By Namrata Kumar:
I remember seeing her on television when I was six. She was then, in 2000, crowned Miss World and I couldn’t help but feel proud that the title was given to an Indian. Since being crowned Miss World, Priyanka Chopra has had a sky rocketing career in the film industry and it is quite admirable how she has managed to make it big on her own. As much as she is renowned for her acting, has Priyanka really been able to pull off a career in music?
There is no doubt that Priyanka Chopra is a lovely and talented singer. I remember when she sang ‘tinka tinka’ on Simi Garewal’s show and I remember being in awe of someone who was multi-talented. So you can imagine my shock and utter disappointment when I heard her two singles. However peppy and catchy the numbers might be, the songs were very mediocre and juvenile. In all honesty even if I sound condescending, I’m sure my 8 year old cousin would be able to write better lyrics than the ones written in ‘In my city‘ and ‘Exotic‘.
Let’s face it, Priyanka Chopra is not a Jennifer Lopez or a Madonna and it’s annoying to see her trying to be one. While I have a lot of respect for the actress and the individual she is, I have to say that her two songs, particularly their videos make her out to be a ‘wannabe’, someone who’s trying to fit into the Hollywood music fraternity. As a fan, I guess I could forgive her the first time round but for the second? No. It is saddening to see her voice go to waste. There is so much she could do with it. For starters she need not run to the US- Creative Artists Agency, I’m pretty sure music directors in India would have helped her build or launch off a successful career in music.
Don’t get me wrong but when I was watching the video of ‘Exotic’ all I could pay attention to was how she was actually ‘hotter than the tro-opics’. The song and the lyrics alone have no substance and Pitbull, well, he sounds the same anyway so I needn’t say more. According to her agency, Priyanka has revolutionized the Indian music industry. I’m not quite sure whether to take this as a compliment to Priyanka or an insult to the Indian music industry. Having said that, I do believe Priyanka has it in her to the above if it is channelized in the right avenues, I guess we just have to wait and watch. I hope for the best for her new single releasing end of this year.