So how did this all happen? How does a young guy go from heartbreak at a reality show audition to being called “more dangerous than AI” by netizens? To find out, we did the most logical thing: we asked him.

By all laws of physics, Shivang Upadhyay shouldn’t be famous. He was eliminated in the early rounds of Indian Idol. His first few songs didn't have four digit views. Yet today, when Shivang sings Dil Ibaadat in KK’s voice or Pasoori while switching between 11 legendary singers, the internet goes into collective goosebumps. One minute you’re hearing Atif Aslam, the next it’s Mohit Chauhan, and before your brain can register the shift, you’ve got Alia Bhatt commenting “Unreal” and B Praak responding with claps and hearts.

Early Start:

In 2015, Shivang got his first big break as a composer in the award-winning indie film Saankal (Shackle). It wasn’t a blockbuster, but it was enough to show that the teenager had real talent. Then came the songs for Kaanchli, Chal Ja Bapu, and Coloriya. These were stepping stones. In 2018, he worked with Shaan, a childhood idol, for the track Chal Ja Bapu, proving that he could hold his own in the big leagues. His track Marziyan became a sensation, and his music has been streamed in 180 countries. This is consistency.

“I started singing 15 years ago at a college fest in Mumbai,” says the largely self-taught singer-composer. That’s how it started. His early elimination on Indian Idol became the start of a different route. He dropped out of college and started making music full-time. No backup plan. Just guts. Cut to 2025. Shivang is a viral music sensation, influencer and a legit composer with over 83 million streams on Spotify. He’s got Bollywood playback tracks and composing credits.

Then came the Instagram challenges. “Bhai Sonu Nigam ki aawaz mein Mujh Mein Kahi gaa sakte ho,” one follower wrote. Challenge accepted. Shivang sang the track in Nigam's voice, and nailed it. People were shook. The comments poured in. “Masterpiece, I am speechless,” one user wrote. “Not an easy song to sing n not an easy singer to emulate n yet you made it sound like a breeze,” wrote choreographer Terence Lewis. Tiger Shroff himself showed up in the comments. It was his first reel to go viral.

Another one on KK's song Dil Ibaadat did the rounds. Shivang wasn’t just doing covers. He was reviving memories. One 50-second reel at a time, he made people feel. “I never want it to be a gimmick,” he adds. “It’s about celebrating these legends. Keeping them alive through performance.”

11 Voices in One Video:

If you think Shivang is only about mimicry, think again. He composed the song Mere Khwab Vich (2023), with multiple remixes and a Lofi version. He wrote a track for India’s cricket season — World Cup Anthem. He made a song for Raksha Bandhan. He worked with Shaan, Mohit Chauhan, and DJ Lemon. He built an actual music career with collaborations, streaming, and solid discography.

In March 2025, Shivang dropped a reel of himself singing Pasoori in the voices of 11 artists. Arijit Singh. Sonu Nigam. Mohit Chauhan. Atif Aslam. Even the late KK. The reel exploded. Alia Bhatt reposted it saying, “Unreal. I can’t believe it.” B Praak dropped applause emojis. Papon said, “Amazing.” And fans? They said what everyone was thinking: this guy is better than AI.
But Shivang’s goal was to connect rather than merely impress. “Not everything is as easy as it seems,” he says. “I’ve had songs that didn’t work. Videos that got 1000 views. But you keep going.”

What’s Next?

More original music. More YouTube drops. More reels that make people cry. Shivang’s not chasing viral fame anymore. He’s building a brand that includes composition, content, and connecting with people. If you’re a young creator, singer, or even a daydreamer on your 9-to-5 job, there’s a lesson here. Shivang didn’t wait for Bollywood. He made music anyway. He didn’t get picked by a reality show, so he made the internet his audience.

He’s part of a new crop of Indian artists who don’t wait for labels to discover them. They build their own digital fanbases. Where record labels once held the keys, now it’s followers and comments. There’s something uniquely Gen Z about Shivang’s story. He has an instinctive understanding of how audio, video, emotion, and algorithm can work together.

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