Tag: Ikky

Canadian Music Has Evolved Into a Global Export. Canada Must Evolve With It.

April 11, 2024

As the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) updates the country’s Broadcasting Act, it faces a fundamental question: Who counts as Canadian?

This question arises in the midst of unprecedented success for the Canadian music industry, especially on streaming platforms like Spotify. According to our latest Loud & Clear data, Canadian artists were discovered by first-time listeners more than 3.8 billion times last year. In addition, between 2018 and 2023, royalties generated by Canadian artists from Spotify alone more than doubled, exceeding $435 million CAD.

But as it currently stands, the CRTC system designed for radio employs certain criteria to decide whether a piece of audio content qualifies as Canadian or not, focusing on the location of production or performance and whether the writers and featured performers are exclusively Canadian.

This setup means that some of the most recognizable Canadian cultural success stories in recent years—many of them up-and-coming artists and those from diverse and historically marginalized communities who have changed the face of Canadian music—wouldn’t be considered Canadian by the CRTC. 

For example, in November 2023, Tate McRae’s “greedy” became the world’s most popular song on Spotify, spending four weeks at the top of the charts and garnering over 860 million plays globally. But despite being headlined by a Calgary-born artist who is one of her country’s biggest cultural exports, the song is unlikely to be counted as Canadian, as it only fulfills only some of the required criteria.

Similarly, through his 4N Records imprint, Punjabi-Canadian producer Ikky has built bridges between India’s exploding music scene, Canada, and the world, engaging over 8.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. 

For artists like Ikky and many others in genres like country or hip-hop (in which Canadian artists excel), the diverse backgrounds of collaborators are part of what makes their music distinctive and successful at home and around the world. 

In fact, 92% of all royalties generated by Canadian artists on Spotify in 2023 were from listeners outside of Canada. But the Canadian music market’s revenue is also growing. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) Global Music Report—which is an assessment of the music industry as a whole—Canada is outpacing the global industry with 12.2% revenue growth last year (compared to 10.2% globally). And on Spotify, Canadian artists are generating revenue at an even faster rate: When compared to 2022, their revenue grew by more than 15% in 2023. 

But for Canadian artists with a global mindset, much of their work falls outside the CRTC definition of Canadian programming today. 

Redefining ‘Canadian’

In light of the success Canadian artists are finding on Spotify today, we think it’s important for the CRTC to prioritize work toward an updated definition of Canadian and Indigenous music, as the Trudeau government directed it to do—especially if Canadian artists want to continue using Spotify to grow their audience. 

More broadly, a definition of Canadian and Indigenous music that works with the global realities of Canada’s contemporary music industry will ensure that Canadian artists continue to succeed at home and around the world.

Broadcasting Desi Music to New Homes Around the World

August 7, 2023

Bollywood dance music, chill Sufi songs, hot Punjabi hits—all of these sounds make up the diverse and varied world of Desi music. They also represent artists and genres coming out of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Listeners across the region flock to Spotify to celebrate their culture and its music. And no matter where they go, their heritage moves with them. 

This South Asian Heritage Month, Spotify is celebrating the music of the region locally and across the South Asian diaspora. Listeners in the U.S., UK, and Canada remain the leading countries that stream Desi music, followed by Australia and Germany. Desi music is growing rapidly in the UAE, Australia, and Canada—and shows the largest increase in streams of the South Asian music genre—recording year-on-year growth of 72%, 54%, and 50% respectively. 

In Pakistan, too, 2023 has seen a phenomenal rise in the production and appreciation of Punjabi music. Compared to 2021, the total number of Punjabi track releases has nearly doubled, showcasing the industry’s vibrant growth and creative evolution. Punjabi pop, with its catchy tunes, has witnessed a remarkable 99% year-on-year increase in listener consumption in the market. Meanwhile, Punjabi Hip Hop has seen an astounding 106% growth in its listenership in Pakistan. This surge in popularity reflects the genre’s universal appeal, which then transcends borders and cultures.

“With Spotify significantly strengthening its position in South Asian markets, we are able to connect artists to their fans and communities across the globe, and have witnessed a growing love for South Asian artists and Desi music that reflects in the exponential growth of streams of our Desi playlists,” says Rutaba Yaqub, Spotify Senior Editor in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. 

“Millions in the South Asian diaspora long for a connection to home. Music keeps them in touch and Spotify wants to celebrate and enable that connection. So we’re celebrating South Asian Heritage Month this year by building a strong cultural connection between Desi music and its listeners through our South Asian Music Hub, where listeners can find and enjoy popular Desi playlists and more,” she added. 

That connection was felt especially this year with Ali Sethi and Shae Gill’s track “Pasoori.” After its release, “Pasoori” became a phenomenon that took its place on the global Viral 50 chart, the first Pakistani song to achieve this feat. It continues to be the most-streamed Pakistani track globally. This month, we also spotlight Ali Sethi and the influential Irfan Junejo in a Spotlight series on our platform.

Indian music preferences are a little more varied. The most-streamed songs from India in a majority of the largest diaspora markets, including the U.S., UK, UAE, and Australia, feature Bollywood hits like “Kesariya (from ‘Brahmastra’),” followed by “Besharam Rang,” and “Jhoome Jo Pathaan” (both from Pathaan). In Canada, however, the top 10-streamed Desi songs from the past year prominently feature Punjabi pop and hip-hop. “52 Bars” by Karan Aujla and Ikky was the most listened-to track. 

“South Asian music is undoubtedly here to stay, and India is one of the largest contributors to the export of artists from this region,” says Rahul Balyan, Head of Music, Spotify India. “With Spotify, sounds from across the world have become easier to discover and share, and for the Indian diaspora, which happens to be the largest in the world, music is an integral part of how they stay connected to their roots. All our data indicates that film, as well as pop music, appeals the most to those listeners, and Indian artists performing at international music festivals is testament to the impact that they are making even beyond the diaspora.” 

For the best of South Asian music, stream Desi Hits. 

‘CAN You Hear Me’ Returns as Toronto Music Producer Ikky Creates a Musical Melting Pot

June 15, 2023

In celebration of Canadian artistry, For the Record has launched CAN You Hear Me, a series championing the music, unique talent, and diverse cultures found in the Great White North—from the jazz bars in Québec to the dance clubs in Ontario all the way to the powwows in the west.

Next up in our series is the trendsetting producer gaining international acclaim Ikwinder Sahota, better known as Ikky. Through his 4N Records imprint (pronounced “foreign”) on Warner Music Canada and his 4N Nights concert series, the 22-year-old from the Rexdale neighborhood of Toronto has been effectively bridging the gap between the exploding music scenes in India and the rest of the world.

Growing up Indian in the cultural melting pot that is the Toronto music scene has helped Ikky seamlessly blend Punjabi Bhangra music with hip-hop, pop, and Caribbean sounds into a unique style that highlights the cultural exchange that defines his home city. He has worked with some of the biggest Punjabi artists in the world today, including Diljit Dosanjh and Shubh. The Four You EP released this year with Karan Aujla was an instant hit, taking in tens of millions of streams per track, with “52 Bars” taking the top spot for listens.

For the Record sat down with Ikky to talk about life growing up in Canada, his love of Drake, and what it means to carve out a space for South Asian talent.

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey into music?

My father used to write music and he had a dream of being in the music industry, but since it never happened to him, he shoved my brother and me into it. At the time, I didn’t really want to do it, but I developed a taste for the music and mixes you’d hear in dance music and started remixing when I was around 8 years old. My brother then joined in and we’d do live shows, then we’d start learning some instruments, and by the time I was 12, I’d really started to grasp the extent and joy found in the world of production.

So, from then on, I started working on my craft. I learned lots, made songs either with my voice or someone else’s, began meeting some people within the industry, and by the time I was in grade 12, I had a hit record. 

Your music spans and intersects multiple genres and cultures, resulting in a vibe that’s almost a signature of Toronto music. Can you share a bit about where that sound came from for you?

Here in Toronto, the people I grew up with were Punjabi, Hindu, Muslim . . . there was this fusion of cultures. Even the music was a mix of the traditional stuff we all knew and what we listened to that was part of living in Toronto. So I would listen to Jay-Z growing up and show his music to my Black and white friends. Then they’d show me what they were listening to and everything just kind of blends together.

I feel like with my music, even though it combines a lot of different elements, you’re not consciously thinking that I tried to make an American song, an Indian song, or a Spanish song. It sounds like a natural exchange because that’s what growing up in Toronto was like. You only learn that by literally growing up here.    

What prompted your label, 4N Records?

As production became my calling, I was getting a lot of ghost work for hire, but it really felt like I was working on the client’s dream more than my own. It just became a job that I took so I could stay afloat and afford going to university. But then I met Mathew Fruitman and Eric Lawrence from Coalition Music, and in talking with them, I started thinking that maybe there was a bigger picture to this, and I could really evolve into doing things I want to do and create an entity where other artists and music could live on beyond me.

And it started off as a Punjabi kind of entity, but eventually I went for it and made it culturally diverse for everybody. Whether you’re from America listening to Indian sounds or in India listening to American ones, foreign music is what we make at 4N. And as a guy from Toronto where we get hit with every sort of culture, I made it a point to make it diverse and unique.

Along with the Canadian scene, you’ve been a big part of the growing worldwide success of Punjabi music. What was your experience in bringing the language to international ears?

I think over the last couple of years, people have really started to pay attention to Punjabi music, and I think I kind of helped close the gap on the producer end of things. We have a lot of artists breaking through, but as a producer I feel like it’s my job to direct them into the lane towards exposure. And honestly, I think I do a good job of that because of the team I have. My dream has become theirs too, and I truly feel like we’re at the forefront of something great.

The Punjabi music community isn’t as big as America’s, and there are barely any collaborations. So I’m trying to shine my light on them, bring them over here, and have our team all work together so that we’re on the same page. To make Punjabi relevant, we’ve got to do this on our own and open the gate. And when that gate’s open, it’s open forever. 

What’s one message you’d like listeners to take away from your music?

I think it’s just to work with a greater cause in mind. Every time I drop a project, I’m thinking of the generation after me as they hold this music until the end of their lives.

How have Spotify’s artist tools helped you? 

Spotify for Artists has been a fantastic tool in researching. It’s helped me understand my demographic better and it allows me to do the right kind of research that helps me plan things out. I know where to book shows based on where my listeners are and can take a look at the streams of my tracks and learn about what’s been working. 

Which fellow Canadian artists inspire you?

I’m kind of biased because I’m also from Toronto, but Drake. He’s able to tell a story, whether it’s through an interlude or a full album. Even when he’s not really singing on it, it’s undeniably his song. Listening to Drake has been my inspiration this whole time because he showed me that there’s more to making music than just whipping up some sounds. He’s really one of my biggest inspirations in terms of music and how he lives his life.

What songs are on your On Repeat playlist?

I listen to Drake all day, man. “Do Not Disturb,” “Keep the Family Close”. . . yeah, it’s those stories for me. 

I listen to a lot of The Weeknd, too, because, again, his pop is not everyone else’s pop. It’s honestly been crazy to see him grow as an artist the past few years.

Hear what Ikky offers to the cultural exchange of music in our This Is Ikky playlist.