Relatability will always outlive algorithms: Anuv Jain

Anuv Jain’s songs have become regular picks on late-night playlists — the kind you turn to when the world quiets down. Personal yet deeply relatable, his verses, whether in Baarishein, Husn or Arz Kiya Hai — feel like they were written just for you.

They are, in many ways, the words you want to text but can’t quite say out loud. It’s this quiet connection with listeners that has shaped his journey so far. Ahead of his show on Friday, Anuv sat down with Hyderabad Times to talk about returning to the city, his writing process, and what it means to build a pan-Indian audience without chasing trends.‘Hyderabad surprised me, more than once’Recalling his first performance in Hyderabad in January last year, he says the turnout caught him off guard.

“When so many people showed up, I was genuinely shocked. I didn’t realise I had such a big audience in the city.” Once again, the numbers have exceeded his expectations. “The advance bookings are really strong this time, and it looks like Hyderabad might be one of my bigger shows. It’s crazy because I didn’t expect it again,” he says, adding, “That’s one of the reasons this city remains an important stop on my touring map.

”‘My songs were written alone, but now belong to everyone’Despite building a pan-Indian audience, he insists his songwriting process hasn’t changed. “I’m doing the same thing I was doing 10 or 15 years ago — writing about things I’ve lived,” he says. “When I’m writing, I don’t think about how people will consume the song. Some listen alone at home, some at the gym, some at weddings, some scream the lyrics at college fests.”

That belief shapes how he views the current music landscape.

Even as trends, virality and algorithms dominate today’s music industry, he believes listeners are still searching for connection. “Even when people chase trends, they’re looking for something relatable. As long as someone can say, ‘I’ve felt this too,’ it will always work — whether it’s now or 50 years later.” ‘Success gave me confidence, not complacency’Success, he says, hasn’t altered his core but has changed his confidence.

Once plagued by self-doubt, he now feels freer to experiment. “Something like Antariksh — where the rhythm keeps changing and the song takes unexpected turns — is a risk I wouldn’t have taken earlier. But now I trust myself more and I trust my audience to accept me doing my own thing,” he admits.‘I leave space so listeners can finish the story’ The silences, pauses and unfinished thoughts in Anuv’s lyrics are deliberate, his fans often notice in songs like Alag Aasmaan, Mishri, Inaam and Gul. “I believe in show, not tell. Art doesn’t need to give everything to everyone,” he says. “Sometimes I leave emotions unresolved because that’s where I am in my own life. My stories aren’t always finished, and I hope people complete those moments with their own experiences.

” That openness, he believes, allows the songs to evolve with listeners over time. - Sanjana Pulugurtha--