Music – Amaal Mallik Explains Why Some Songs Find Success Years Later
Music – Amaal Mallik believes a song’s success cannot always be measured by how quickly audiences respond to it. The music composer, who has created ‘Yeh Awarapan’ for the upcoming Emraan Hashmi film ‘Awarapan 2’, recently spoke about why some songs fail to make an immediate impact but eventually find a much larger audience.
Speaking to IANS during the film’s promotional activities in Mumbai’s BKC area, Mallik said he has experienced this with several of his compositions. According to the composer, every song has its own journey, and factors beyond the quality of the music can influence how it performs after release.
A song’s journey depends on several factors
Mallik explained that timing, circumstances and the people involved in creating a song can all play a role in determining its eventual reach. He also pointed to the importance of the film in which a song appears, along with its lead actor and the way it is presented to viewers.
He noted that music in India has a strong visual connection. Audiences often encounter a song through its video before they spend time listening to it independently. As a result, the actor featured in the song, its visual presentation and the level of promotion can significantly affect its visibility.
Quality music is no longer enough on its own
The composer also discussed how the music industry has changed with the rise of streaming platforms and short-form video. In his view, simply creating a strong song does not guarantee that it will immediately become popular.
Songs can gain attention through different routes. Some become widely used in reels, while others build an audience through streaming platforms. There are also compositions that take a different path altogether and gradually develop a following without fitting into the usual trends.
Mallik said that artists now have to think about how a song is positioned and introduced to listeners. With audiences surrounded by an enormous amount of digital content every day, standing out has become considerably more difficult.
Mallik prefers to move forward after setbacks
Despite the unpredictable nature of music releases, Mallik said he tries not to spend too much time analysing why a particular song did not perform as expected. He admitted that an unsuccessful release can affect him initially, but he generally gives himself a short period to process the disappointment before concentrating on his next project.
The composer said he may spend a couple of days wondering whether timing, promotion, presentation or another factor affected a song’s performance. However, dwelling on those questions for too long does not help him creatively.
For Mallik, the most practical approach is to accept that every composition has its own trajectory and continue working. A song that appears overlooked at first may eventually connect with listeners, while another may receive immediate attention.
His comments come as anticipation builds around ‘Awarapan 2’, the sequel to the 2007 film ‘Awarapan’, with Emraan Hashmi returning to the franchise. Mallik’s ‘Yeh Awarapan’ is among the music associated with the upcoming project.