Background and career
Arijit Singh (Bengali pronunciation: [ɔɾid͡ʒit̪ ʃiŋɦo]; born 25 April 1987) is an Indian singer, composer, and music producer. He has been described by critics as one of the most influential and commercially successful vocalists in Indian music, and is noted for his emotive vocal style and work across multiple genres. He has received two National Film Awards and eight Filmfare Awards. In 2025, he received the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours, for his contributions to the arts. He sang more then 500 playback in his career. Singh began his career in 2005 as a contestant on the reality television programme Fame Gurukul. He subsequently worked as a music programmer and assistant to composers including Pritam, Mithoon, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, and Vishal–Shekhar before making his playback singing debut in Hindi cinema with “Phir Mohabbat” (2011). He gained wider recognition in 2013 with “Tum Hi Ho” from Aashiqui 2, which earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer. In 2025, he received his eighth Filmfare Award for “Sajni”, equalling Kishore Kumar’s record for the most wins in the Best Male Playback Singer category. Singh has been the most-streamed artist on Spotify in India for seven consecutive years, from 2019 to 2025.
Arijit Singh was born on 25 April 1987 in Jiaganj, Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India, to Surinder Kakkar Singh, a Punjabi Sikh father, and Aditi Singh, a Bengali Hindu mother. His paternal family migrated from Lahore during the Partition of India. Singh was raised in a musically inclined family and began training in music at an early age. His maternal aunt was trained in Indian classical music, while his maternal grandmother sang. His maternal uncle played the tabla, and his mother also sang and played the instrument. He attended Raja Bijay Singh High School and later studied at Sripat Singh College, affiliated with the University of Kalyani. He has stated that he was a “decent student” but was more inclined towards music,leading his parents to arrange formal training. He received training in Indian classical music from Rajendra Prasad Hazari and in tabla from Dhirendra Prasad Hazari. He was also trained in Rabindra Sangeet and Western pop music by Birendra Prasad Hazari. He began training under the Hazari brothers at the age of three, and at the age of nine received a government scholarship for vocal training in Indian classical music. Growing up, he listened to composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as modern Bengali music. He has cited musicians including Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Rashid Khan, Zakir Hussain, and Anand Chatterjee as influences, and has also expressed admiration for singers such as Kishore Kumar, Hemant Kumar, and Manna Dey.
In the early 2010s, Singh began receiving opportunities in film music, frequently collaborating with Pritam on film soundtracks including Golmaal 3, Crook, and Action Replayy. He also recorded "Neeve Na Neeve Na" for the Telugu film Kedi and made his Hindi playback debut with "Phir Mohabbat" from Murder 2. He gained industry recognition with "Raabta" from Agent Vinod (2012), and subsequently contributed to the soundtracks of films such as Players, Cocktail, and Barfi!. His breakthrough came with Aashiqui 2 (2013), particularly the song "Tum Hi Ho", which achieved commercial success and earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer. The song is considered a turning point in his career. Following this, he recorded songs for films including Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express, Jackpot, and Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, further establishing his presence in Hindi film music.
During the mid-2010s, Singh remained a prominent figure in Indian film music, collaborating frequently with composers such as Pritam and Vishal–Shekhar. In 2019, he recorded "Khairiyat" for the film Chhichhore, composed by Pritam with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya; the song achieved commercial success and streaming popularity. In the same year, he recorded "Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage" for Kabir Singh, which was among the commercially successful Hindi film songs of the year. He also collaborated with Shilpa Rao on "Ghungroo" from War, composed by Vishal–Shekhar with lyrics by Kumaar.
In 2020, Singh recorded songs for films including Love Aaj Kal, Chhapaak, Street Dancer 3D, and Malang. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also contributed to the soundtrack of the series The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye. In July 2020, Singh launched his independent music label, Oriyon Music, marking a shift towards non-film music. He subsequently released non-film singles including “Dil Ko Maine Di Kasam”, composed by Amaal Mallik, and “Rihaa”, his first independent single as singer, composer, and producer; a Bengali version titled “Mukto Kore Dao” was also released. In 2022, he recorded "Kesariya" from Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, for which he received the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer at the 68th Filmfare Awards. In 2025, he received his eighth Filmfare Award for "Sajni" from Laapataa Ladies, equalling Kishore Kumar’s record for the most wins in this category. Singh has remained among the most-streamed Indian artists on digital platforms throughout the 2020s, with his catalogue featuring in Spotify India year-end charts. In October 2025, he provided uncredited vocals on the song "Sapphire" by Ed Sheeran, which was later included on his album Play and subsequently featured on the remix of the track on the EP, Play (The Remixes). In January 2026, he announced his retirement from playback singing, stating that he would no longer accept new assignments while continuing to pursue independent and classical music.
Singh has been described as a baritone, and is noted for his emotive vocal style and tonal quality. Critics have commented on the texture of his voice and its consistency in live performances. He has also been noted for his use of meend in his singing.
