10 Artists That Seriously Need to Make an India Debut Now

A Foo Fighters India tour is definitely long overdue! Photo: Brantley Gutierrez

Considering pop sensation Justin Bieber’s India debut wasn’t really the best, it’s high time we brought down acts will live up to their hype. Here are the top 10 artists that need to make their India debut sooner rather than later:

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ is a masterpiece that captures both personal agony and political outrage. Photo: Press image

The Compton MC is the best thing to have happened to hip-hop lately. His influences range from West Coast hip-hop to Nineties gangster rap, and his 2015 studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly, is a masterpiece that captures both personal agony and political outrage. India drooled over his performance at the Grammys last year, and it would be a treat to watch him live here.

Lana Del Rey

The American singer-songwriter’s huge fan following in India is no surprise. Her melancholic voice and songs about tragic romance make her a top favorite on millennial playlists. After her latest single “Lust for Life” featuring The Weeknd released this April, fans have been crossing their fingers for an India tour to catch the indie-pop queen live.

John Mayer

John Mayer’s soothing guitars and unassumingly poignant lyrics work their magic every single time. Photo: Patrícia Nakashima / Focka /CC BY-ND 2.0

Indian fans have craved to hear John Mayer live for over a decade now. It’s about time they were treated with a concert or a two here. Just like listening to the good old blues will never go out of style, Mayer’s soothing guitars and unassumingly poignant lyrics work their magic every single time. Plus this year is an especially great time for Mayer to visit India””his seventh studio album The Search for Everything, which released in January and describes his growth as an artist through the years, created a lot of buzz in the country.

BTS

The K-pop mania has finally hit India and the number one band on everyone’s minds is The Bangtan Boys. This seven-member boy band from South Korea debuted in 2013 and broke into international fame with their second full-length studio album Wings in 2016. Incorporating hip-hop beats, heavy symbolism and rock-inspired elements in their songs, this group have made their mark in South-East Asia and more recently in the United States with their sold-out world tour. With several petitions existing online demanding an India tour, desi K-pop fans are a determined bunch!

Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys’ debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am’ is the fastest-selling debut album by a band in British chart history. Photo: Cromarko1/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

This immensely popular indie rock band is widely loved for the songwriting abilities of frontman Alex Turner. Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am is the fastest-selling debut album by a band in British chart history, and they have won endless awards for it too. We have seen fans wearing Arctic Monkeys-themed T-shirts to the Alt-J gig that took place in Bangalore in 2015, and that should say enough.

Daft Punk

This veteran electronic music duo have been at the forefront of the French house movement since the early Nineties, amassing millions of fans across the world. They have four studio albums to their name and their spectacular onstage helmet look only adds to their overall appeal. Their 2013 track “Get Lucky” with singer Pharrell Williams was a roaring success in India, spawning hundreds of covers online, and their more recent collaborative hits with The Weeknd on his album Starboy have gained them plenty of popularity in India. It’s about time we saw them live!

Radiohead

A gig featuring this cult English Rock band from Oxfordshire would be a dream come true for their Indian fans. Radiohead shot to global fame with their super hit debut single ”˜Creep’ and a series of albums that are hailed as greatest rock releases of all time””The Bends (1995) and OK Computer (1997). Like most bands, Radiohead entered into a couple of hiatuses in the past decade and finally got back together in 2014 to work on their ninth studio album A Moon Shaped Pool. While the band will be touring Europe this year, there’s hope amongst Indian fans they’ll add India to the roster before another break.

Adele

Adele has not made her debut in Asia yet but if she does, we hope India makes the cut. Photo: Simon Emmett

Boasting a whopping 15 Grammy Awards in her 11-year career as a singer-songwriter, Adele is one of the most popular artists of our generation. Her 2015 album, 25 is one of the greatest pop records ever made and the global hit “Hello” won her the hearts of many. Adele has not made her debut in Asia yet but if she does, we hope India makes the cut.

Tool

While India has seen the likes of Meshuggah, Opeth and even Metallica, there are still thousands of fans praying for a Tool concert in the near future. Although they haven’t released any new music in a decade, this Los Angeles band continue to stun onstage with energetic performances. With rumors of Dream Theater finally performing in India this year, there’s hope amongst many that Tool will join them.

Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters have claimed that they will release their ninth studio album this year. Photo: Brantley Gutierrez

Fans have been crazy about Dave Grohl since his days with Nirvana, and though it’s impossible to witness that ever again, the cult Nineties band’s post-grunge, hard rock sound is still alive with Foo Fighters. The band, having had many musicians walk in and out, is still run by Grohl and recently and they released their Surprise EP Saint Cecilia in 2015. They have also claimed that they will release their ninth studio album this year. A couple of years ago, the band played a special gig in Virginia because the crowd actually funded it. Guess India should start a campaign pronto!