Pop Artist Yush! Balances Head and Heart on New Song ‘Pride and Joy’

Mumbai pop artist Yush! aka Soham Pathak. Photo: Dark Matter

Over buoyant rhythms and bright synth lines, pop artist Yush! aka Soham Pathak gets serious and introspective on “Pride and Joy.” His first release this year, the third single (excluding a Christmas-timed cover of “Silent Night”) keeps pace with lush releases of 2020 (“Carbs (papi player)”) and 2021 (“Indian Summer”), but leans more in the modern electronic-pop space.

Co-produced by Rahul Kannan, Pathak says this was the first song he wrote under the moniker Yush! back in January 2020. “And you won’t believe, I’ve been wanting to write something like this since 2011 it took me 10 years to realize and find my sound,” the artist adds. The beats build up steadily on “Pride and Joy,” as does Yush!’s intensity and intention. Addressing a muse about how he’s getting his act together, there’s a confidence in the lyrics but also a reality check about how his insecurities haven’t checked out as such. He says about balancing the emotions on the song, “It’s tough, especially when you want to write songs that are about you and your life and when you weave a story around it to maintain that emotional balance. Being practical at the same time is kinda crazy but well, life moved on and so did I.”

With “Pride and Joy” out, a certain sense of relief seems to have set in. Pathak says the Yush! next material will take a different direction. “I’m done with ‘em sad songs; they’re taxing, they eff you up.” With a temporary break from releases in place, Pathak plans to focus on writing throughout the year. “Apart from that, I’m working on a web series and some Marathi music which I’m excited and looking forward to,” he adds.

Listen to “Pride and Joy” below. Stream on more platforms here.