Subhi’s ‘Khel’ Serves Up Playful Punjabi Pop

Indo-U.S.-based pop artist Subhi shows off her flair for the cinematic with her energetic new single “Khel,” made with producer and co-composer Aman Moroney and lyricist Shivam Srivastava.

Released via Desi Trill, the latest song from Subhi is a Punjabi tune that also incorporates folk melodies in an off-the-beaten-path way. Subhi says she was inspired to write “Khel” after speaking to some of her friends who are single and on dating apps. “I realized how sick and tired they were of trying to find the right guy through word of mouth or dating apps,” she say.

In the punchy track that clocks in at just over two and a half minutes, Subhi flexes her vocal range as well, something she’s been doing on recent songs like “Billo” with singer-songwriter Natania and “Intezaar” compared to earlier work which often turned out more in the vein of ballads. She tells Rolling Stone India about the current world when it comes to romance, “I feel in today’s day and age, people don’t have a lot of time to give to just one person. They want to explore all their options, they want to test the one they are dating, they are not willing to compromise. Everyone is in a rush and this game of trying to find the right person is not always a fair one.”

She goes on to describe “Khel” as a song written from the perspective of a girl who is “looking for an honest, true lover.” Subhi adds, “She is aware of the games that men play to impress girls. She’s street smart, she’s confident, she’s from today’s generation and all that she asks is that men don’t take her for granted.”

Subhi enlisted Srivastava to write the lyrics for the chorus of “Khel.” She adds, “The chorus lyrics struck a chord with me and that’s what inspired the concept behind ‘Khel.’ It gave me an idea of using ‘Khel’ as a metaphor for love. And then I started working on the rest of the song with Aman [Moroney]. It has been an amazing journey not just composing this song but also singing it. It’s a fun song with a meaningful spin and message on love and I hope people enjoy it,” she adds.

Listen to “Khel” below.