What Does Creative Burnout Look Like in an Industry That Thrives on Productivity?

When India’s most-streamed artist Arijit Singh announced on Jan. 27, 2026, that he was going to step away from playback vocals for film songs, it spawned disbelief but also kudos from different corners of the film and music industries.

The announcement deserved our empathy because of Singh’s choice of words. “I want to thank you all for giving me so much of love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not gonna be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey,” the post said.He clarified over posts on X (formerly Twitter) that he “won’t stop making music” and has “pending commitments” within the playback space that will ensure listeners “might get some releases this year.”

It’s surprising when an artist who is the most followed on Spotify worldwide and the most-streamed artist in India on Spotify for seven years in a row says he’s going to step away from the Bollywood and mainstream music machinery. But it says a lot about how a singer, composer and entrepreneur (he founded the label Oriyon Music in 2020 for his independent music) like Singh values creativity right now.

He added in his post, “I am a fan of good music and in future, will be learning more and do more on my own as a small little artist.” For anyone who knew the reticent nature of Singh, this kind of move would have been inevitable considering how much industry pressure he was carrying on his shoulders to make a film song climb to hit status. When he collaborated with British pop star Ed Sheeran on “Sapphire” last year, the making of the song and vlogs by Sheeran showed just how much Singh is an unfussed, humble and reluctant music star.

In an industry that still largely attaches value to productivity and hits, much has been said about how artists are becoming disposable the minute they can’t churn out a hit. If there’s one way to take away from Singh’s decision to step away from singing for films, it’s that artists should always prioritize their own mental and creative abilities over and above getting drawn to signing their worth away with a 360-degree deal or lucrative promises of stardom.

Even a more nuanced look at labels and music companies who promise to build listenership, mount multi-city tours and build a brand out of an artist reveal flaws. The Indian music industry, like several other territories, is still prone to shakeups (remember the TikTok ban? Or how labels and streaming platforms condemned AI music and then warmed up to it?) where the artist is often strung along like a puppet.

It’s in the middle of these situations that artists find the push and pull of trying to find their audience, be it through playing the content game, chasing trends and more – all of which takes them away from making music.

There have been several timely reminders from within the artist community about the importance of mental health and avoiding a creative slump. Some of them speak through the music itself with songs about being gentle with oneself (from singer-songwriters like Prateek Kuhad, Taba Chake, Hanita Bhambri, Ditty and Swati Bhatt) or journeys on how they overcame creative blocks.

These kind of reminders are here to stay and while music industry stakeholders also take notice, business and metrics will undoubtedly come first. A clear sign of that is at music conferences across the globe where data and stats are revealed with a sense of pride, often overshadowing the artist’s journey of getting there. Labels and platforms can claim to be “artist-first,” but it’s a term that is being used with pride when it’s actually the most basic ask from a label to put the artist front and center.

With the roll out of surveys like It’s Time To Talk last year for the Indian music industry, the hope is that there’s more data to hold up as a mirror to stakeholders, reflecting the cost of their pursuit of viral hits and signing artists to exploitative contracts. A press release for the survey stated, “By generating rich, data-driven insights, ‘It’s Time to Talk’ wishes to contribute towards building a safer, more empathetic, and sustainable music ecosystem in India.”

Arijit Singh’s decision signifies how important it is for artists to release music on their own terms, finding a way to sustain their creativity. In the long search for sustenance as independent artists, the rollercoaster that is mental wellbeing will no doubt also stabilize for many, safe in the knowledge that they’re not creating music just for the sake of viral success.

A prime example of an artist who’s already locked into this dynamic is singer-songwriter Justh, who released “Chor” in 2023 and found viral fame through 2024. It was only one and half years later that his next song came, with “Unse Jaake Kehdo” released via his own label, under exclusive license to Warner Music India.

Justh is among those who has all the makings of an artist who is willing to forego the idea of constant spotlight and put quality over quantity, building his fanbase along the way. If there’s more room for the creative process to get priority, we’ll see Indian music tell stories on their own terms like never before and we’ll all be richer for it.