It’s been three years since Badshah started working on his debut album O.N.E (Original Never Ends). Now that it’s up for release, the rapper is sleep-deprived. “Every time I master a song and listen to it, I feel there’s something missing and go back to the studio to rectify it. Imagine doing that for 17 tracks,” he says. He adds that it was also due to the changing soundscape and the way music is consumed. “I didn’t realise there would be so many expectations from my fans and myself. I wanted to get the minutest details of the song right,” he explains. Now that it’s finally come together, he says, “I’ve given everything to the album and I’m happy with the way it has turned out. But I’m still not satisfied.”
All about him
The Saturday Saturday hitmaker says that there’s only one track in the album that listeners would call a typical ‘Badshah’ song. “Everything else is something you haven’t heard from me before. It’s all me and my personal experiences, which is why it has only one dance number,” he says. The musician originally wanted to name the album Interview. “But, I have fans who got ONE tattooed when I announced the name. So, I didn’t have the heart to change it,” he smiles.
His cool collaborators
Describing how things are different musically, he says that one track opens with the djembe, which he’d have never thought of doing with a song. When he played it to Sunidhi Chauhan, she loved it so much that she offered to sing it. “She came to the studio with her son. The kid and I were both crying. He for his mum and I because I was so overwhelmed,” he laughs. The first track of the album, Heartless, will release tomorrow and has been rendered by Aastha Gill. “It’s a love ballad about the longing of a girl to meet her lover,” he says. Lisa Mishra (of Tareefan reprise fame) also features on the album.
Why the delay
Badshah started his career in 2006 and has released hits like Chull, Baaki Baatein Peene Baad and more. What took him this long to cut an album? He says, “A record needs a lot of dedication. When you get down to making it, you realise kya pangaa le liya!” The artiste decided to take a break from everything last year to work on ONE. “I had 30 songs in all,” he adds. So, will the rest find a place on a second volume? “I don’t know. Some stories are not meant to be told.” he says. While musicians prefer releasing singles these days, what made him go the album route? “When you make one song, you have all your hopes pinned to it, whereas you have many choices in an album,” he says, “But, I haven’t treated any of my songs like an option. There’s something for everyone — love, sadness, and pure hip hop songs. Making an album is addictive. If someone says do it all over again, I’d love to. I have already conceived the next one,” he signs off.
