Prateek Kuhad, the indie hitmaker behind many viral singles like Cold Mess, Go, and Kasoor, has had a career that has given Indian non-film music a much-needed jumpstart. Known for his distinct mellow acoustic sound, Kuhad has been making music for quite some time in Hindi and English and has rightfully earned a monumental fanbase in India as well as abroad.
In fact, last year, his song Cold Mess even found a place former American President Barack Obama’s year-end playlist!Now, the independent singer-songwriter is making his international presence felt further after singing to Elektra Records. Kuhad announced on October 7 that he’ll be represented by American record company Elektra, becoming the first Indian artist to do so. From its start in 1950, Elektra has been a monumental force in promoting contemporary rock and folk music, having published music for the likes of The Eagles, and The Doors in the past.Today, Elektra is an independently managed label brand under the Elektra Music Group.
The latter was established in 2018 as a standalone venture within Warner Music Group (WMG). The company distributes labels such as Elektra Records, Fueled by Ramen, and Roadrunner. It makes sense for Kuhad to ink a deal with Elektra Records considering the company has been representing several critically acclaimed artists of the present day scene. These include Tones and I, the Australian hitmaker behind the song Dance Monkey. Other artists represented by the label include multiple Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, Icelandic rock outfit Kaleo, and American rockers Young the Giant.
Plans for any future songs and albums by Kuhad are still on the hush. But it’s clear that the record company is vying to re-release Prateek Kuhad’s 2018 EP cold/mess with a focus on American audiences. The aforementioned EP was a monumental hit in India, with the title track garnering 10 million streams on YouTube and 10.29 million streams on Spotify. Only last year did Mumbai-based rapper Divine’s collaborate with American rapper Nas for pushing his Mass Appeal record label in India. Kuhad’s deal with Elektra adds to this international aspect of the Indian music scene, a move that might encourage more foreign record labels to invest in promising Indian artists.
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