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Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shubh Speaks: The First Interview with Punjabi Music's Fastest Rising Star
Shubh's rise has happened faster than he could have ever expected. In a quiet moment, Shubh softly remarks in Punjabi, 'I didn't think I would ever chart.' He's done more than that. The 27-year-old Brampton, Ontario-based Punjabi artist has become one of the most talked-about names in global music, amassing over 3 billion total streams across platforms, a fiercely loyal fanbase and a debut North American tour on the horizon, including arena dates in Oakland, Vancouver and Toronto. That's all without a label or a single dollar spent on ads. More from Billboard Rachel Zegler Serenades Crowd Outside Theater for Free in a New London Production of 'Evita' Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to Receive Vanguard Award at The Guitar Center Music Foundation Gala & Benefit Concert Shakira Announces Two More Dates in Mexico, Extending Record to 28 Around him, a pair of his close friends and Brampton housemates, Prince and Vicky, and his longtime manager, Shivam Malhotra, lean in, smiling – not just because the comment is modest, but because the reality couldn't be more different. This is his first interview. It's the first time he's publicly reflecting on a journey that, in just a few years, has taken him from scribbling verses in a notebook to performing on arena stages across North America. His breakthrough came when his debut album, Still Rollin, debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart in June 2023 and his sophomore album, Sicario, entered the Top 25 at No. 24 in January 2025. When he speaks to Billboard Canada, his single 'Supreme' is making a splash on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart following a No. 13 debut for the 2024 single 'King Shit.' But today, Shubh isn't on stage, thinking about charts, or in the recording studio. He's seated calmly at the studio for his first cover shoot for Billboard Canada, surrounded by the same team that's been with him since day one. He answers slowly and thoughtfully, sometimes in Punjabi and sometimes in English. His friends and manager step in to help translate and interpret, not because he can't speak the language, but because he's never done this before and wants to express his clearest feelings. Long before his tracks topped charts or racked up hundreds of millions of streams, Shubh was just a teenager filling notebooks with verses. 'I started writing when I was really young,' he recalls. 'I've been writing for 12 to 13 years. I've always carried notebooks – almost like diaries – and that writing became the foundation of everything.' At the time, music wasn't a professional ambition for Shubh. It was an outlet, a private ritual shaped by observation, emotion and self-reflection. Today, that introspective process has evolved into a discography that's earned him billions of streams, including nearly 400 million streams for his breakout single 'No Love' and over 370 million for 'Cheques.' More than ten years later, that habit hasn't faded. He still carries notebooks and pens wherever he goes, staying connected to the handwritten process that shaped his earliest songs. To this day, all of his songs begin on paper first. Shubh's path to this moment didn't follow a script of a typical success story. He didn't go chasing viral fame or visibility. In fact, much like fellow Toronto artist The Weeknd, he kept his face and his identity hidden in the early stages, letting the music speak entirely for itself. There were no flashy rollouts or trend-driven moves. Instead, he spent those years in quiet focus, writing relentlessly, experimenting with sounds and perfecting each track in solitude. 'My aim wasn't attention, it was precision,' the singer says. Much of that focus and clarity comes from where it all began. Growing up in Punjab, Shubh was surrounded by music at home, often hearing his father sing during family gatherings or daily routines. His father and older brother (Ravneet Singh, a well-known actor and singer) have been his biggest inspirations. They're still in India, and he carries those memories with him everywhere. It's that sense of home, that emotional imprint from his upbringing, that continues to drive him. It's the quiet force behind the fire in his work. In 2014, Shubh moved to Canada to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Sheridan College. 'I came here as a student on a study visa,' he says. The early days weren't easy. 'I was a little bit nervous.' Like many international students, he juggled homesickness, new responsibilities and the weight of starting over. Music wasn't the goal then. It was more of a quiet companion. It wasn't until 2021 that he decided to release his first song. His debut track 'We Rollin' dropped without a music video and no press push. He didn't even show his whole face, wearing a scarf over his nose and mouth. He wanted his music to reach people first. And it did. Within weeks, the song was blowing up globally, with fans reaching out from countries like Japan and across Latin America. Now, 'We Rollin' has surpassed 265 million views on YouTube alone, becoming the spark that launched Shubh into international recognition. That initial wave of love changed everything. 'That first song made me realize something special was happening.' But Shubh didn't run to capitalize on it. He stayed in the studio, quietly focused on making better songs. 'Sometimes I take two to three months to make just one song,' he explains. 'He gets into that shell, and he only comes out when it's ready,' the artist's manager Malhotra explains. For instance, the mixing process for his 2022 single 'Baller,' one of his most iconic tracks, was so intense, it reached 29 versions before he was ready to put it out. 'We did 28 mixes,' Shubh says, cracking a rare smile. 'The 29th was okay, I guess. I still didn't like it.' He only released it, he adds, because 'deadlines' forced his hand. Shubh puts his music through a rigorous test. He listens to each track hundreds of times. If he's still not tired of it after 200 plays, that's when he knows it's ready for the world. 'Some of his songs average eight streams per user on Spotify,' Malhotra points out. 'The industry standard is two or three – that's more than double. It shows people aren't just listening once, they're coming back again and again.' But it's not just the replay value that sets him apart. Shubh isn't just focused on lyrics and production. He's also expanding the vocabulary of Punjabi music. 'Every time, I try to bring something fresh,' he says. A clear example is 'One Love,' a reggae-leaning track inspired by Bob Marley's legacy. 'I used to listen to Bob Marley. Yeah, big Marley fan,' he says. The track, which dropped without a music video, has already crossed 400 million streams on Spotify. Next on his radar? 'I think I'll try rock in the next two to three months,' he says. It's not a stretch – he already performs live with a full band and skips backing tracks entirely. 'I don't believe in doing minus,' he says. 'Everything is done live, start to finish.' Musically, Shubh's influences span decades and continents: Eminem, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., 50 Cent, Dr. Dre. He speaks about them with deep respect, connecting their influence to his own path. Being in Toronto exposed him to global music culture, and Drake – another hometown hero – has had a huge impact. 'I've seen how an entire culture has been built around Drake,' he says. Living in Toronto has helped shape a global sound that can cross borders. Even though Shubh sings in Punjabi, the themes in his music – migration, longing, identity, his journey, perseverance – resonate far beyond the diaspora. 'I write about what it feels like to leave home, move to a new country, and figure things out alone,' he explains. 'It's something a lot of people can relate to.' Fans who don't understand the language still find something real in the flow and production. 'People feel the vibe.' He's incredibly selective about what he puts out. No matter how polished a track is, if it doesn't sit right with him, he won't release it. That personal compass is why Shubh's fans trust him. 'For me, my fans are like family,' he says. 'I reply to them online. I see everything.' Despite avoiding public events and the spotlight, he's always connected, just on his own terms. 'Shubh has never spent a dollar on ads or marketing,' Malhotra says. 'Everything has grown organically.' Now, he's preparing for his first North American tour, and he's skipping the usual small venues to perform in massive arenas. 'I never expected this,' he admits. 'But I'm very happy that we're performing in arenas.' The first venue? Oakland Arena on August 22, followed by Rogers Arena in Vancouver on August 23, and then Scotiabank Arena on September 5, where some of his heroes, including Eminem, have performed. He finishes the tour at the Prudential Center in New Jersey on September 7. Shubh had never even been to a concert before stepping on stage for his sold-out show at Indigo at the O2 in London in 2023. 'My voice was shaking,' he remembers. 'I was very hyped up, but it also humbled me down.' The surreal experience of performing live for the first time, without ever having seen a show from the audience's side, marked a memorable moment in his journey. He was supposed to go on a 2023 tour of India, but it was cancelled after backlash against a social media post he felt was politically misinterpreted. At the time, Shubh called the cancelled shows 'disheartening,' and he's been conceptualizing how to make his concerts even stronger since. A short tour in Australia and New Zealand the same year brought him to major venues – something he's looking to build on in Canada and the U.S. Now that he's ready to embark on his first North American tour, he's been putting serious thought into every detail of his live shows: stage setup, sound, lighting, all of it. 'I'm building something really special,' he says. 'It's never been done before in our scene.' The tour is a statement. As an independent artist, he wants to pave the way for others. 'If I can buy a beat for $80 and get 300 million streams out of it, I believe anyone can do it,' Shubh says simply. Now, Shubh already has his sights set even higher. 'After this, I want to go to stadiums,' he says. 'Then, I want to pack entire cities. That's the vision.' It's clear he's already thinking well beyond the present. Not because he's in a hurry, but because he knows where this could go. He's seen what happens when you lead your life creatively and with sincerity. He's living proof that letting the music take center stage can open doors. One phrase he keeps returning to during the conversation is simple but powerful: 'keep trying, keep hustling, be consistent.' As he puts it, 'If you bring honesty to your work, anything is possible.' This Billboard Canada cover story originally appeared on Billboard Canada. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Police searching for senior who allegedly took photos of children at Brampton park
Police are searching for a senior who allegedly approached children and took their photographs at a park in Brampton on two separate occasions. Peel Regional Police say they received two reports of a man speaking to children at a park near 950 North Park Drive this month. According to police, the man allegedly asked the children where they lived and whether they wanted to go with him. One time, police said the man was seen walking with an elderly woman and an adolescent girl in the Meridian Road area. 'The interactions made the children uncomfortable and they reported the incidents to trusted adults,' Friday's news release reads. Police describe the suspect as a man between 60 and 70 years old with a thin build and a white, medium-length beard. They add that he was wearing a kurta pajama, a black vest and a turquoise or green turban. 'While no criminal offences have been alleged, investigators would like to speak with the individuals involved to understand the nature and intent of the interactions,' officials wrote. Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact them at 905-453-2121, ext. 2133, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
CBC
an hour ago
- Business
- CBC
DHL stops deliveries in Canada amid strike, new law banning replacement workers
DHL Express Canada stopped delivery service across the country Friday as workers continue to strike and new federal legislation banning replacement workers comes into effect. More than 2,000 DHL workers represented by Unifor — including truck drivers, couriers and warehouse and call centre employees — have been on strike since June 8 after the German-owned delivery company locked them out following a breakdown in negotiations with the union. DHL has tied the shutdown to the stalled negotiations as well as a new federal law barring replacement workers from filling the role of federally regulated employees who are on strike or locked out. Unifor has said its bargaining priorities with DHL revolve around wages, working conditions and surveillance and automation in the workplace. Unifor representative Balkar Bains, who was on the picket line in Brampton Friday, said the new legislation has "empowered unions to be able to have fair bargaining." "Unfortunately, DHL is disregarding that." DHL, whose 50,000 customers in Canada include Lululemon, Shein and Siemens, continued operations for the first dozen days of the work stoppage but began to wind down earlier this week as the legislation loomed. Unifor president Lana Payne says the company had brought in replacement workers — a claim DHL has not denied — in a move she says was legal at the time but undermined negotiations for fair wages. Earlier this week, DHL wrote to Ottawa, asking the federal government to allow the company to continue operating despite the ban, arguing the company provides an essential service. In response, Unifor wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney, asking that the federal government not intervene, saying it would remove the employer's incentive to negotiate and settle a fair contract. DHL has not responded to CBC's request for comment. Stoppage affecting business, customers The DHL delivery stoppage comes at a time of turmoil for parcel delivery in Canada, as Canada Post remains at loggerheads with the union that represents 55,000 of its workers. That, along with the ongoing trade war between the United States and Canada, has been costly for Holly Rockbrune, who owns an antique store in Pickering, Ont. She says about 70 per cent of her clients are American. "We're constantly having to update how we handle things," Rockbrune said this week. "All of these shipping issues combined really just make things very difficult to run a business." She says she's had to start using smaller, private shipping companies that are sometimes twice as costly as DHL in order to keep her customers. "Our orders are down, our order numbers are down, the values are down," she said. The DHL strike and shutdown has also already caused problems for customers, like Prateek Mahajan, who says he and his fiancée were supposed to get their wedding clothes delivered Friday. He was at the company's Brampton warehouse in the morning in hopes they'd arrived, but he says DHL wouldn't help him.
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Brampton Mayor calls for terror designation of India-based Bishnoi gang
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is calling on Ottawa to label the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist organization, warning the India-based group has entrenched itself in Peel Region and is linked to a number of criminal activities. Brown made the comment during an interview with calling the Bishnoi gang a 'horrible criminal organization.' His comments come just days after British Columbia Premier David Eby made a similar request of Ottawa and promised to formally write Prime Minister Mark Carney about the matter. 'We've had a number of Bishnoi-related criminal activities in Peel Region,' Brown told CTV News Toronto. 'We know they're happening across the country because we actually are in close contact with other law enforcement, particularly in B.C., where there's activity with the same criminal network.' Bishnoi himself has been imprisoned in India since 2014 but the country's counterterrorism law enforcement agency, the National Investigation Agency, has previously said that he continued to operate his 'terror-syndicate' from behind bars and through an associate in Canada. Brown said that the gang Bishnoi leads employs a global network of '700 shooters' and is actively recruiting vulnerable residents in Peel and beyond — a level of criminality he suggests is 'akin to a terrorist organization.' Brown further alleges that he is directing criminal activity throughout Canada. 'This is not a Brampton issue, Mississauga issue, a Toronto issue… This is transnational crime,' he told 'Whether it is crime syndicates from Mexico or crime syndicates from India, we are dealing with transnational crime increases in recent years that is a new challenge to our ability to push out criminality.' An opportunity for 'greater investigative tools' Just this week, a new report from Canada's spy agency labelled India as one of the 'main perpetrators' of foreign interference and espionage. The report also pointed to a link between government agents and 'criminal networks to sow violent activity in South Asian communities in Canada.' It's reality that Brown says the Ottawa should not turn a blind eye to. 'I think diplomacy is important, trade is important but if another country wanted us to turn a blind eye to transnational crime in order to achieve that, I think that would be something that's beyond what we should be comfortable with,' he said, Brown says classifying the Bishnoi network as a terrorist entity under Canada's Criminal Code would empower police to act more decisively. 'The listing would mean greater investigative tools, resources, collaboration with multiple agencies, intelligence sharing,' he said. 'There's just a number of things that are triggered by that designation.' He also says the threat has gripped his local community, particularly residents of South Asian descent who recognize the Bishnoi name from headlines in India. 'We have a lot of residents of South Asian background who are terrified by it,' Brown said. 'It's at the behest of PRP, who I've got great confidence in, but it's also at the behest of residents of mine that I know feel terrified by the brazen nature of their activity in Canada.' Already, Brown's office has submitted several recommendations to Ottawa to bolster public safety, including Criminal Code amendments, bail reform, and stronger intelligence sharing between agencies. He says increased federal involvement is essential. 'You can't fix public safety unless you get all levels of government owning their part and doing their part,' he said. 'The Government of Canada, since they're in charge of Public Safety Canada, CBSA and RCMP, there's certainly a lot they can do to be part of the solution.' With files from The Canadian Press.
CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Brampton mayor echoes call for PM to label Bishnoi gang a terrorist group
Social Sharing Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is joining a call for the federal government to declare the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist organization, saying the India-based gang has been linked to crime and violence in the Peel region. Brown said Peel police suspect the notorious gang has been involved in cases of extortion and targeted shootings in the region. "They terrorize communities, they terrorize individuals and, and you know, they're a predatory organization," Brown said in an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning host David Common Thursday. "They're a transnational crime run out of a different country, it's a threat that we haven't had to deal with in a very long time." Earlier this week, B.C. Premier David Eby called on the federal government to list the gang as a terrorist group over concerns that the group has been involved in extortions and other crimes against the South Asian community. Eby said Tuesday that he would write to Prime Minister Mark Carney to ask that the gang be given the terrorist designation "to enable police to be able to use the necessary tools to investigate." Brown said he believes the designation would help Peel police investigate similar crimes in the region. Attempts to repair Canada-India relationship The calls come the same week Canada and India agreed to reinstate their high commissioners and look at renewed visa services for each other's citizens and businesses. Carney announced the move after a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit in Alberta. The two countries expelled each other's high commissioners, senior diplomats who are similar to ambassadors, last fall after the RCMP accused the Indian government of playing a role in a network of violence in Canada, including homicides and extortions. The RCMP also claimed that the Bishnoi gang was targeting members of the pro-Khalistan movement on Canadian soil, allegedly at the behest of the Indian government. Labelling the Indian gang a terrorist group could complicate Carney's attempts to rebuild the Canada-India relationship, given those past allegations, said Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair at Toronto Metropolitan University and an expert on Indian politics. "It's complicated because the claim last year in October was that they were used as a proxy for these operations in Canada. That's the allegation," he said. "Now … we've had what seems like the beginning of a reset, of a breakthrough." Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Wednesday that he was aware of Eby's comments but hasn't received an official request.
