The New Faces of Bangla Pop
With a staggering number of Bangladeshi content creators, it’s difficult to keep track of artists with world-class work. Some new artists are shooting for the stars with unique styles and skilful integration of our culture. Here are three such artists that we believe everyone should give a try—
Dameer
There aren’t many who haven’t seen or heard even a small part of the song “Amar Jaan.” Artist Dameer came to the spotlight with this single from his debut album “For We Are Distant.” The heartfelt lyrics, warm tune and adorable music video, stirred up a storm on social media platforms. “Amar Jaan” is about the leap of faith you have to take when you fall in love and how that love stays when no one else is around. The artist promotes the idea of unsophisticated teenage love while adding the touch of fulfilment by using footage of his parents’ wedding in the music video.
Dameer’s area of artistic exploration is a mixture of psychedelic pop and indie with a hint of desi influence. His other songs like “Sun” and “Easier” are among the best of his works. The quality of his works shows in his increasing number of fans. His recent show at Jatra Biroti was sold out within hours.
Currently studying Economics and Political Science at McGill University, this artist’s passion for music seems to stem from his family. His father, Pilu Khan, is the founding member of the band Renaissance from the ‘80s.
Shitom Ahmed
Thousands of people swooned over his soothing Bangla cover of “Runaway” by Aurora posted on a Facebook group. The song’s beautiful melody, along with perfectly conveying feelings in the native language, left the audience mesmerised.
Of the few artists in Bangladesh who works with pop, indie pop, in particular, Shitom Ahmed composes songs with seemingly plain lyrics. It’s the tunes he incorporates, including catchy hooks, that leave a trail of captivating vibe in the mind of the listeners. The influence of Jeremy Zucker in his singing style is quite apparent. Apart from the cover of Aurora’s song, his single “Likhi Na Ar Toke Niye Kobita” is one of his most popular creations.
Tanveer Evan
This pop artist’s single “Maine Royaan” was released seven years ago on Youtube, but the lo-fi version was one of the most viral songs of 2021. The lo-fi version has achieved a whopping one crore plus streams on Spotify.
If you’re a fan of Atif Aslam, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the sheer influence this legend has on Tanveer Evan. He mixes mainstream pop with a tad of classical style in his composition and creates melodic songs. “Oviman” and “Chere Jeyo Na” are superb songs with strong emotional appeal.
The Bangladeshi music industry is beautifully expanding with new artists and new genres. Are you just as excited to see the rise of this versatile era of music? Let us know; we’re listening!
