Arijit Singh performs during a special performance before the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. file | Photo courtesy: PTI
“I’m calling it quits, it was an amazing journey,” Arijit Singh said on Tuesday (January 27, 2026). He announced that he would not be doing any new work as a playback singer, a decision which shocked his fan base.
In a message shared on his social media pages, Mr Singh said he has decided to move away from playback singing, a move that comes at the peak of his career as one of the most popular and sought-after voices in Hindi cinema.
He wrote, “Hello, Happy New Year everyone. I would like to thank you all for loving me so much as a listener for so many years. I am happy to announce that I am not going to do any new work as a playback singer from now on. I am calling it quits. It was a wonderful journey.”
However, the 38-year-old clarified that he will continue to make music independently and meet existing commitments.
He further added, “God has really been kind to me. I am a fan of good music and will learn more as a younger artiste in the future and do more work on my own. Thanks again for all your support. I still have some pending commitments to complete, will complete them. So you may get some releases this year. Let me make it clear that I will not stop making music.”
Although Mr Singh did not elaborate on the reasons behind his decision, the announcement was met with disbelief and many fans expressed their disappointment in the comments section. “Too quick sir, this can’t be real,” one user wrote.
Another person said, “This can’t be true. Hey, but why??????? Why are you doing this to us??? Please don’t go man. We need you for at least 20 more years.”
Mr Singh’s rise in the Indian music industry has been no less than a meteoric rise.
She debuted as a contestant in the reality show “Fame Gurukul” in 2005 and made her playback debut in 2011 with “Phir Mohabbat” from the Emraan Hashmi-starrer “Murder 2”.
She entered the big league in 2013 with the soulful hit “Tum Hi Ho” from “Aashiqui 2”. The success of the song made him a household name.
After that, Mr Singh soon became the voice of many moods, be it love, heartbreak or happiness. He gave many chartbusters like “Channa Mereya”, “Agar Tum Saath Ho”, “Raabta”, “Kesariya”, “Gerua”, “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” and “Chaleya”.
Over the years, he has lent his voice to almost all the major stars of Hindi cinema – from superstars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to actors like Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.
Mr. Singh recorded songs in several Indian languages ​​including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi and collaborated with leading composers and filmmakers.
His work has earned him several Filmfare Awards, including several Best Male Playback Singer awards.
In July 2025, Mr Singh became the most followed artist on music streaming platform Spotify with 151 million followers, surpassing global pop stars Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
published – January 27, 2026 09:59 PM IST