New Delhi: Internet sensations and all-male dance quintet, MJ 5, released their debut single, “Bawaal” Friday. The band comprises R. Kartik, Humanshu Gola, Rohit Singh, Vishnu Kumar and Dennis Anthony. All the members are in their early twenties.
Composed by Dixant Shaurya and Nitish R. Kumar, the song is about adopting a happy positive mindset in the midst of negativity, and serves as an antidote for post-pandemic blues.
“Our debut track is an ode to all the heroes out there who emerged like warriors from a tumultuous 2020 and dived into 2021 with gratitude and optimism, looking towards a promising future devoid of restrictions and dismay. That darkness is behind you, and only happiness is ahead,” says the band’s founder R. Kartik.
Directed by Kishalay Tiwari and Nitish R. Kumar, who has worked along with AR Rahman for over a decade, the colorful retro-esque music video was shot in Maldives.
“While our dance work has been largely influenced by international artists like, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown and Usher, we have also been very fond of BTS and the cult legacy they have carved for themselves as a boy band in the millennial age,” says Kartik.
“As creative artists we never wanted to restrict ourselves to just dance and wanted to explore other avenues within the creative gamut. Our vision is to be one of the best millennial powerhouse boy band sensations and India’s answer to BTS and K-Pop musi,” he adds.