Renowned Indian vocalist Arijit Singh has embarked on a new chapter in his career with the release of his first independent track, ‘Raina’, following his decision to step back from taking on fresh playback singing assignments.
The romantic ballad, unveiled on February 27, marks a clear pivot from cinema-driven music to projects driven by the artist’s own creative vision.
Singh, whose emotive voice has long defined modern Hindi film soundtracks, surprised fans earlier this year by announcing that he would no longer accept new playback opportunities. While his existing recordings will continue to be released, the singer emphasised that future work will focus on independent music, offering him more artistic freedom.
Raina, composed by Shekhar Ravjiani with lyrics by Priya Saraiya, was shared on Instagram with the message: “Raina is out now and all yours. Turn it up, feel it deeply, let the night take over. Watch the official video on the @garuudaamusic YouTube channel.”
The song, built around understated instrumentation and lingering melodies, remains true to Singh’s signature emotive style while exploring a subtler, less cinematic sound. Promotional notes describe the track as a “romantic ode to a woman who embodies the night itself: mysterious, breathtaking, and endless.”
Fans reacted enthusiastically across social media, celebrating the release as both a farewell to one era of Singh’s career and the beginning of another. Comments ranged from, “Nothing, just Arijit Singh dropping insanely good independent music after leaving playback,” to, “Finally, happy tears hearing his voice again.”
Singh first confirmed his exit from new playback work on 27 January via Instagram, expressing gratitude to his listeners: “I want to thank you for all the love over the years. I will no longer take on new assignments as a playback vocalist. It has been a wonderful journey, and now I am calling it off.”
Despite this decision, the singer’s voice will continue to appear in cinema for the time being, with unreleased tracks from previous projects expected to surface gradually. Notably, Singh has recorded songs for the upcoming film ‘Ek Din’, starring Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi, produced by Aamir Khan, with the title track already released.
