Marriage doesn’t take away your vulnerability: Singer Stebin Ben on love, music and emotional honesty

Fresh off the release of Tera Ho Jaun and a new chapter in his personal life after marriage, playback singer Stebin Ben opens up to Mumbai Mirror about why emotional honesty matters more than heartbreak, whether singers are becoming replaceable in the age of viral music, and why he's eager to break free from the 'romantic voice' tag.

Excerpts... Earlier you’d be associated with heartbreak songs. Post marriage, do you worry now about losing the emotional vulnerability people associate with your music?I think marriage changes you emotionally in a beautiful way, but it doesn’t take away your vulnerability. As singers, emotions go far beyond personal situations. Even today, when I sing about heartbreak, longing, or love, I try to honestly feel every emotion while recording.

Tera Ho Jaun definitely reflects a softer and more secure side of love, but at the core, emotional honesty remains the same. I feel listeners connect more with sincerity than with whether you’re personally heartbroken or happily in love. At a time when music is driven by reels and virality, do you feel playback singers are becoming replaceable?A song can go viral overnight, which is amazing in many ways, but I still believe timeless melodies always survive beyond trends.

There is pressure because audiences consume music very quickly now, but emotions are never replaceable. At the end of the day, people remember songs and voices that genuinely made them feel something deeply. Trends may change, but emotional connection always stays. You sang Tera Ho Jaun from Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, do you think playback artistes get the recognition they truly deserve today? Don't you feel Bollywood songs are marketed only around film stars rather than singers?Actors have always been the visual face of songs, and that’s naturally a part of cinema culture.

But I also feel audiences today are becoming much more aware and appreciative of the singers, composers and musicians behind the music. Social media has helped bridge that gap in a big way. Do you think being labelled “romantic voice” feels creatively limiting? I’m genuinely grateful for the love people have given me as a romantic voice because emotional music is something I connect with naturally. As an artist, of course I enjoy singing many different genres and styles.

During my live performances we incorporate a lot of different styles of songs. I’d love to experiment more with darker emotional songs, sufi music, intense storytelling tracks, or even genres people may not expect from me.

The real magic happens when you step outside those labels and surprise people. Have you personally experienced phases where you felt sidelined in Bollywood’s music industry? Over time, I’ve realised that staying grounded and continuing to focus on the music itself is the only thing that keeps you going. Success and trends keep changing, but your connection with music and your audience is what truly gives you stability.