Mumbai, July 23, 2026
Singer Sonu Nigam has opened up about the changing music preferences among youngsters. He shared his perspective on why genres like classical music and Ghazals have a more limited audience compared to popular forms of music.
Speaking to media at a recent event, the ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ singer compared different forms of art to a pyramid, saying that every field has a broader base of popular choices while more specialized forms attract a smaller but dedicated audience.
He added that genres such as rap and commercial music naturally reach more people, while classical music and ghazals require a deeper understanding and appreciation.
Sonu Nigam shared, “Let me tell you, there is a pyramid or a triangle. There is a triangle in every field. Popular things come at the lowest base. As your art keeps rising, your audience keeps decreasing. It happens in sports too.
Even children can play cricket or soccer in small spaces, which is why these sports have the largest audience. If you go a little higher, there is lawn tennis. You don’t easily get a court, so there are fewer people who watch or play it. Badminton has an even smaller audience because you need proper facilities. Many people don’t even have access to table tennis.”
“Then there is athletics, and then there is chess. Chess has a smaller audience because many people do not understand it. The same thing happens in music. Rap and popular music are at the base of the pyramid. Everyone can sing rap, and that’s a good thing because people enjoy it. If you go a little higher, there is film music. Further up, there are Ghazals and Bhajans, and then comes classical music. Just like chess, classical music requires a deeper understanding. So, you can never expect Ghazals or Bhajans to have the same audience as rap. As you elevate your craft, the audience keeps decreasing. That is how it happens.”
Talking about the changing landscape of playback singing and live music, Sonu Nigam explained, “Music will not always remain the same. The sound of films has changed, and the audience’s taste has also evolved. However, independent music is doing well. Anyone who wants to sing can explore different genres, whether it is Ghazal, Bhajan, rap, or pop music. So, I believe music as a whole is doing well.”(Agency)
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