@Ibrahim Sharif

Contemporary Punjabi music has grown beyond booming bhangra and hard-hitting hip-hop to include a modern, easy-listening sound that draws from traditional folk as well as international pop and R&B. These soothing tunes are ideal for getting together with friends, chilling by the pool, cruising down the streets or just making the most of some hard-won me time.

There are few acts with a strike rate as good as Canadian-Punjabi hip-hop star Shubh, who’s been scoring smashes right off the bat since 2021. His is a hit formula of effortless swag, clever lyricism, burnished beats and a laid-back flow that makes the sharpest bars land with understated ease. Whether he’s drawing on influences from pop, reggae or R&B, the singer, rapper and songwriter delivers it all with a distinct sonic stamp. Shubh doesn’t release music at the breakneck pace of his contemporaries—but as this collection of chart-toppers demonstrates, he’s always valued quality over quantity.

Singer, songwriter, rapper and producer AP Dhillon has garnered a huge fan base with his deft combination of sophisticated pop, smooth R&B and catchy hip-hop. The Gurdaspur-born artist—real name Amritpal Singh Dhillon—released his first track in 2019, and followed with a string of radio-friendly hits that centre his understated vocals. From 2020’s upbeat collab “Brown Munde” to 2022’s blissfully sunny “Summer High”, he’s taking Punjabi pop in new, meaningful directions.