Frequent collaborators, DJ and producer UpsideDown and pop-rap producer Nikhil Malik aka Iconyk, have released a peppy single titled Addiction with singer Raashi Sood. Released by Sony Music, the song has marked their first-ever release on a mainstream label. Working at a call centre to selling music CDs for Sony Music in Ontario a decade-and-ahalf ago, Upside Down and Iconyk were so addicted to the idea of making it big that they named the song, Addiction.
“Dance numbers usually don’t have a message. In this case, Addiction talks about being addicted to love and the video deals with this girl addicted to food, but watch the video for the plot twist at the end,” says Iconyk. UpsideDown, who recently produced music for songs Humraah from Malang and Burj Khalifa from Laxmii, had created the initial beat for Addiction almost three or four years ago. “I had sent this beat idea to Raashi, and she really vibed with it.
But, we couldn’t find the finishing ingredients for the track. That’s when I decided to bring Iconyk into the picture. After working with him on the track, I finally felt ready and that’s when we decided to put it out for everyone to hear,” adds UpsideDown.
Iconyk admitted that he hated the unfinished track when UpsideDown first played it to him. “It needed an Indian vibe. So, we experimented wi th Indian sounds, and felt the sarangi gelled really well, giving it a folk twist.
When we were working on the initial idea, it seemed more of an EDM/Trap song. We wanted the listeners to feel surprised, thus we went with an Indian folk instrument on this one,” adds Iconyk. On choosing Raashi for the song, UpsideDown says, “We usually identify the strengths and the vibe an artiste brings to the track. Raashi was the obvious choice for this one as her melodies are so catchy.
Plus, herlyrics are really meaningful.” Denying any disagreements, Sood, says, “We go with the flow, club in our ideas and pick the best ones. It’s actually astonishing how we connect and agree to the same things.” All three artistes recorded their bits separately, and “it took almost six months to put the song together after the recorded parts reached me,” adds Iconyk. It’s been a week and the video has garnered over 2.6 million views on YouTube. About keeping it a slow number, UpsideDown says, “It’s not a runof- the-mill dance track. We want people to connect to the song in the way they wish.”