Armaan Malik on meeting John Mayer: ‘I won’t lie, I was completely fanboying’ (EXCLUSIVE)

It’s rare to meet your heroes one-on-one. Rarer still to spend some quality time with them during the brief time they’re here. That, too, for the first time. Quite simply put, singer Armaan Malik is living THAT dream. He met seven-time Grammy-winning singer John Mayer before he took the stage at his concert in Mumbai and admittedly, emerged enriched from the experience.

We’re surprised for him to say, “I’ve actually never watched John live before, so this was my very first concert experience of his.” Calling it “surreal”, he further shares, “I’ve been a fan since I was a teenager. I literally picked up the guitar because of him. I remember sitting in my room obsessing over ‘Neon’, trying to figure out how he played it, slowing down YouTube videos, getting frustrated, starting again. So [from] being in that room, [to] watching him perform those songs live, was a full circle moment for me.”

They got to meet “very briefly before he went on stage, maybe five to seven minutes,” shares Malik, adding, “I won’t lie, I was completely fanboying. I didn’t say much beyond telling him that I play guitar because of him. It felt strange to suddenly be face-to-face with someone who shaped such a big part of your musical journey.”

Armaan Malik is a prolific artist who’s known for collaborations across geographies: “Always” with Calum Scott in 2024, “2step” with Ed Sheeran in 2022 and “Echo” with Eric Nam and KSHMR in 2021. He has opened for Ed Sheeran in 2025 and performed alongside LAUV and Eric Nam in 2024.

Of course, a meeting with John Mayer is likely fodder for speculation. Is there a collaboration coming up between Mayer and Malik? Armaan avers, “We didn’t speak about collaborations or anything like that. It didn’t feel like the moment for it. But of course, as an artist and as a fan, it would be a dream to create something with him someday if the stars align. That would be very special.”

On a parting note, he shares what he came away with, from the evening.  “More than anything, watching him live reminded me of how powerful simplicity can be. Just a guitar, great songwriting and honesty. That’s something I always strive for in my own music too. If anything, the experience just pushed me to go back to the basics and keep evolving as a musician,” he concludes.