‘Indipop suffered when artistes tried to copy each other and quality of music dropped’: Shweta Shetty

What are the songs will you be performing during this live show?

The show is going to be one and a half hours long. I have 15 songs of my own, and most of them are popular. I will also perform one song each of Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, one song from Mariah Carey, apart from two by Prince. These singers have played an important role in my life. I will add my touch to these songs. For example, I will sing the Mariah Carey’s song without the orchestra. The idea is to recreate these while keeping their essence intact. The songs I have chosen will take the audience back to the 90s.

How was the 90s Indipop scene like and how much of that has changed?

Back then, the relationship between pop stars and fans was not very restricted. We were accessible. The fans really respected and loved pop stars. Today, when I’m back on stage, I receive the same love that I did in the 90s. It’s because I left a mark with my songs. Ticket sale for this show has so far been good. I think it will be a full house.

Pop singer Shweta Shetty will perform her most popular songs in A 90s’ Night Live.

Why do you think that the 90s pop music scene fizzled out?

In entertainment, there are a lot of highs and lows. I think a lot of people gave up because they thought that pop, as a genre in India, had died, which was a fact. When we worked on the pop music, it was pure pop. We singers, Alisha Chinai, Baba Sehgal, Shaan and others, had our own identity. Later, a lot of things came in. Artistes tried to copy each other, and bring others down. The quality of music too started to drop. It wasn’t a marginal drop – it was a major drop.

I hope that this show inspires other pop artists of the 90s to start performing and making songs again.

What made you revive your career after 20 years?

During the pandemic, I got tagged on social media posts as remixes of my songs became popular. Youngsters have now started recognising my songs. That’s when I decided to remix my song, Jalne mein hain mazaa. It was a hit. My fans have given me so much love during the pandemic that I had no other choice but to make a comeback. I believe I’m a better singer today. I want to connect with the audience, which I never did before. I’m sure that the Opera House show will be a stepping stone to that.

You delivered some popular Hindi film songs. Why did you move away from it?

After my Hindi film songs became a hit, several songs were offered to me. But those were not the type of songs I would usually sing. If I don’t feel for the song, I don’t sing it. Otherwise, they all start sounding the same, without any emotions in them. I sang some ‘item numbers’ that I liked.

Are you planning any more albums or singles in the future?

Maybe albums, but not a single. I don’t like the concept of singles. In an album, you can feature a range of songs.