Rusha and Blizza, Farhan Khanin a still from their video “Zaar Zaar.” Photo: Ishtar Music
Electronic music duo Rusha & Blizza have slowly built up from their serpentine, seismic tunes to something more pop and accessible over the last year. Their latest single “Zaar Zaar” pushes further in that direction.
The Mumbai duo comprising Paurush Kumar aka Rusha and Aman Khare aka Blizza arguably entered a new era after they sold their catalog to major label Universal Music India last year, and “Zaar Zaar” is now out via Ishtar Music—an imprint of music giant Believe. The song assembles pop artist Neeti Mohan, singer-songwriter and hip-hop artist Farhan Khan, along with singer-songwriter Prateeksha Srivastava. The new drop also comes with a music video starring Mumbai-based Swedish actor, dancer, and model Elli AvrRam. The buoyant track leads with Mohan’s Hindi vocals, plus a sampled English rap hook that leads up to Khan’s poetic, R&B-laced verses.
The duo tells Rolling Stone India about the project, “Getting Neeti Mohan on board was absolutely perfect. Her tonality and beautiful voice brought the song to life. With Farhan Khan, we were genuinely surprised by how he delivered on the vocals, truly amazing work.”
Mohan says that working with the duo was a “fantastic experience.” She says of the project, “Farhan adds zing to the track. Prateeksha has co-written and composed, and I am glad I got to work with such a talented team of musicians.”
Khan—who has just released his new album Alif Laila—says he was drawn to the collaboration after gauging whether “my world can genuinely blend with the other artist’s vision.” Drawn to the “soul” of “Zaar Zaar,” it was special for Khan to share space with Mohan (“who I’ve admired for years,” he adds). He says, “I saw it as an opportunity to bring my Urdu poetic rap into a completely different soundscape. Sometimes a song just calls you, and this one did. I’m glad they embraced the poetic rap version I brought in — it felt organic.”
What was it like having another project out soon after the concept-driven, distinct Urdu hip-hop and R&B album Alif Laila came out? Khan says, “For me, it was exciting to step out of my own universe for a bit, collaborate with Rusha & Blizza’s sound, and still leave my signature on it.”
Rusha & Blizza brought in Srivastava after working together on songs like “Piya Ki Najariya” in 2023 and “Aankh” last year. “With Prateeksha, the process is always very organic. When we collaborate with her, ideas flow effortlessly and naturally,” the duo says. Srivastava adds, “Like most of our songs, this one started on a Zoom call as well. We revised the composition many times, but once it was ready, the lyrics didn’t take much time.”
For the video, the duo wanted a “powerful mix of emotion and dance” while also describing it as “intense and artistic.” The duo says, “Believe’s team helped us put together this project, from selecting Elli to Rahul Shetty’s direction and choreography. We’re always chasing that perfect blend of sound and visual art that’s at the core of our vision.”
“Zaar Zaar” follows Rusha & Blizza’s pop-powered electronic songs like “Aankh,” with singing star Sunidhi Chauhan, and the fiery “Dhak Dhak” with singer Aanchal Tyagi and rapper Raga, both out in 2024. Earlier this year, the DJ-producer duo also joined the globe-spanning project “Rolla Rolla,” a song featuring rapper French Montana, Punjabi artist Jasmine Sandlas, Arabic star Mohamed Ramadan, and DJ Shadow Dubai. The duo are plotting “a mix of international and domestic projects” in the coming months.
Leave a Reply