special Arrangement

In the lilting, melancholic ‘Raaz’ composed by The Rish and Zaeden and written by Shayra Apoorva, Zaeden and Shaiyla Taneja, a trained ballet dancer, twirl and sway in a wood-panelled bar, framed by sepia tones. Working on the song took nearly six months, something Zaeden says has been a learning experience. “I had to make sure that this comes out in the best manner, and for me to balance out every department which includes music, dance, and writing has been a learning,” he says. 

Zaeden’s brand of soft electronic-pop music and lyrics that predominantly focus on romance is an exciting genre to be a part of, given how pop music seems to be enjoying the spotlight world over. Back home as well, a slow but sure movement is building, with boy bands seemingly making a comeback through young boy groups First5 and Outstation, girl group W.i.S.H and more. 

“I think all eyes are on India right now, and we see how amazing overall fan engagement is. We’re seeing how Punjabi music has been accepted by fans, and Hindi pop music too is slowly but surely gaining traction. It is about time we see an independent Hindi song on the global charts and I really hope this happens soon, given that we have everything to support this rise,” he says. 

While there are exciting developments in the pop music space Zaeden is hoping to explore but remains tight-lipped about, he is also prepping for a stint on the silverscreen. “Looking back, I feel my biggest strength has been transitions. I  started touring at the age of 18, dropped out of two colleges, was a DJ, dabbled in singing, dance music, songwriting and more. I have put my family under a lot of pressure but they have also been supportive,” he says. 

While he began the year with his debut live show in Singapore and followed it up with two shows in Australia, Zaeden is now knee-deep in promoting ‘Raaz’ which included a visit to colleges and engaging with his fans there, all while strumming on his guitar and singing onstage. 

“I’m going to be doing a writing camp soon and hopefully something sparks from there. I think I should be a bit more consistent with songs, and in December I hope to work on an EP if the writing camp does turn out productive. I really also want to work on a dance song again,” he sings off.