One of the latest releases in Indian hip-hop was Seedhe Maut’s Do Guna which finds both rappers lamenting about how they’ve got more stressed after the global pandemic. An interlude in the song samples recent troubling headlines like police brutality in Jamia Millia Islamia, George Floyd’s killing and so on. Aditya Kaushik carries on this legacy in his new single, aptly titled 2020: A S*** Show.

Kaushik is a Delhi-based singer-songwriter but in this ambitious and experimental 10-minute track, he neither sings nor writes. He produces various sounds ranging from generic beatmakers to tablas, while sampling the distressing sounds of 2020. These include news reports on the Australian bushfires, chants and slogans from Black Lives Matter protests, and speeches by political leaders on the spread of coronavirus.

It’s an innovative concept that’s well-executed and well-produced. It’s a track that’s bound to stick in your head for the straightforward reality checks it provides. While it’s obviously unsettling for the brutally real content it’s based on, 2020: A S* Show is a wildly original project that’s
bound to evoke a sense of awe amongst listeners. Aditya Kaushik is surely establishing himself as quite a versatile artist.

Verdict: 2020 is a year that seems pretty dead and if this year had a funeral song, Aditya Kaushik’s experimental track might just be it.

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