Key Highlights:
- Kailash Kher, who recently released "Tham Jaa," shared his views on what makes a great love song resonate with listeners.
- He said a truly impactful song comes from the soul, making listeners forget how many times they've played it on repeat.
- Kher described this immersive effect as being "mesmerized."
- On addressing sensitive subjects, he said true artists must be sensitive, distinguishing genuine art from mere "slander" or empty entertainment.
- He emphasised that an artist's identity lies in evoking genuine emotion, both empathy for pain and shared joy, in others.
A Conversation on the Soul of a Love Song
Renowned composer and singer Kailash Kher, fresh off the release of his romantic single "Tham Jaa," opened up in an exclusive conversation with IANS about what he believes distinguishes a truly impactful love song from an ordinary one, offering a perspective shaped by his decades-long career in the music industry.
What Makes a Song "Soulful"
Asked directly what he considered the defining identity of a great love song, whether it was lyrical beauty, vocal melody, or something more intangible, Kher pointed to authenticity as the underlying factor. "Whenever something is genuinely good, as I said, if something comes from your soul, then every word, every sound, every melody, and every emotion within it touches you. When that happens, you even end up forgetting how many times you have listened to it on repeat. You just keep playing and become immersed in it," he said, describing this state of complete absorption as what people commonly refer to as being "mesmerized."
Why This Perspective Matters From a Veteran Artist
Kher's framing is notable in that it deliberately sidesteps the usual technical markers of a hit song, catchy hooks, polished production, or vocal virtuosity, in favour of a more elusive quality rooted in emotional sincerity. Coming from an artist with a substantial body of work across genres and decades, this view suggests that longevity in the music industry, at least in his own experience, has been tied less to technical trends and more to whether a piece of music carries genuine emotional intent that listeners can sense, even if they can't always articulate why a particular song affects them.
On Sensitivity and Creative Responsibility
The conversation then turned to a broader question about artists addressing sensitive social and emotional subjects through their work, and whether understanding context matters as much as protecting creative freedom. Kher offered a strong view on the nature of artistic sensitivity itself, arguing that true artists are inherently sensitive by definition. "If someone who calls themselves an artist is not sensitive, they are a slanderer," he said, drawing a sharp distinction between genuine artistic expression and work that merely seeks attention or entertainment without deeper emotional grounding.
Distinguishing Art From Empty Provocation
Kher elaborated further on this distinction, suggesting that the purpose of performance is fundamentally about connecting with people rather than simply generating noise. "The stage exists to win people's hearts. Talking nonsense, making meaningless statements, or simply trying to entertain people without sensitivity can be a sign of being a slanderer. But even satire or slander can be considered a form of art. Everyone has their own thoughts. But our thoughts are directed towards purity," he said, acknowledging that even provocative or critical art forms have a place, provided they stem from a place of genuine intent rather than hollow shock value.
The True Measure of an Artist
Closing his thoughts on the subject, Kher offered a personal definition of what makes artistic feeling meaningful in the first place. "If you genuinely have a good feeling, that feeling is meaningful only when your heart can feel sadness for someone else's pain, when you can make someone else happy while laughing, when your work can make someone else laugh and bring happiness to them. That is the identity of an artist," he said, tying his views on love songs and artistic sensitivity together under a single underlying principle: that genuine emotional connection, whether through music or broader creative expression, remains the true measure of an artist's work.