Annie Khalid Interview + Shabolonna Queen Chats With Annie

I recently got a chance to interview Annie Khalid for my blog. And since I am a huge fan of pop music, it only made sense to send out a pop viral sensation Shabolonna Queen (aka the Eid Song Girl) to go out and interview Annie for my blog.

While Shabolonna keeps it spicy and *hot* , signature Shabolonna, I on the other hand got to ask questions from Annie that were a bit personal and deep (I am a huge fan of relativity) and here came a blend of pop and mediocrity and personality, like I've said, I want something much more and personal. And Annie was kind enough to grasp that. We find out how she deals with haters, how she relaxes by drooling over Damon from Vampire Diaries, and how she explored Paris.

Enjoy Shabolonna Queen's Audio Interview Below, and further below is my interaction with Annie.

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MY INTERVIEW WITH ANNIE


Tell us about the Annie from her childhood, and how was the experience.

I had a great school life. As you must know, I was raised in UK. Studying over there, I made friends with people from different backgrounds. That in itself was a very enriching experience. Some of my closest friends are from my school life. I enjoyed participating in a lot of extracurricular activities such as acting and dancing. My parents were and still are very supportive of all my interests.

How would you describe your teenage years?

My teenage years were like any other girl’s. I faced the same issues, went through the same dilemmas. The silliest problems seemed like the end of the world. But then they were also the best years of my life. I lived a sheltered life with my parents. I had no real worries. I enjoyed being with my friends and discovering new things.

How would you cope up with disappointments as a young kid/teenager?

My parents taught me to be a fighter from a very young age. Yes I used to get upset, those are human emotions of course but I never indulged myself in depression. I used to be surrounded by so much love from my parents; it was hard not to look at them as a blessing. They are always willing to go to any lengths for my happiness.

Who is Annie when she is not in the spotlight? 

When I am not in the spotlight, I am just a regular girl who enjoys living life to its fullest. I like hanging out with my friends, enjoying the simple pleasures of life such as watching movies or perhaps having fast food! I know it sounds very boring but that is just who I am. Just like any other girl, I love watching TV series like The Vampire Diaries (and drooling over Damon Salvatore of course!), listening to music (I enjoy happy music like house, pop and even a bit of rap) and I love travelling. I visited Paris a few months ago with my cousin who is also my best friend. It was an amazing experience. Just two girls exploring the city of love! I plan on travelling more now but for vacations. For work, I am travelling all the time but while that is fun we all need some time off.



Why singing? If not singing, then what else would she have gone for?

Singing is something which I enjoyed doing from a very young age. Britney Spears was and still is one of my biggest inspirations. I got into singing at the age of 17 and that became my full time career ultimately. I cannot imagine myself doing anything else and I have never thought about what else I would have been doing. Hmmm maybe I would have been a fashion designer?

Mahia received acclaim, but it seems that with the pretty different approaches to your music overall, it took you some time to figure out where you wanna go? Considering that the first album turned out to be very different from Mahia itself.

As a musician, you gotta keep experimenting to grow. That’s what I love doing. Mahia in itself was an experiment which is why it turned out to be such a big hit. It was different from what was happening in the industry at that time. Internationally, look at musicians like Rihanna and Justin Timberlake. Their music has evolved so much over the years. Even the music that I am doing currently, it is not something that I will be doing for the rest of my career. If you work with that approach, eventually you fizzle out.

Why was it so different, like why Punjabi?

Punjabi is one of my family’s language too which is why I can comfortably sing in it. I think it is a beautiful language and you cannot deny that Punjabi music has a lot of listeners.

How do you think you have evolved over time, like being so strong in a fickle industry, you had to have noticed a change in your approach toward your music? How did that happen. Like, explain a little.

I have evolved a lot in the sense that I have stopped taking anything anyone says to my heart whether negative or positive! I know that sounds weird but it is very important to stay grounded in an industry where you can become an overnight sensation. It is not like a regular job where once you have achieved a certain position, you go upwards only. Here, everything is very unpredictable. One day the audiences will idolize you, the next day they will find a new heartthrob. Amidst such cut throat competition, I have learn the best thing to do it simply focus on what you like doing and don’t get indulged in silly gossips or politics.

While I understand that the new approach is "singles" towards releasing your new music, but will your fans be able to relate?

Unfortunately, singles is the way to go in the industry right now. There are no record labels, hence it makes no sense to release an album. It is much better to come out with singles. Maybe once I have come out with enough singles, I might compile them into an album and release it.

A lot of people "claim" that you cannot sing? Back when you started, how was the experience of the backlash? How have you evolved to deal with it.

I won’t deny it. Yes, it used to hurt me initially. I am always open to constructive criticism but people who used to attack me back then used to make me very upset. But then I started seeing it from another perspective. I had a huge fan following. I was performing at some of the biggest concerts all over the country and even getting invited internationally. What difference did their criticism make to me?

You've had a very public personal/marital life, from your wedding to your divorce. How has media's behaviour been towards you since then? and more importantly, how have you now decided to approach media?

Look, I am a public figure and I realize that there is a certain price I have to pay for it. Marriages happen and break every other day in this country. This particular one too couldn't work out and while it is unfortunate, we have to move on with life. As for the media, initially they were a little negative towards me but that’s their job. They cannot be biased towards anyone. Someone approached them, told them nonsense about me and it was their job to report it. Eventually, the truth comes out and it did in this case too. Ever since I have come back, they have been very supportive towards me. My approach is simple. I just talk about my professional life and all that’s going on with it. They have now stopped asking about my personal life mostly.

I feel like there's this certain lack of expression of emotion, the personal struggles (besides romance) in Pakistani music. Like how Katy Perry has Firework, and Britney has basically a lot of it, my favourite being My Prerogative. What would you say to that? Why is it this way? Also, would you plan to do something like this?

I totally agree with you. I love how internationally they are open to all kinds of songs. Their lyrics range from very deep emotions to simple catchy words. I was planning on working on a song with simple lyrics some year back, but was advised against it as everyone felt our audiences aren't open to it. Maybe in the future I might work on a song like this.

Enjoy her single Tharki Sala here. And don't forget to share!

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Special Shout out to Shabolonna Queen for agreeing to do this interview, show her some love and like her Facebook Page here.

and Pitch Media Inc, for arranging this. You can follow them on twitter here.

You can like my Facebook page here and follow me on twitter here