SUBHI: THE UNSTOPPABLE MELODY

From crunching numbers on Wall Street to crafting Punjabi hooks for Hollywood, Subhi’s journey proves music knows no boundaries...

When Subhi’s voice soars through Higher Love—the infectious lead single from The Smurfs movie soundtrack—it’s more than just another career milestone. It’s history in the making: the first time Punjabi lyrics have ever been featured in a Hollywood animated film. “There’s something beautifully subversive about our language living in this blue, magical world,” says the Delhi-born artist, her eyes alight.

Subhi’s path to this moment reads like the plot of an indie film. After studying economics at NYU and working on Wall Street (“That corporate grind taught me discipline—and what true passion feels like”), she found herself drawn to Chicago’s underground music scene. “Those dive bars were my real education,” she recalls. Now based in Los Angeles, she’s become known for her signature blend: Urdu poetry wrapped in Western pop sensibilities, heard in Crocs’ Diwali anthem Gulzar and the haunting Tehtul-E-Ishq. 

But writing multiple tracks for The Smurfs soundtrack—alongside global icon Rihanna—was a curveball even she didn’t see coming. “We wrote Higher Love as a standalone track,” she reveals. “When they told us it was going to Smurfs, then added Cardi and Khaled? That’s when I knew—the universe writes better scripts than we ever could.” 

Beyond the studio, Subhi is navigating another life-changing role: motherhood. “It’s reshaped everything—how I write, what I prioritize,” she says, touching her bump. Where her lyrics once painted love and longing, they now carry new depth. “There’s a rawness you can’t fake when you’re creating life while creating art.” Has she considered lullaby versions of her songs? She laughs, “My baby will hear the originals first. If they grow up finding comfort in my music, that’s the real reward.” 

Her creative process remains refreshingly fluid—sometimes a melody arrives first, sometimes a line of poetry. “I’ve never believed in rules,” she shrugs. This philosophy extends to her advocacy for South Asian artists. “We’re past the point of asking for seats at the table. We’re building our own tables now—with The Smurfs soundtrack proving Hollywood is finally listening.” 

As she balances diaper preparations with soundtrack promotions, Subhi embodies modern artistry: uncompromising yet adaptable, deeply rooted yet borderless. “Every song is a bridge,” she muses. “Between cultures, between hearts, between the life I planned and the magic that found me anyway.” 

With The Smurfs hitting theatres July 18 and new music always simmering, one thing’s clear: Subhi’s symphony of surprises is far from over. 

Note:

Higher Love is out now and Subhi is now a mother of an adorable baby born on April 5, 2025.