Meet ‘Nadaaniyan‘ singer Akshath Acharya, the voice and composer behind the viral hit

Akshath Acharya
| Photo Credit: @akshathacharya/Instagram

If you have opened any social media app in the last hour, there is a good chance you have heard the lilting strains of ‘Nadaaniyan’. This song is everywhere — and especially on Instagram Reels — proving to be the perfect foil for intricately-choreographed dance routines, a day in the life of a loved-up couple, fashion shoots, and even cute animal videos. 

“Sometimes, you are just in the mood and a song happens,” says the 24-year-old Mumbai based composer, singer and writer Akshath Acharya when asked what inspired his viral hit. “I was just lucky, I think. I was sitting with my guitar one day, and had a chord loop which I was playing. I thought it had good potential to become a song and recorded a rapid fire of around 20 different variations on my phone’s voice notes app,” he recalls, as to how the song came about. 

An independent Hindi single which dropped in May, ‘Nadaaniyan’ has since then continued to trend on music streaming platforms and social media. On Spotify, the song continues to be in the top 10 songs in India, is among the top five songs on the platform’s top viral songs in India, and has been used in over 2.3 million Reels till date. “It has been great to see a song stick around on a list as dynamic as the viral list,” the young singer says. 

While music has always been a part of his childhood, Akshath says that he never thought of it to be a serious career for him. “I went on to do engineering, and somehow then kept getting signs, one thing or the other kept pushing me. And I began to wonder what could happen if I gave music serious thought, and am grateful now for where this has taken me,” he says. His decision to delve into music seriously led him to dabble in lyric writing, composing, and production. On ‘Nadaaniyan’ as well as his past songs that include ‘Noor’ and ‘Jadoo’, Akshath is credited as composer, writer and producer. 

‘Nadaaniyan’, Akshath says, is an attempt at a love song but from a slightly different angle. “Songs in our language tend to be a lot more poetic, and I thought of how it would be if a song was normal, something that manages to capture the everyday, and be something everyone could relate to,” he says. The song encompasses just this; Akshath playfully sings out about the smile, the charm, and the moods of a loved one. It is all heart, and even for someone who does not understand the language, the song manages to transcend barriers. 

“I saw it snowball in front of my eyes,” Akshath laughs, about the song’s popularity online. While he got positive comments for an initial teaser for the song, the way the song took off after release still surprises him. I have seen the entire journey; from it being used on normal, day-to-day videos, to the song being used deliberately for dances, memes and even comedy sketches,” he muses.

The song has come at a time when indie-music seems to be ruling the charts more than ever. Closer home, ‘Aasa Kooda‘, a tamil single by Sai Abhyankkar and Sai Smriti has also become a massive hit. When asked about the independent music scene, Akshath describes it as one of the most wholesome communities to be a part of. “Everyone has been supportive, and this comes from a place where all the musicians here want the community to grow,” he says. 

Akshath Acharya
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The song’s popularity has meant life has changed in more ways than one, and he says it has been a great few weeks so far.  The success of the song led to the subsequent release of a music video for it starring Akshath and Aisha Ahmed, directed by Sharic Sequeira, which has racked up over 29 million views.

 “I have always had a great band with whom I perform, and we are planning an India tour next month,” he says, about what is in store next. 

The singer is all praises for his band mates, and can’t help but be excited to perform his songs. “If you have heard my songs, I have to say that the live versions of the songs are something else,” Akshath adds. As for new music, there is a lot to be enthused about there as well. “ I have always loved a certain genre of pop music, and a larger-than-life element in pop music that I’m exploring. I’m excited about this,” he adds.