Even as he gears up for the release of his new single Lie To Me today, British pop singer HRVY is looking forward to working with Indian artistes.
Referencing English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s collab with musician Arijit Singh in the 2025 track Sapphire, he tells us, “I absolutely loved the crossover. It’s always so cool listening to different languages and sounds mixed in one song. I would definitely love to collaborate with an Indian artiste in the future.”
HRVY, 27, already shares a connection with the country, having performed in Mumbai: “India is more vibrant and welcoming than I expected. Yes, it’s super busy, but what major city isn’t?” He also hopes to explore more of the country on his next visit. “People sometimes have a one-dimensional view, but it’s so diverse. I’d love to come back and visit other places.”
Food remains a major draw for him. Recalling his last trip, HRVY shares, “Us Brits are serious about our Indian food. I also crashed an after-party at an Indian wedding, it was so much fun. Such a welcoming culture!”
Speaking about Lie To Me he says, “Lie To Me” is basically about wanting the fantasy over the truth. You know something’s off, but you’d rather stay in it than face reality. It sounds quite upbeat, but the lyrics are a bit darker. It was actually inspired by my friend who was telling me a story whilst we was jn Sweden. He was telling about a situation and I told him the honest truth and that he was wrong, which he jokingly replied ‘I wanted you to lie to me, and tell me what I wanna hear’ and I replied ‘Thats a great song concept’ and the next day I went into the studio and wrote the song.”
Reflecting on how his sound has evolved since his early YouTube days, when he uploaded cover songs before releasing his debut single in 2013, HRVY says the change has come with age and experience.
“Back then, I didn’t have much of a clear direction or sound. Also, I didn’t really have much to talk or write about, as at 14-18 years, I hadn’t experienced enough of life to release anything that really meant something to me personally,” he shares, adding, “Now it’s way more intentional, but with a little more edge and a lot more honesty. Social media gave me a platform early on that I didn’t really understand how to use. But now that I’m older, I know what I stand for.”
He also acknowledges the growing role of digital platforms in shaping music careers today: “Social media basically runs the music industry now. It’s the biggest way for a song or project to gain attention, so now more than ever, it’s important for every artiste to use.”
Ask about dealing with online negativity, and Hrvy admits he’s learned to tune it out. “When I first started, I used to get into a lot of arguments in my comment sections, but I realised that it wasn’t worth my time or energy. I like to reply to some hate DMs now and then for fun, but I really just ignore it all,” he shares.
Speaking about his work, one of his most popular collaborations was with South Korean boy band NCT Dream. Recalling the experience, he says, “I remember sitting in hair and makeup at like 5am, half asleep, speaking to some of the boys, talking about our favourite artistes and them teaching me Korean words. We shot a music video over two days, and it was one of the craziest shoots I’ve ever done.”
