I am very fond of western genres, including EDM.
— Javed Ali
I like works by Bryan Adams and Mariah Carey, among others.
There was a time in the 1980s when music was almost over. If you think about it, it will be tough for you to remember any song which came during that time. But now music has come back. There are amazing musicians like Vishal-Shekhar, Amit Trivedi, Sneha Khanwalkar who are doing a good job.
Ghazals can never die; they will come back.
I rarely get the time to watch cricket as I am busy with recordings.
Music is in my genes. My entire family is into singing.
I may not be a party-hopper, but I'm a diehard romantic.
It's an amazing experience to perform in Nagpur! Music aficionados here appreciate good music and shower their love magnanimously on artistes.
Eventually, I began singing in various shows. It was then that I started appreciating the breadth and depth of Hindi film music.
Listeners want fresh voices.
I've lost count of how many times I have performed in Chennai.
Sufi music talks about connecting people. It talks about connecting hearts and connecting man with God. Everything that talks about connection is Sufi.
Healthy competition is very important in any industry. It keeps you on your toes and helps you grow.
In independent music, you are the badshah and there are no restrictions, which allow you to embrace your true music. Whereas in playback, your first obligation is to your music director and then to your sensibilities.
Your knowledge remains limited if you just listen to your songs but you grow as a singer when you listen to other singers' work - their style, accent and modulation. You end up absorbing new things.
Tum Tak' is a beautiful thought and is a rhythmic expression. It's been composed beautifully. It may sound easy but is difficult to attempt or sing it live.
From my early training days, I am an avid listener of heavy music which is laced with proper diction and effective use of grammar of music.
I am a very shy person.
A film is made for actors and actresses, not for singers.
I have always been complimented that my voice matches all actors like Shahid Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan.
People usually call me for experimental songs.
For listeners, the song 'Kehne ko jashn-e-baharaa hai' looks a very easy number. In fact, it was a challenge to sing the song as I had to really suppress my voice and make it appear like a casual track.
I never thought I would do a reality show.
I love to go to Aksa Beach at midnight.
I enjoy singing in different languages, be it Telugu or Bengali. I would like to sing in Malayalam too.
To be honest, I hadn't realised the greatness of film music till I was exposed to film songs after I started living in Mumbai.
It's easier to record because technology is advanced. That's why there is a spurt in the number of new singers.
When I was recording 'Kun-Faaya-Kun,' I did it like I was offering Namaaz.
I think every singer should get a formal training in music.
It's very difficult to get recognized in Bollywood. There are so many talented singers and so much competition.
Some of my fans tell me that my voice is more suited for romantic numbers, some others say I do Sufi songs better. But that just goes to say that people are more aware of the different genres now. More people are getting exposed to sufi music because of Bollywood, which is good.
I like to experiment when it comes to music.
I do not support that everyone has to be a trained classical singer to be able to sing in films but some sort of knowledge in classical space can take you to places.
I am fortunate that I was born in a family where music was already a part of life.
Ghulam Ali Khan saab is my greatest inspiration.
When I had to sing 'Kajra re' for 'Bunty Aur Babli,' I thought that my voice will not match that of Amitabh Bachchan's.
If I'm given a choice to pick what I am interested in, I will definitely sing a ghazal for a movie.
I have sung songs for several actors in movies, including Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Unfortunately, even after singing songs for their movies like 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' and 'Raees,' the two actors have not lip-synced them on screen.
Basically as someone who grew up in Delhi, crooning in southern languages which I don't understand is very difficult.
I am not a known face and a lot of people wouldn't recognise me if I walked into a room. But that's okay with me. I want people to recognize me through my work.
I'm not complaining if my work is getting more recognition than me.
I still recall how nervous I was when I went for the recording of ‘Guzarish'… When I reached the studio, all of them were there - Rahman, Aamir Khan, lyricist Prasoon Joshi and director A.R. Murugadoss.
I love going to Jama Masjid and Daryaganj whenever I am in Delhi.
I get excited when I sing in a new language.
I am huge fan of Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Ghulam Ali and Mehdi Hassan. Listening to these people inspired me to become a singer.
I personally make sure that my songs are all original without any technical help, and only when that happens that I get complete satisfaction as a singer.
I do see myself doing more than just playback singing.
Coming from a middle class background, I faced a lot of hardships during my initial years in Mumbai. I did not have much money and had to sing jingles and bhajans to survive. But those years taught me that a singer should be versatile.
One has to sing from the heart to let it touch the right chords. Unless you enjoy the song, your listener will not either.
I believe that your creativity increases when you evolve with changing technology.
