Arijit Singh announces retirement from playback singing
The 38-year-old singer clarified that his decision does not mean an end to making music altogether
The 38-year-old singer clarified that his decision does not mean an end to making music altogether
The 38-year-old singer clarified that his decision does not mean an end to making music altogether
Renowned singer Arijit Singh on Tuesday stunned fans by declaring his retirement from playback singing, stating, "I am calling it off, it was a wonderful journey." The singer confirmed that he will no longer accept new playback projects, a move that triggered widespread surprise among his followers.
Sharing the news on social media, Singh revealed that he has chosen to step away from playback singing at a time when he remains one of the most sought-after voices in Hindi cinema.
“Hello, Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey,” he wrote.
The 38-year-old singer clarified that his decision does not mean an end to making music altogether, adding that he will continue working independently and honour previously agreed commitments.
“God has been really kind to me. I am a fan of good music and in future will be learning more and do more on my own as a small little artist. Thanks again for all your support. I still have to finish some pending commitments, will finish them. So you might get some releases this year. Just to be clear that I won’t stop making music,” he added.
Although Singh did not explain the reason behind his decision, the announcement sparked disbelief, with many fans flooding the comments section to express their shock and sadness.
"Too soon sir, can’t be real," wrote one user.
Another person said, "This cannot be true."
"Arreey but whyyyyyy ??????? Why are you doing this to us ??? Please don’t go man. We need you for atleast 20 more years," read a comment.
Singh’s journey in the Indian music industry has been remarkably swift and impactful.
He first appeared on the reality show “Fame Gurukul” in 2005 and made his playback debut in 2011 with “Phir Mohabbat” from the Emraan Hashmi film "Murder 2".
His breakthrough came with the emotional anthem “Tum Hi Ho” from “Aashiqui 2” in 2013, a song that catapulted him to nationwide fame.
Following that success, Singh became synonymous with a wide range of emotions — romance, sorrow and joy — delivering hit after hit including “Channa Mereya”, “Agar Tum Saath Ho”, “Raabta”, “Kesariya”, “Gerua”, “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” and "Chaleya".
Throughout his career, he has voiced songs for almost every major Hindi film star, from icons like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to actors such as Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.
Singh has sung in several Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi, and has worked alongside some of the country’s top composers and directors.
His contributions have been recognised with multiple Filmfare Awards, including several wins for Best Male Playback Singer.
In July last year, Singh surpassed international pop icons Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran to become the most-followed artist on Spotify, amassing 151 million followers.