What can be the greatest thing for an artist as the year comes to an end? Awards? Nah. But instead, it’s making to Barak Obama’s favorites’ list and Indian musician Prateek Kuhad managed to do that in 2019 and he’s the first Indian artist to have featured on Obama’s annual list that he started to share as a tradition in 2014.
Obama released his favorite list of songs on 30th December 2019 and Cold/Mess by Prateek Kuhad made into that list. The singer was overwhelmed with being recognized among artists like Beyonce, The Black Keys, Frank Ocean, Lizzo, etc.
Prateek Kuhad’s music is like a cup of steaming hot coffee or tea on a cold winter morning. It soothes your soul and can help you get over anything. It is exactly the kind of music that you would want played in the background like white noise as you make your way through life, gazing at the foreign city lights — its lyrics occasionally drawing you with its emotions.
The 29-year-old singer who has been on his world tour ‘Supermoon’; performing in 30 countries in 2019 across US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, and India was on a social media hiatus. So, when the former US President Barak Obama posted the list of the songs of the year and Prateek’s song made it into that list, the artist downloaded Twitter and tweeted;
“This just happened and I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight. Flipping out. I have no idea how cold/mess even reached him but thank you @barackobama, thank you universe. I didn’t think 2019 could’ve gotten better, but damn was I wrong. What an honor,” tweeted the young Indian artist.
Prateek Kuhad found his fair share of fame in 2015 with his record, Tokens, and Charms, which comprised bright and sunny ballads about first love and its afflictions. The album earned Kuhad an MTV Europe Music Award and the Indie Album of the Year title from iTunes. Tune Kaha, Raat Raazi and Saansein are some of his hit songs. He has also given his share of music in Bollywood in Baar Baar Dekho and Karwaan.
The song ‘Cold/Mess’ is a song that features actors Jim Sarbh and Zoya Hussain in the video, which revolves around their love as well as the toxicity of a relationship. The song was composed and sung by Prateek Kuhad.
Cold/Mess was more like a self-intervention for Prateek where he looked at his past relationships and delivered a contrast of passion and claustrophobia in a relationship. It depicts romance and suffocation at the same time. The song that describes a modern-day relationship has been given such powerful lyrics that touch the chords of your soul especially if you’ve been with someone good and bad for you at the same time. Prateek mentioned that especially for this songs’ video he was more involved because he had a strong idea about what he wanted which included underwater scene, some conceptual and metaphorical ideas.
Asking about the song, Prateek mentioned that composing Cold/Mess was pretty intense because it was a bit personal than the songs he had put up in Tokens and Charm. He also mentioned that the more an artist gets involved with one’s feelings the more he/she can grow. Prateek stated that with Cold/Mess he has grown as an artist.
Prateek’s songs are stereotyped for being about heartbreak and love and longing so when the artist was asked about the same, he mentioned that not all of his songs are about heartbreak or longing; a fair number of them are. He clarified that he chooses to write about a topic or a situation or a feeling that people would respond to in general.
“And when I sit down to write a song, I write about whatever I feel — sometimes it’s a sad song, sometimes it is a not-so-sad song, it depends. Sometimes, I end up writing about something that is on my mind. Other times, I feel like just writing a song in general, nothing intense. I like writing songs and I want to get better at that.” Prateek concluded.
Jim Sarbh who features in the video congratulated the singer with a special tweet mentioning that the credit is due. Actor Rajkumar Rao also congratulated the singer along with the Indian fans who went crazy as soon as the list dropped. The singer is one of the indie-pop heartthrobs who are climbing the ladder of success and your heart with his gentle tunes and romantic lyrics.
If you haven’t heard the song, go listen to it now it made to Obama’s list.