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Tag: Republic Records

  • India gets its own Direction with Outstation, a boy band made for Gen Z

    India gets its own Direction with Outstation, a boy band made for Gen Z

    Mumbai: Move over metro pop and recycled remixes, India’s newest boy band is here, and they’re ready to make some noise straight out of Outstation. In a move set to reboot India’s pop landscape, Visva Records India, helmed by global music powerhouse Savan Kotecha, has launched Outstation, a five-member teen boy band aimed squarely at the hearts (and playlists) of young India.

    The group Bhuvan Shetty (22, Udupi), Hemang Singh (20, Prayagraj), Mashaal Shaikh (21, Goa), Kurien Sebastian (20, Delhi-raised Malayali), and Shayan Pattem (17, Hyderabad) were handpicked from thousands through a nationwide talent hunt. The final five emerged after a high-intensity bootcamp in Goa with 12 shortlisted contenders, making their debut a blend of hustle, harmony, and hope.

    At the helm of this pop experiment is Savan Kotecha, the 17-time Grammy nominee and songwriting brain behind hits for One Direction, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, and most recently, Ed Sheeran & Arijit Singh’s chart-topping duet “Sapphire”. Kotecha’s latest venture aims to give India what it’s been missing, a fresh, youthful boy band that mirrors the diversity, charm, and talent of today’s young generation.

    “India has always had the talent, but not the pop group to match,” said Kotecha. “With OutStation, we’re flipping the script these boys represent not just metros, but every corner of India.”

    Backed by Republic Records and Universal Music India, OutStation’s launch is more than a band debut, it’s a strategic swing at creating India’s first mainstream Gen Z pop act, a space that’s long been dominated by Western imports. For Visva Records, which already boasts seven tracks in Spotify’s Global Top 25 (courtesy of its work on the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack), the group is a bet on building pop icons from the ground up.

    With slick production, personality-driven storytelling, and a roadmap rooted in long-term artist development, Outstation isn’t just a boy band, it’s a youth movement on a melody mission.

    As teen hearts and Spotify stats start to sync, one thing’s clear: the next big pop wave in India won’t be coming from a big city, it’ll be rolling in from OutStation.

  • Republic Records signs AP Dhillon

    Republic Records signs AP Dhillon

    Mumbai: Republic Records, owned by Universal Music Group, has signed AP Dhillon to their roster. Known for artists like Taylor Swift, Post Malone, John Legend, The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj, and Drake, Republic Records continues to expand its diverse lineup.

    This deal marks a significant step for brown representation globally and sets a precedent for future talent and the community. “Republic Records got and understood who I am from day one. We’re all in harmony when it comes to this new music, and now I just can’t wait to show everybody what we’ve been cooking up,” stated AP Dhillon.

    Dhillon has been independently releasing music since 2019. He is famously known for his 2020 single – Brown Munde – one of the most viral and trending songs on the billboard, amassing nearly 700 million YouTube views to date. With the new deal, the singer-songwriter will be on Republic Records’ roster and he is all set to release a single – Old Money – with the label this Friday (9 Aug) and a new album, The Brownprint, following two weeks later, on 23 Aug.

    AP Dhillon has also directed the music video for his upcoming single – Old Money – and the clip will star Bollywood icons Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. As AP Dhillon revealed, “I came up with a concept that was influenced by all my favorite action movies, and Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt showed up and killed it. Old Money is the perfect way for me to start my next era, especially with going big for the music video. I hope you love it as much as I do.”

    Dhillon has also co-produced The Brownprint, with DZL (Future, Central Cee), Luca Mauti (J.Cole, Eminem) and AzizTheShake (BIA, Central Cee) also contributing to the upcoming album.