Exclusive: Pop Icon Armaan Malik to Feature on Ed Sheeran’s ‘2Step’

Indian pop star Armaan Malik is all set to feature on English hitmaker Ed Sheeran’s 2022 single “2Step.” This marks the Indian singer-songwriter’s second international collaboration after the ambitious project “Echo,” which saw him work with K-pop star Eric Nam and American producer KSHMR. 

“I’m beyond excited to be featured on this version of ‘2Step’ with Ed Sheeran!” said Malik. “He’s always been such an inspiration, and I’m a big fan of his music and incredible songwriting. This is a huge moment not only for me, but also for other Indian artists too. I genuinely believe that this will be the beginning for a lot more collaborations of this nature.”

Written by Sheeran, Louis Bell, David Hodges and Andrew Wotman, the pop-rock track discusses the trials and tribulations of an artist’s life, creative journey and them counting on their loved ones for support. “This song talks about confidence, finding power in your art, and leaning on your loved ones,” Malik shares. “When we have the support of the people we love, we can overcome any adversity. Nothing can keep us from moving forward. Two steps at a time!” Malik’s feature joins an impressive 13 global remixed versions of the track with artists from the United States, Brazil, Ireland, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and now India.

Known for his tasteful teasers on Twitter, Malik left several Easter eggs on the microblogging platform in the last 48 hours. For instance, the inclusion of the butterfly emoji to his display name is a direct reference to “2Step’s” official artwork and an ambiguous tweet sent out on June 3rd that features three emojis (peace sign, walking man and a butterfly) spelling out the track’s name.

Over the last two years, Armaan Malik has displayed an affinity for all things pop through a string of all-English releases such as “Control,” “How Many,” and his latest soulful pop-ballad “You.” In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Malik expressed how it’s time for Indian musicians to leave a mark on the global pop culture scene: “I think India has so much talent, so much culture. Just like how you’ve seen recently, the K-pop world has blown up globally, I think it’s time for India to do its thing internationally.” 

“2Step” features on Sheeran’s fifth studio album equals (=). The LP marked the singer-songwriter’s grand return to the music scene after his 2017 album plus (+). Aside from a compilation featuring the remixes of “2Step”, a tour edition of the latest album was also released in April 2022. Recently, the English singer treated the  British Royal family to a soul-stirring performance of his record-breaking hit “Perfect” at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.