MJ5 members talk about their debut music single ‘Bawaal’

Check out what the members of MJ5 had to share about their debut Hindi track composed by Dixant Shaurya and Nitish R Kumar 'Bawaal'.

Internet sensations and acclaimed all-male dance quintet will now be foraying into the world of music for the maiden time and launching themselves as India’s youngest boy band. Titled ‘Bawaal’, their debut Hindi track composed by Dixant Shaurya and Nitish R Kumar in association with One Digital Entertainment comes through with a modest yet powerful message about adopting a happy positive mindset in the midst of negativity and serves as an antidote for those post-pandemic blues.

Directed by Kishalay Tiwari and Nitish R Kumar who has worked along with maestro A. R. Rahman for over a decade, the colourful retro-esque music video was shot in Maldives and compliments the cheerleader vibe, pre-weekend feels and rich vocals of the banger summer anthem. This danceable ditty that fuses hip-hop and pop also channels the musical versatility of the band with the effervescent members showcasing their powerhouse aptitude for singing and dancing. We recently had a chat with the members of MJ5 and got some fun insight into the forming of the boy band and what went into creating the song. Read on to find out more.

Here's what MJ5 had to share about Bawaal:

After earning so much love and fame as a dance group, what inspired MJ5 to take-up singing? 

R Kartik - We have always loved singing and creating a catalogue of songs was very much on our agenda for a very long time. Over years we realized we couldn't completely showcase our persona through dance. We were restricted by the technicalities of the songs we danced to and had to limit our creative expression within the parameters of the song. Now, we can orchestrate the entire performance with more creative freedom on our original music. Our Mentor R Nitish Kumar, having many years of experience in the music industry and having worked with AR Rahman helped us with our debut since he had a vision of seeing MJ5 slaying as the leading boy band in India.

You, Dennis, and Rohit lent your voice to this song. How involved were you in composing and writing the song?

R Kartik - We were more involved in the vocals of the song. The song is framed by Nitish Kumar and Dixant Shaurya though the entire crew sat together on the brainstorming and ideation.

Can you tell us a little bit about the debut track and how it all came together? 

Himanshu - We’ve been entertaining the world with our dance for years, now's the time we entertain them with our music. Since music and dance are interconnected in many ways, we wanted to put out a whole package. So we put together India’s youngest boy band to bring about a revolution in the music industry. We practiced for over 1 year to achieve this. Shooting in the Maldives was the takeaway since we had our privacy and peace of mind. We're incredibly grateful that the hook step has become such a rage and is stuck in everyone's mind. People have shown immense love to BAWAAL and we hope they will shower the same love on our upcoming tracks."

What kind of music does MJ5 plan on creating for their existing fans and music lovers?  

Rohit - We are looking forward to making music that makes people feel happy. And keeps them positive in depressing times, dance even if they are non-dancers, take the mic, and sing even if they are bathroom singers!  'Never a Dull moment' is what we promise. Dynamic, experimental, emotive and fun are the perfect words to describe the kind of music we will be creating.

Will MJ5 be focusing solely on creating music videos going forward? 

Vishnu - Yes, we will be focusing on creating more music. However, we are also going to explore newer concepts and genres of dance that will complement our new brand ethos. Music and dance are equally important to us now. We are working on a few collaborations as well.

What kind of reaction has MJ5’s debut track, Bawaal, received so far? Anything that you personally loved? 

Dennis - So far our first song  'Bawaal' has created a good mark in the music realm. The response has been really amazing as we're garnering a lot of love for our rebranding as a boy band. It's coming not only from the dance community but from the masses globally. I personally loved the entire process of team hustle and working together as a family unit."

When asked the following, the boy band agreed on the answers, proving how in-sync they truly are:

What is the most exciting but also scary part about forming a boy band?

"It's fun till one of us gets married."

From 2013 to 2021, what is the one thing that you think has changed about MJ5 members? 

"From college friends to now brothers, the maturity and bond has transitioned!"

Check out the song here:

Also Read - #KetchupTalks: Satish Ray talks about content creation, his popular characters and more