Azaan Sami Khan has become somewhat of a sensation in the film industry over the past few years. The musician is well known for creating melodies for projects in Pakistani cinema, including music for the film Superstar.
The singer is now turning his hand to making his own music, however. Ahead of the release of the album, Azaan revealed how it feels to make the transition from film music to his own songs, what it feels like to be the son of a famous musician and what we can expect from his upcoming release.
Speaking about creating his own work for the first time, Sami Khan stated, “I think whenever I’d be making my film scores, I’d find myself forcing my own catharsis or my own stories into films and that wasn’t fair to neither the filmmakers nor the characters. A lot of times as an artist, whether its someone who paints or writes or composes, we end up using it as an outlet.”
“I think it was something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. I think it required that leap of self-belief. The film music that I’ve been doing gave me a bit of courage. The truth is, a lot of my compositions in movies, I never even thought that people would like them, and the fact that they liked them made me feel a little bit more confident.”
This venture is the singer’s first foray into making music independent of cinema and it has been well received thus far by fans. Azaan stated that, “People have been very kind and I’m very grateful. I genuinely didn’t expect it. Initially it was scary.
“With a single, there’s no film or narrative that’s supporting it. That’s all that there is. In four to six minutes, we have to do everything. It’s a whole different experience. I found the album more emotionally taxing. With a film score, you can detach from it because it’s someone else’s emotions.”
The singer has established himself through his musical career but it’s also a well-known fact that Azaan is the son of legendary Indian musician, Adnan Sami. However, Azaan says that he does not shy away from comparisons to his father.
“The thing with my father is that he is a legend. I am very proud to be his son. Every day, whenever I’m working in the studio, I get to not only understand his music a little better but also understand the impact he’s had on music all over the subcontinent.”
“For me having him there is just a responsibility to do the best that I can. I know that a lot of people who listen to my music come from a place of maybe having heard his music and they expect something from me. But it doesn’t bog me down at all, it keeps me excited.”
Despite the prominence of his father and his career in India, Azaan has made the conscious decision to base himself and his career in Pakistan.
“I’ve grown up the majority of my life in Pakistan. I have spent a lot of time in India and I have a lot of close friends in India but this is where I chose to live. I’m very fortunate to work with some very good artists here, and in India. Wherever I get a chance to work with a great artist, I’ll be there regardless of whether that’s in India, in Argentina or anywhere.”
With the release of this album, Azaan Sami Khan has made the leap to become a solo artist. The singer says that this new foray will not stop from continuing to work on his film scores.
“I just think that now I have two separate streams. I like the fact that I can now create a division. Each time I am trying to pour my heart out into something now, I have a place to put it. I thought, honestly, that both paths would be similar but they’re not.”
When speaking about what to expect next from him, Azaan stated, “All I can say is that the next song out with be a dance track. It’s a crazy track and I’ve had a lot of fun making it.”