World Music Day: Rashmeet Kaur's 'Dil Khanjar' draws inspiration from the '90s

Singer-songwriter Rashmeet Kaur, who impressed audience with her rendition of 'Bajre Da Sitta', has released a new song titled 'Dil Khanjar' which hit the airwaves on Wednesday on the occasion of World Music Day.

What sets the song apart is the fact that it draws inspiration from the nostalgic vibe of 1990's music and Sonu Nigam's songs. The 1990's remain a memorable era in Indian mainstream music as the landscape for non-film music radically changed with the introduction of the private television channels in the mid-1990s. This was the time when indie pop was in all its glory.

Rashmeet's song attempts to teleport the audience to an era gone by.

Talking about how the song came into existence, Rashmeet told IANS: "The inception of 'Dil Khanjar' stemmed from my good friend Danish Renzu, who conceptualised and directed the music video. He shared with me the incredible lyrics penned by Sunayana Kachroo from Boston. These captivating lyrics became the foundation of the song. I vividly remember the genesis of our creative journey."

She continued: "It was during a cab ride in Mumbai after one of our meetings. Danish, and I were together, and we started jamming to 'Dil Khanjar'. It sounded great, so I quickly recorded the composition on my phone's voice recorder. Once I got home, I continued working on it, refining the melodies and arrangements. Saurabh, the talented music producer of the song, joined me in shaping it further. And that's how aDil Khanjar' came to life."

The song incorporates several elements with regard to the sound and texture. If the audience experiences a vibe similar to A. R. Rahman's 'Satrangi Re' from the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Dil Se..' then they're absolutely right as it was a conscious choice on the part of makers.

Rashmeet said that the song also finds inspiration in the "riff-oriented compositions like 'Tu Hi Tu, Tu Hi Tu Satrangi Re'.