With a handful of fiery singles and show-stealing features, Shillong-based Reble is on the cusp of becoming a force in Indian hip hop—and your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper. By Karan Madhok

A singer and a passionate lover of humanity and nature, Zubeen Garg’s legacy is not merely a memory, but a living beacon that will inspire Assam’s people and culture for generations. By Anusuya A. Paul

“Jai Mata Di, let’s rock.” Himesh Reshammiya’s career has come full circle: from topping the charts, to flops and cringe compilations, and back to dominating global rankings. By Himanshi Aggarwal

In Brute Face/Home Truth (2025), Rounak Maiti presents a personal, cathartic album, with a dizzying soundscape that remains unbound by the constructs of genre. By Saptaparna Samajdar

From Coldplay’s misguided “Hymn for the Weekend” to Ed Sheeran’s collaborative “Sapphire,” Akankshya Abismruta celebrates a new kind of cultural synthesis between the West and the East.

Delhi-based musician Tarun Balani’s new album weaves jazz improvisation with Sindhi folk echoes, creating a cohesive journey through memory, identity, and longing. By Treya Sinha

Bollywood has had a long history of finding “inspiration”—or barefaced plagiarism. Nivedita Dey recounts the many films, songs, and creators who imitated from the West (and more) and muses on the value of artistic originality.

With an electrifying, viral video, Hanumankind’s “Big Dawgs” has become Indian hip hop’s biggest global smash. In an email exchange, Karan Madhok and Nakul Yadav discuss his unlikely breakthrough, the future of Indian rap, and Baba Sehgal’s “Aaja Meri Gaadi Mein Baith Ja”.

Newly Aged (2024), the debut album by Green Park, is an experimental, cross-cultural rock project that responds to the uncertainties of transition, joy, and the life ahead. By Karan Madhok

Imtiaz Ali’s biographical drama Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) returns to the profane and scandalous themes of the Punjabi artist’s music, reclaiming the singer’s societal impact, and exposing the flawed notions of morality in Punjab’s cultural milieu. By Deepansh Duggal

With a bloodthirsty protagonist and an army of brute Sikh men, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s controversial hit Animal reduces the Punjabi folk song “Arjan Vailly”—a storied war cry against oppression—into a chorus of vile brutality. By Deepansh Duggal

In a wide-ranging conversation, bandmates Vikramjit ‘Tuki’ Banerjee and Chandrani Banerjee of Krosswindz spoke about the legendary band’s inception, the legacy of Bangla rock, secrets of their musical craft, and much more. By Ronald Tuhin D’Rozario