Arijit Singh sudden withdrawal of playback song It has been a big shock for both the fans and the film industry. Known as the voice of a generation, the singer consistently sold out her concerts and appeared in almost every major Bollywood film. However, at the peak of his career, Arijit decided to step away to pursue something closer to his heart: Indian classical music. While the announcement surprised many, the decision was not entirely unexpected. Over the years, Arijit had hinted at his internal struggles through multiple interviews. In one such conversation, he spoke candidly and felt disconnected from his own identity and voice, even admitting that his name had begun to irritate him.
In a 2023 interview with The Music Podcast, Arijit recalls a phase when fame began to weigh heavily on him.
Arijit Singh banned his songs from being played at home
“There was a time when I used to associate myself with my name: Arijit Singh. But as I grew up, there came a time when hearing my name bothered me. There was a crowd shouting my name. At first, it felt overwhelming, but eventually I realized that my name was no longer me. It’s a perception that people have created about me. Now no one at home or at work addresses me by that name. It has become a joke. It irritates me to hear it. There was a time when it even irritated me. listen to my own songs. Now I don’t feel irritated, I just ignored it. Before, I was very strict about not listening to my songs. The situation was such that no one played a song when I was at home.
Bollywood is “killing artists”
He also addressed the issue of unfair payments in the music industry, stating that such practices slowly “kill an artist.”
Despite being one of the highest-paid singers of his generation, Arijit strongly believed that many artists are underpaid and often not compensated for their efforts.
“They are fair at their own game. All this business is carried out at the expense of artists. An artist is not as practical as a businessman. But since the business depends on the work of the artist, if everyone feels that it is not fair, then something is wrong. People should think about it.”
Speaking of record labels, he added: “They should be clear about certain things. Either pay fairly for the work that is done or not assign work at all. There are a lot of people who are not paid in proportion to the work they do. It’s all negotiated at the end of the day.”
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Explaining how the process often becomes exploitative, Arijit said: “Because it is mainly a verbal discussion. One thing is discussed, the work becomes another and the payment becomes something completely different.”
Furthermore, it revealed how the struggle starts at a basic level (simply trying to make a living through art) and gradually leads to exploitation.
The stress of being an artist
“Artists keep wondering if they have earned enough for the month or the year. That stress is always there. The only thing they have is their art. So they use it to survive. They negotiate an amount and agree to work. But in the process, they forget how much they should work for that money.”
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Highlighting the emotional side of creative work, he added: “Some artists are extremely passionate. They get so involved in their work that they stop thinking about money. They just want to do better work. After the end result, they realize how much effort they put in. When the payment turns out to be less than promised, that’s when you kill an artist. Their selfless relationship with art is manipulated.”
Arijit concluded by highlighting that justice is essential for a healthy creative ecosystem.
“Everyone should feel like it’s their own space. There should be no fighting. People come to work for the art. There are so many great personalities involved; everyone deserves to feel happy.”
Arijit’s retirement from playback singing
On Tuesday, Arijit Singh officially announced his retirement from playback singing via Instagram and
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He wrote on Instagram: “Hello, Happy new year to everyone. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I am pleased to announce that from now on I will not be accepting any new assignments as a playback vocalist. I’m canceling it. It was a wonderful trip.”