- Arijit Singh announced his retirement from playback singing in January 2026
- He will complete pending commitments but not take new film singing assignments
- Leslee Lewis praised Singh for leaving at the peak of his career by choice
The nation has crooned to Arijit Singh's melodious tracks for years now, but the sensational singer shook up his fandom when he announced his retirement from playback singing in January 2026. The poster boy of heartbreak songs, as some would say, confirmed that he would not be taking on any new films or songs, but would tend to his pending commitments.
Recently, in a conversation with NDTV, legendary music composer, singer and producer Leslee Lewis-who has had a pioneering role in bringing Indie Pop to India-shared his thoughts on Arijit Singh's departure from the singing realm.
'Elite Fans Are Going To Miss This Iconic Singer'
Leslee Lewis says the major heartbreak now is for the "elite fans" of the singer.
He tells NDTV, "They are going to miss their iconic singer, but from my perspective, he's the artist. He's living his life. How better can an artist live his life and make his own decisions and not have the public decide for him whether he should sing or not sing? He wanted to sing; he sang. He sang as long as he wanted. Now he doesn't want to sing. He wants to do something else. He's doing it. He can. That's his life."
Furthermore, he adds, "People can't fathom the fact that he has the guts to leave it at the peak of his career. That is commendable. And so you feel like a true artist. It's not about the money. It's not about the peak of my career. It's like, now I think I want to do something else. I'll do something else. What stops him from coming back? Nothing."
"There are so many reunion concerts that have been happening over the years. You can always come back. That option is up to me. But right now, they're probably missing in the new Bollywood, but I think it also makes room for a lot of young, other talented singers who get extra room to showcase themselves, which is great for the whole industry," concludes Leslee Lewis.
Arijit Singh's Retirement Post
On January 27, Arijit Singh announced that he would no longer take up new assignments as a playback vocalist. However, he will still lend his voice to the upcoming film Ek Din, starring Sai Pallavi and Junaid Khan.
Have a look at his post:
For decades, Arijit Singh has been the voice behind the biggest chartbusters in Hindi cinema.
From his breakout song Tum Hi Ho in Aashiqui 2 to Ae Dil Hai Mushkil for Ranbir Kapoor, Kesariya in Brahmastra, Agar Tum Saath Ho in Tamasha, and Gerua in Dilwale. Arijit Singh has been an irreplaceable voice echoing through iconic Hindi film albums, and it indeed is a tragic parting with his fans, who continue to root for him.
