When AJ Wavy started posting music mixes on TikTok, it was “just for fun”. But after his mashups of Bollywood and Western hits gained millions of views, he’s now been signed by Sony.
“It’s been an amazing journey to see it go from just my bedroom to countries all over the world,” AJ tells BBC Newsbeat.
He says everything “just snowballed” towards the launch of his Desi Bop record, a mix of chart-topping tracks.
“It’s been a crazy rollercoaster,” he says. “I always used to enjoy producing music and I’ve been musically inclined.”
“It’s something I had my eye on for a long time. To actually see it happen is quite overwhelming,” he says.
That Hotline Bling remix
A fusion of Western R&B, Hip Hop and Indian pop smash hits has become AJ’s trademark.
Videos mixing The Hills by The Weeknd with Punjabi hit Fallin Star, and a remix of Drake’s Hotline Bling with Bollywood hit Lal Ghagra have gained over 15 million views across TikTok and YouTube.
AJ says he’s proud to say Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor, singer Nicole Scherzinger and sports brands such as Manchester United, Liverpool FC and Formula 1 have all used his Hotline Bling remix sound.
The person to thank for that mashup is AJ’s cousin, who “needed some help for a dance routine”.
“She wanted me to make a mix. As soon as I heard that Lal Ghagra part, I knew that I had to mix it with something,” AJ says.
“When I saw Hotline Bling, I immediately was like ‘OK I’ve got to try this’. As soon as I heard it, I knew it was working.”
It’s “been so amazing” to see the reach beyond Asian culture, AJ says, with “people from all backgrounds and cultures using the track”.
One of the most recognisable faces associated with AJ is actually his dad – and his reactions.
“Anything I did or created, I’d always show them naturally just to see what they thought. So when I started filming my dad’s reactions, I could see how people love to see that.”
“I’ve shared this journey with them and that’s something I’ll always be grateful for.”
“It’s not often people get to do that. Especially in Asian communities, it can be a bit tough.”
AJ might now have a song out, but he’s not done yet.
“I’m quite new to it so there’s a lot of learning to do. There’s so much I want to be honest.
“Doing big DJ shows and festivals. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m definitely going to do.”
And he wants to keep on fulfilling fan requests for those epic mixes.
“Getting the fans involved, people who follow me is a really fun element which opens me up to a lot of music that I’ve not heard before.”
“It’s like a whole different level to mashups as well, which I find really fun and entertaining,” he says.
