How Prateek Kuhad made it big in Pakistan and around the world

The singer has managed to up the ante without a label promoting or dictating him

Renowned Indian singer and songwriter Prateek Kuhad, who also has a massive fan following in Pakistan and around the world, has just picked independence over any deal with a giant record label or a streaming platform.

Providing himself the power to release music on his own terms, however, wasn’t that simple, reported Hindustan Times. “I did it my way, because there was no other choice,” says Kuhad who released the single Kasoor recently, despite the fact that it was recorded last year.

“The video (of it) was also conceptualised last year, but things just kept getting delayed. We released cold/mess in 2018 and it became big. Then we released its video last year and it became even bigger. Then towards the end of 2019, Obama spoke about it – so I just kept delaying Kasoor because cold/mess was constantly getting bigger,” he said.

Many of Kuhad's Pakistani fans have also made renditions of his songs and uploaded them on social media, especially his song Kho Gaye Hum Khan.

stepping a lil out of my comfort zone pic.twitter.com/i4x1oJIjPH

— Iman (@baeeiman) June 19, 2020

well since everyone is recording it ,Kho gaye hum kahan ☺,link is for complete song 🤡https://t.co/WIW4tnY9zp pic.twitter.com/SGEc2OQrom

— Iqraaa (@chashmish_Ed) June 21, 2020

-kho gaye hum kahan-
(In my morning voice & face) pic.twitter.com/wPso1XrYrT

— flowergirl🦋 (@lizpizwotizdiz) July 15, 2020

“For me personally, I put out songs, when I think I am ready to put them out. Sometimes it can take time. Sometimes it doesn’t,” he adds.

Releasing music independently worked in the 30-year-old’s favour, who, ever since releasing his first album in 2015, In Token and Charms, has become one of the biggest names in the independent music space.

Former US President, Barack Obama, is also a fan of his music. “It’s not like I wanted to just put out music and see if it does well. Me and my manager, and the larger team I worked with, pushed our music hard. We tried to make the best of the situation and our relationships,” he said

Kuhad continued to add that “shitty deals” were being offered to him by record labels, which meant that he had no other option but to release his music on his own. He even expressed that if a great deal had been offered to him five years ago, he would’ve taken it.

“It’s just that all the deals that came my way (then), were shitty deals. I didn’t want to sign any shit deal. I only want to sign a good deal,” emphasised the star.

Although he did recall signing one good deal with (Jio) Saavn for cold/mess – ensuring that he didn’t have a commitment phobia, nor was he neglected by labels. “But I will only sign a deal if it’s good,” he reiterated.

Perhaps all of this freedom also meant that Kuhad didn’t feel the need to change his plans amid the pandemic, even as others scrambled to release more music in the absence of live gigs.

“Yes, live gigs, which were a major source of income for many of us, have taken a big hit and I don’t see them coming back for another year. So I understand everyone is really glum. Still, I look at it like it’s an aberration. Things will get back to normal so I don’t need to do anything different,” hoped Kuhad.

The singer added that although he can record a bass line for a song and send it to a bassist and ask him to record their version of it and send that back to him for a song, he doesn’t feel the need to do it. “I’m not of the opinion that I have to produce something all the time to stay relevant. That’s a non-issue for me right now,” noted Kuhad signing off.