Sep 14, 2026 4:00pm IST
‘I’m An Artist Bro’ Sees Diljit Dosanjh At His Guarded Best, While Trying Out a Little Rebellion: Album Review
A Diljit Dosanjh fan doesn’t need a reason or season to enjoy whatever he puts out. The man’s general devil-may-care, ‘will do/say it now, bother about it later’ cavalierness in real life, is a little on the nose to a casual watcher, but none of that ever affects how you approach his music.
It’s been a while since Diljit Dosanjh last collaborated with producers thiarajxtt (real name: Dilmanjot Singh Thiara) and Intense (real name: Aneil Kainth). “Aura” (2025) and “The Call Of Punjab” (EP) earlier this year had Mixsingh and Tru-Skool on board. The shift is apparent.
Here’s a track-by-track review of the EP…
Fizawan
What starts out as a regular ‘Intense’ outing for the song’s bedrock, it quickly ventures into derivative turf that only slides along because Diljit’s having fun with it. Significant parts in the foreground of the song sound as if the hooks of “Pyar Tera Mera” and “Boohey Baarian” had a love child.
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Love Like This
Summer came early for this definite addition to a long-drive playlist. A duet that feels like it underwent the viral 80s filter, you can almost picture yourself playing this top-down in a convertible by the coast.
Gustakhi
A mid-tempo, mellow, mainstream-ish single that makes all the right noises. Brings the nostalgia if you were a fan of Punjabi pop du jour in the early 00s. Lyrically, a half-hearted apology?
Waliyan
A clear no-brainer winner from this list. Just too easy to call this one. The repetitions and sonic iterations tend to grow on you the way fiddling with a rubber band would.
Sweet Ting
The most club-friendly bop here. Summery, sundowner-ish and slightly flirty, it wouldn’t be out of place on a Hindi soundtrack if a film decided to cannibalise it.
Lambo
What is a Punjabi album without a mention of a gedi? Casts out ‘in’ keywords like someone would cast cigarette butts from a moving car. Only part that stays with you is the hook line.
Devil
Lyrically gothic. It sounds as if summer just took a break and an overcast sky just takes over the mood. On seeing the visualizer that Dosanjh released to accompany the track, it sorta-kinda makes complete sense. The rebellion, the angst, all of it. Just a little out of sync with the rest of the theme for this one.
“I’m An Artist Bro,” which borrows from a phrase he made notorious earlier this year, shows he only wants to make music and little else, but that rebellious streak and slight unpredictability continues to remain a signature in the music the man makes. However, that is slightly understated in intent on this EP. Much of what the man does here has that Diljit-ness while playing it ever so safe, even sonically.
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