There are stars that you adore and then there are stars that you fall hopelessly in love with. Hardy Sandhu belongs to the latter category. Whether it’s his chivalrous behaviour, his chocolate-boy looks or his romantic voice, brace yourself because there’s something about Hardy that will sweep you off your feet.
So it’s no wonder that his latest track Backbone got over 10 million views on YouTube. A slow Punjabi love song, Backbone reflects the kind of person Hardy is in real life. “When I was younger, I would always think that when I grow up, I’ll get married and be the best husband. I’m a very romantic person and that shows in my songs,” says Hardy, who started his career as a singer in 2012 with Tequila Shot.
Talking about Backbone, a song about the love of his life supporting him through thick and thin and being his metaphorical spine, he says, “I’ve been singing slow songs for quite sometime now. I enjoy them. This song has a country, peppy feel. I treat every song as an experience and this was a new and different one.”
He claims that nothing touches the heart like Punjabi love songs. And this is why it’s such a big part of Bollywood. “Leave alone up North, I know people from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and every other part of India who listen to Punjabi music. They might not understand every word, but they get the message the song is trying to convey. Almost every Bollywood movie must have a Punjabi song in it nowadays. There’s something about the language that connects people from every part of India,” says Hardy.
He adds that urban life moves at a fast pace and Punjabi music helps you unwind and relax. “Punjabi music is full of happy beats and you can dance to it. Be it a club party or a drive with friends, you can immerse yourself in the feeling of love listening to it on your headphones, or sing along,” says Hardy.
He is aware of how Punjabi music has taken over the club scene in India and is planning to come out with a club hit too. “I’m working on a song that will make you come to the dance floor and lift your hands in the air to do the bhangra. But that apart, every Punjabi song you can think of is being played in the clubs nowadays. The DJs add the beat and let the people enjoy the songs the way they want. Even Backbone is not a club song per se, but it has been played in clubs all over India as well as the UK,” says Hardy.
Be it a party or a romantic song, Hardy is very particular about the lyrics. “I am a pain when it comes to finalising on the lyrics. They are very important to me. No matter how good the music is, I make it a point to see that the lyrics are not disrespectful to anyone. Most Punjabi songs talk about booze and stuff— there’s so much dirt in the lyrics, I don’t want to get my hands dirty too. I give my lyricists a hard time, but it’s worth it,” says Hardy, who loves to stay in touch with his fans via social media.
He says he was not on social media a year ago. And he only started using it to connect with his fans. “When fans come to know the person you are behind the performer they’ve seen you as, they connect with you better,” he says.
Hardy is currently working on three songs and wants to act in a Bollywood film. “I want to make my debut in this industry with either a romantic or a drama film,” he signs off.
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