For the enigmatic experimentalist Talwiinder, the title of his long-awaited debut album has a particular resonance: “I chose MISFIT because I felt like everybody, especially in the music scene, was trying to copy [somebody] one way or another to be relevant, whereas nobody was preaching the message that, in life, you [should] be who you are, find your own strength and it’s okay if you’re a misfit because that sets you apart from everybody else,” he tells Apple Music. Since his 2018 debut single, “Unforgettable”, Talwiinder has consistently practised what he preaches. In an industry where most artists believe that the more they put themselves out there, the better it is for their career, Talwiinder obscures his identity with face paint. And unlike many of his contemporaries, he’s crafted a sound that’s instantly recognisable thanks to its mix of soulful vocals and hypnotic beats. The star, who’s based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has achieved his unique sound with the aid of frequent collaborator NDS, with whom he’s forged his most successful partnership yet. For his first full-length album, Talwiinder decided to work solely with the producer instead of enlisting multiple beat makers like many of his contemporaries do. “I have a lot of tracks with other producers,” he says, “but on this project, I wanted to give NDS his flowers and show that you can do projects with one producer. I feel like it makes the whole process much easier because if you have a certain chemistry, why keep changing producers? I also wanted to keep the listener in this one world, like a big loop that they can come and spend time in.” The Punjabi singer-songwriter may have stuck to one producer, but he did invite a raft of fellow artists into his world to feature on the tracks. Singers Amari, Arsh Heer, Harnoor, Pranavi, Simar and Hasan Raheem—with whom he’s scored his biggest hit so far, 2023’s “Wishes”—all help add depth and character to the record, while rappers Kidjaywest and Supreme Sidhu bring their lyrical skills to the party. “All the artists I’ve collaborated with on this album are genuine friends who I like spending time and exchanging thoughts with,” says Talwiinder. Here, Talwiinder takes Apple Music through the creation of six songs from MISFIT, which he’s handpicked because of the fascinating stories that lie behind them. “TERA CHERA” “The first time I was in touch with NDS was in 2020. He reached out and told me his kind of production would suit my voice. At that time, I was mainly finding producers online. I really liked his approach. We made [2023 single] ‘Khayaal’, as well as ‘TERA CHERA’ and ‘SAJJNA’. We pitched ‘TERA CHERA’ to a bunch of labels but [it didn’t work] out so we saved it for this album. I wasn’t happy with the second half [of the song] because the lyrics were four years old. So I thought, why not get an artist who can do justice to it? The first name that came to my mind was Hasan Raheem. The part that he added is just so beautiful.” “MERA” “‘MERA’ stands out because it’s one of the last tracks we added to the album. This is as new as it gets. It’s a glimpse into future projects. I see myself enjoying performing this live because it has that groove. [It features] Kidjaywest, who I did a show with in Chandigarh [around the time that I was making the album], so he saw the songs coming together. He’s a very, very good person and good energy to have around.” “KASHNI” “I was in New York for a show that I didn’t end up performing but I met Simar, who was there as well. She’s one of the OGs in the game and I’ve been hearing her music for years. I’m a fan of her voice and have wanted to work with her [for a while]. I sent her this track and she sent me her verse the next day. That’s the same kind of energy with which I work. When I was in Dubai, I played ‘KASHNI’ randomly in taxis just to see the drivers’ reactions and [they all] loved it because I feel it puts them in a kind of trance.” “SAJJNA” “We do a meet-and-greet pretty much at every show—I love meeting people and understanding what it is they like about my music. I’ve noticed that 60 to 70 per cent of my audience is 18 to 24, and that’s the time you’re in college and dating. In the past, [fans] have told me that they send my songs to their girlfriend and they always put both of them in a better mood—or if they don’t know what to say to them, they use my music to [communicate]. I wanted to make sure they had something that they could share with each other. In ‘SAJJNA’, the guy is telling the girl to not say no. It could be for anything, whether he’s asking her to move in with him or go to see a film together. It has multiple [use cases].” “KEHRI DUNIYA” “[Most of] the lyrics of ‘KEHRI DUNIYA’ are the same as [those in] the second half of [2020 single] ‘Kammo Ji’, but it was made earlier. I’ve had ‘KEHRI DUNIYA’ for the last four to five years and [I’ve met] with different producers to figure out how to finish it—and I ended up using the lyrics from it for ‘Kammo Ji’. This is for the people who loved that track, to give them a new flavour. It’s like an Easter egg [for those who feel] they’ve heard it before. [The lyrics] talk about a girl or any being you feel is out of this world. Some people might think about God. It depends on the listener and where they want to go.” “TUNNEL VISION” “‘TUNNEL VISION’ is more on the motivational and self-improvement side. It talks about having a certain mindset that no matter what the failures [you experience] are, don’t let them stop you. This is about telling my listeners to watch out for the snakes—and that whatever your goal or mission is, stay focused on that. Obviously, people will come in your way. They will try to kill your dream or demotivate you. So it’s very important to have tunnel vision, especially with social media and the amount of distractions that we face on a daily basis.”