# King (singer)

Arpan Kumar Chandel (born 10 October 1995), professionally known as King, is an Indian singer-songwriter, rapper, and music producer. In 2019, he rose to fame as a finalist on the MTV India reality show MTV Hustle.
He is best known for his singles "Ghumshudaa" (2019), "Tu Aake Dekhle" (2020), "Oops" (2022), and "Maan Meri Jaan" (2022). "Maan Meri Jaan" achieved substantial commercial success, becoming the most streamed song of 2023 on Spotify India, and other music streaming platforms.

## Early life

Arpan was born on 10 October 1995 in Uttar Pradesh, India. He attended a government school for his early education before enrolling in Vinay Marg Navyug Secondary School in New Delhi. He later gained admission to Dyal Singh College through the sport quota to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Arpan played for the national under -20 team for four years during his time in college. Despite his athletic achievements, he eventually dropped out to focus on his passion for rapping.
King began sharing his music online through his YouTube channel, "King Rocco," which he launched in 2012. He continued to upload his music to various social media platforms while in school. In an interview with NME, he cited early musical influences including pop groups like the Backstreet Boys and Vengaboys.

## Career

His professional career began in early 2018 when he dropped his first EP Talismann which included 7 tracks (as per his reverbnation release) before Talismann he had uploaded 6 singles, after Talismann he announced Mashhoor Chp 1 in 2019 which included 10 tracks, in the same timeline he participated in the inaugural season of the rap reality show MTV Hustle, where he was judged by Raftaar, Raja Kumari, and Nucleya. He rose to fame as a finalist on the MTV India reality show MTV Hustle in 2019.
Following MTV Hustle, King released 2 of lead singles from New Life Album Tum Saath Rehnaa and No Loss but then Covid happened, King announced limited edition mixtape/album Heartbreak Made Me Do It In April 2020 which had 8 tracks in it and over 500 digital copies were sold, this was his way of raising funds for himself as well as the Government during Covid, he donated half of the income from Album sells to the PMCARES fund, He later then announced his debut album, The Carnival, in 12th June 2020. The album featured the sleeper hit "Tu Aake Dekhle," which became his first breakthrough and garnered significant attention, becoming one of his signature tracks and a chart-topping hit. He followed this with his second album, The Gorilla Bounce, in 2021.
In 2022, King made his major-label debut with his Khwabeeda EP, which featured tracks like “Baazi”, “Ektarfa”, and “Sinner” and was his first release with Warner Music India. Later that year, he released his album, "Champagne Talk" which consisted of singles like “Pablo”, "Oops" and "Maan Meri Jaan," which went on to become the most streamed song on Spotify, Apple Music, and Shazam in India in 2023. He subsequently released multiple versions of "Maan Meri Jaan" featuring artists from different language backgrounds, including a Hindi-English version titled "Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife)" with Nick Jonas. “Maan Meri Jaan” was also featured in Spotify’s Top 50 Viral Charts in 2023. He debuted in Bollywood with the song Sahi Galat from Drishyam 2 in 2022.
In April 2023, King partnered with Indian entrepreneur Raj Shamani and his company, House of X, to launch his debut perfume brand, Blanko.
In 2023, King released a three-track EP titled Shayad Woh Sune, which included songs such as "Laapata" and "Teri Ho Na Saki." Following the EP's release, he launched his fourth studio album, New Life, featuring collaborations with international artists Gucci Mane and Julia Michaels. Tracks such as "Crown," "Good Trip," and "Sarkaare" from the album garnered critical acclaim, with "Good Trip" being featured in the Grammy Recording Academy’s Global Spin series. Additionally, his song "We Are The Ones" was included in the official soundtrack for EA SPORTS FC 24. He performed a 9-city tour across India in support of his album New Life. The tour included performances in Bengaluru, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Goa, among other cities.
In the same year, Sony India appointed King as the brand ambassador for its audio product category. He was also shortlisted as one of GQ India’s 35 Most Influential Young Indians and performed at the closing ceremony of the Indian Premier League Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
In 2024, King released his fifth studio album, Monopoly Moves, featuring collaborations with Indian rappers like MC STΔN, Ikka, and Raftaar. He also released the single "Bumpa" with Jason Derulo in the same year, as well as his long-awaited collaboration “Aawara” with American producer KSHMR and Indian singer Zaeden. King partnered with Red Bull to release “Shining Star,” which served as the official anthem for the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final 2024.
That year, King attended the 77th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Brut India delegation, becoming the first Indian pop artist to walk the red carpet at the event. He was later featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in the Entertainment & Sports category. In April 2024, he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone India as part of their Future of Music ‘24 list. King has 120+ songs in his catalogue as per the year 2024.

## Albums (LPs)

| Year | Album | Track | Co-artist(s) |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Maahaul | |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Fantasy | |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Umar 73 | |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Akeli Awara Azad | |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Ghumshudaa | |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | I Know You | |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Going Bad | |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Outta My Mind | Nateboi |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Gold Digger | |
| 2019 | Mashhoor Chapter 1 | Moment Hai | |
| 2020 | The Carnival | She Don't Give A | |
| 2020 | The Carnival | Thoda Samjha Karo | |
| 2020 | The Carnival | Dracula | |
| 2020 | The Carnival | 90s | |
| 2020 | The Carnival | MAFIIA | |
| 2020 | The Carnival | Let The Eyes Talk | |
| 2020 | The Carnival | IICONIC | |
| 2020 | The Carnival | Tu Aake Dekhle | |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Picasso | |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Blanko | |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Saloot | |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Godfather | |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Casanova | Rahul Sathu |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Desi Dan Bilzerian | |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Koo Koo | Aesap, Jaz |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Shaamein | Harjas Harjaayi |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Main Bas Kehti Nahi | |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | ERA | |
| 2021 | The Gorilla Bounce | Tera Hua Na Main Kabhi | HIGHBORN |
| 2022 | Champagne Talk | Na Ja Tu | |
| 2022 | Champagne Talk | OOPS | |
| 2022 | Champagne Talk | Broken Dreams | |
| 2022 | Champagne Talk | Maan Meri Jaan | |
| 2022 | Champagne Talk | Dejalo | |
| 2022 | Champagne Talk | Pablo | |
| 2022 | Champagne Talk | Champagne Talk | |
| 2022 | Champagne Talk | Me & Me | |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | Aafat | |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | Runaway | Julia Michaels |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | Tu Jaana Na Piya | |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | Good Trip | |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | Sarkaare | |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | Tum Saath Rehnaa | |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | Legends | |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | We Are the Ones | Gucci Mane |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | High Hukku | Nikhita Gandhi |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | No Loss | |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | CROWN | Natania |
| 2023 | NEW LIFE | Legends (B Side) | |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | GOAT SHIT | Karma |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | STILL THE SAME | Abhijay Sharma |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | WAY BIGGER | |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | BAWE MAIN CHECK | Raga |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | MISFIT | |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | KODAK | Seedhe Maut |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | SAZA | MC Heam |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | PYAAR HUMARA | |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | F*CK WHAT THEY SAY | MC STΔN |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | WARCRY | Raftaar |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | MASHINEY | Ikka |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | SUPREME LEADER | Talha Yunus |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | SUITS & STREETS | Yashraj, Gravity |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | CAN'T AFFORD | Sikander Kahlon |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | TERE HO KE | Bella |
| 2024 | MONOPOLY MOVES | DELULU DANCE | |

## EPs/Mixtapes

| Year | EPs/Mixtapes | Track | Producer(s) |
| 2018 | Talismann | Dur Kyun | Ryini Beats |
| 2018 | Talismann | FLEX | Young Taylor |
| 2018 | Talismann | Main Ho Gaya Tera | LCS |
| 2018 | Talismann | Hennessy | Lytton Scott |
| 2018 | Talismann | Talismann | Lytton Scott |
| 2018 | Talismann | Hum Bekhudi Mein | Tundra beats |
| 2018 | Talismann | Taaliyaan | Gum$ |
| 2020 | Heartbreak Made Me Do It (Limited Edition) | Mood | Lucas |
| 2020 | Heartbreak Made Me Do It (Limited Edition) | Tere Naam Pe | |
| 2020 | Heartbreak Made Me Do It (Limited Edition) | Fosure | |
| 2020 | Heartbreak Made Me Do It (Limited Edition) | Banjarr | Tundra Beats |
| 2020 | Heartbreak Made Me Do It (Limited Edition) | Dur Kyunn | Ryini Beat |
| 2020 | Heartbreak Made Me Do It (Limited Edition) | Aarzoo | |
| 2020 | Heartbreak Made Me Do It (Limited Edition) | Mirza Aur Ghalib | |
| 2020 | Heartbreak Made Me Do It (Limited Edition) | Obsession | |
| 2022 | Khwabeeda | Baazi | Section 8 |
| 2022 | Khwabeeda | Ektarfa | Aakash |
| 2022 | Khwabeeda | Sinner | ENZO |
| 2023 | Shayad Woh Sune | Laapata | Bharg |
| 2023 | Shayad Woh Sune | Hum Tumse | Bharg |
| 2023 | Shayad Woh Sune | Teri Ho Na Saki | Bharg |

## Singles and collaborations

| Year | Track | Co-artist(s) |
| 2015 | Boombass | |
| 2016 | Zinnda | |
| 2017 | Hitman | |
| 2017 | Promise | |
| 2018 | Chorus | |
| 2018 | Hauley | |
| 2020 | Jaane De Yaara | Rahul Sathu |
| 2020 | Let There Be Love(Remix) | Ananya Birla, Rahul Sathu |
| 2021 | Keh Na Paun | Void |
| 2021 | Famous | Arjun Kanungo |
| 2021 | Father Saab | Amit Bhadana |
| 2021 | Gangster | Karma |
| 2021 | Ishq Samundar | Arjun Kanungo |
| 2021 | Dhoondein Sitare | Aastha Gill |
| 2022 | Ilzaam | Arjun Kanungo |
| 2022 | Habibi(Remix) | Ricky Rich |
| 2022 | Doob Ja | Sunidhi Chauhan, Salim Sulaiman |
| 2022 | OOPS (Remix) | Masked Wolf |
| 2022 | Naya Nazariya | |
| 2023 | Maan Meri Jaan (African Version) | Rayvanny |
| 2023 | Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife) | Nick Jonas |
| 2023 | Sona re | |
| 2024 | Rang Barse x Yaaron Wali Baat | Karan Kanchan, Shiv-Hari |
| 2024 | Aawara | KSHMR, Zaeden |
| 2024 | Bumpa | Jason Derulo |
| 2024 | Mr. K | |
| 2024 | Shining Star | |
| 2024 | Alpha's Goodbye | |
| 2025 | Pray | Ikka, Hiten |
| 2025 | Stay | |

## MTV Hustle S01

King was First Artist in Hustle who got entry to Top 15 by his mesmerizing performance Maahaul and after that, week after week he kept winning audience's heart and become one of the favourite contestant in that Season.
| Week | Track |
| Audition | Maahaul (Hustle Version) |
| Showcase | Ghumshudaa (Hustle Version) |
| III | Aye Jaani |
| Bollywood Remix | She Move It Like (Remix) |
| V | Usool |
| VI | Gold Digger (Hustle Version) |
| VII | Memories |
| VIII | Moment Hai (Hustle Version) |
| Semi Finals | Hennessy (Hustle Version) |
| Grand Finale | Badnaam Raja |

## Film and Web Series Songs

| Year | Song | Film/Series | Composer(s) | Lyricists | Co-artist(s) |
| 2022 | Sahi Galat | Drishyam 2 | Devi Sri Prasad | Amitabh Bhattacharya | - |
| 2023 | Mere Sawaal Ka | Shehzada | Pritam | Shloke Lal 2023 O Bandeya from Farrey | - |
| 2023 | Baap Aa Gaya Hai | Rana Naidu | Karan Kanchan | King, Roll Rida | Roll Rida |
| 2023 | O Bandeya | Farrey | Sachin-Jigar | Jigar Saraiya | |