Juggy D on His Party Bop ‘Meri Ban Ja’ and Starting a New Journey

Juggy D hasn’t slept much for two days. We’re speaking over a video call as the London-raised Punjabi and Hindi artist released his new song “Meri Ban Ja (Be Mine)” on his own channel, marking a team-up with stars like Jay Sean and Rishi Rich, plus Mumbai-based Yash Narvekar.

It was 20 years ago that Juggy D aka Jagwinder Dhaliwal released “Dance With You (Nachna Tere Naal)” with Jay Sean and Rishi Rich, making it a global desi smash that arguably launched all their careers. Two decades ago, Juggy D didn’t have to figure out his own YouTube channel and Instagram promotions. “[Back then] we went and did a bunch of interviews with radio and on TV and that was it. We did a one week campaign, and then we just watched the thing grow,” he says.

He doesn’t mean to sound like an oldie, because he’s equally holding praise for the fact that he can hit publish on a video and it can reach the entire world now. At nearly two million views, “Meri Ban Ja” is a testament to Juggy D, Jay Sean and Rishi Rich’s nostalgic hold, but also their confidence in the craft, buoyed by recent India-based talents like Narvekar. The Mumbai artist has worked with everyone from Akasa to Nikhita Gandhi to Tanishk Bagchi over the years. The recommendation to Juggy D came via Rishi Rich and they all began jamming at a studio in Bandra, Mumbai. That was five years ago, but “Meri Ban Ja” hasn’t stagnated a bit in terms of what it offers – it’s a pure party bop that has all the charm of any song for a potential match on the dancefloor.

In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Juggy D talks about the making of the song, Punjabi music having a global foothold, changes in his music career over the years and what’s next. Excerpts:

Rolling Stone India: How’s it going out there, watching from the U.K. the way “Meri Ban Ja” is being received in India?

Juggy D: Whenever me, Jay and Rishi are on a record together, it does feel like going back 20 years, it reminds us of that era, there’s a lot of nostalgia. I guess it also comes from the kind of comments that people are leaving. It [the song] really taps into people’s brains, to where they were when we first came out. A lot changes in one decade, we’re talking two decades, you know? So it’s great to see the great vibe, great energy and how people are reacting to the song. It’s phenomenal, man.

When your material from The Rishi Rich Project was coming out, you were getting heard in the U.K., the U.S. and India, among other places. That was nearly pre-social media. What’s different now?

The difference is, I haven’t really slept much for the last two days, because I’m doing everything independently on my YouTube channel, Juggy D TV, and on my Instagram. 20 years ago, we didn’t have to do any of this. […] It did its job organically, with people going, ‘Oh, my God, have you heard this song?’ And it goes from one place to another to another. Before, sitting in London, you’re [called for] doing shows in New Zealand. That was phenomenal, what a journey. That was true organic growth. Now I hit the button, I hit share on the YouTube video, and it’s available in New Zealand. I don’t even have to go there.

Massive differences and a huge change that we’ve had to go through. But you know, it’s part of the new game, so you gotta move with the time. I’m having fun with it. At the same time. I’m like, damn, my kids are there and like, they’re like, ‘Daddy, can you put the phone down? Now?’ It sounds like me telling them to put devices down and now they’re telling me? [Laughs] I need a break.

When you’ve had a big taste of what mainstream music can do and have now gone independent, does it come with a bit of anxiousness?

Of course it does, man. Even though I’ve been in the industry for 21 years, I’m now having to kind of almost, in a way, start from scratch, yet I have 21 years of experience and I have a fan base. I have a core following and my biggest market is India. So I’m at an advantage in that sense. However, it’s all very new to me – doing all these posts and looking at the backend of the YouTube channel and making sure all the thumbnails are done and everything. In India we have a lot of help, general help. We don’t have that in the U.K.

It was quite funny. Earlier, I was on the phone with my video director. We were talking about the next project. And he’s like, ‘Buddy, what are you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m just ironing my daughter’s sweatshirt.’ [Laughs] So you know, this is the reality of the Punjabi rock star! On the one side, my songs are like 800k views and we’re talking about the next project. And yet, I’m ironing my clothes. It’s all gotta be done, man.

Between your first projects together 20 years ago and “Meri Ban Ja (Be Mine),” there have been plenty more collaborations between you, Jay and Rishi Rich. What was it like getting back into the studio together and also having Yash Narvekar involved?

This project actually started five years ago. It was done very organically and not forced. I wanted to do a single and have a bit of an indie vibe on it, because my biggest market is India. I get a lot of work from there; we get booked for a lot of weddings and what have you. So I wanted to do something for them. Rishi said he was working with Yash and this was when he [Rishi] was living in Mumbai. He said, ‘Yash writes really well and is a good singer, he does Hindi and stuff.’

We all jammed in a session in Bandra, so that’s where the song started in Mumbai. I felt it was getting a vibe but I needed something else. I was like, ‘I’ll send it to Jay and let me see what he thinks of it.’ I sent it to Jay, he heard it, he liked it. He was like, ‘Okay, let me put my bit on this song and I’m gonna drop you a verse.’ Then it comes back to London. I’ve got this and send it to Rishi and tell him to do this magic.

Then getting us all in the same place is a task in itself. Jay and I were doing a show in Dubai recently, so we decided to shoot the parts with both of us. Then I shot the parts with Yash in Delhi. It took a while but we got there. It was fun.

It feels like you’re still carrying on the sound you championed 20 years ago. At the same time, people who came after you are also drawing from this to date.

20 years ago, when we made ‘Dance With You,’ we changed the style of music, that whole urban Indian flavor. We put out something that really changed the sound of music. At that time, India would look at U.S. and Canada and the U.K. They’d look at what’s good from there, and they’ve tried to mimic it and stuff like that. Now they don’t need to look anywhere. They look within the four walls of their own studio, and they’re creating magic.

Punjabi music has earned a global standing over the years. Where do you see it fitting into the global music movements, with afrobeats and Nigerian music and K-pop dominating so much?

I think the biggest thing in a very recent time that could’ve happened, that has catapulted Punjabi music to a huge height is Diljit Dosanjh performing at Coachella. Diplo was dancing and I believe they’re in the studio right now making music. That’s huge.

There’s been brackets and sections and, and so many artists have had now something to say that, ‘Yeah, I helped Punjabi music get to where it has got to now.’ A lot of artists have done that now. It’s great to see. I think it can only get bigger and better, because so many big things and so many big collaborations. It’s a great time.

What else is coming up for you in 2023?

I have another song called ‘Tere Naal.’ We shot that video and had that lined up before this video. But then, logistically, we were going to be in the same place. It just felt right to put this track out first. We keep getting this whole ‘comeback’ thing but we never went away. We’re still touring. We’re still doing shows, and we have a little longer gaps as you get older. The longer you’re in the same, your gaps get longer to deliver music. So we didn’t go anywhere.

This now feels like another wind in my sails to go, ‘Right let’s give it a good bash’ and then let the kids enjoy what happens from there afterwards. Let’s build this channel up and then hand it over to them and say, ‘Ab aap log sambhalo’ (Now you take over). [Laughs]

Watch the video for “Meri Ban Ja (Be Mine)”