Believe India has launched BL/UR, its fourth music imprint, with a focus on developing independent artists and shaping a contemporary Indian pop sound that draws from both local and global influences.
The imprint was announced at a networking event in Mumbai on August 21, coinciding with Believe’s 20th anniversary. BL/UR follows the launch of Believe India’s three regional imprints: Neue for Punjabi music, Mahra Tora for Haryanvi music and Think Indie for Tamil independent music.
According to Believe, BL/UR is intended to provide artists with a platform to experiment beyond conventional commercial formats while retaining creative control. The imprint will focus on artist development, with releases spanning different genres and musical influences.
The first set of artists associated with BL/UR includes Marathi pop artist Sanju Rathod, composer and producer Anurag Saikia, rapper and lyricist Farhan Khan, desi hip-hop artist Khullar G, electronic duo Rusha & Blizza, and rapper-songwriter Bali.
Saikia has marked the imprint’s launch with ‘Badeela’, the first track from his upcoming six-song pop EP Pardesi, scheduled for release later this year. The track incorporates Rajasthani musical elements and draws on Saikia’s experiences of travelling through the state. His track ‘Ishq Hai’, from the third season of Mismatched, has crossed 269 million streams on Spotify.
BL/UR also builds on Believe India’s wider focus on independent and regional music. Over the past few years, the company has developed artist incubation and development programmes aimed at helping independent musicians expand their audiences while retaining creative autonomy.
“A new generation of Indian artists are growing up without looking at identity as local or global. Their influences move seamlessly across genres and cultures, and their music reflects that. BL/UR was created to identify and develop artists defining this new chapter. The future of Indian pop will be shaped by the freedom to draw inspiration from everywhere while remaining unmistakably Indian,” said Akhila Shankar, Director, Believe Artist Services, India and South Asia.
Vivek Raina, Managing Director, Believe India & South Asia, said the imprint builds on Believe’s wider approach to artist development and reflects the company’s view of where Indian music is heading.
“BL/UR is a natural evolution of that vision. It reflects our belief that the future of Indian Pop lies in breaking down the boundaries between genres, sounds and influences, and giving artists the space to shape something entirely their own,” he said.
BL/UR marks a new chapter for Believe, signalling the company’s evolution beyond its Artist Services & Development (ASD) identity towards a distinctly imprint-led identity.
The launch comes as Believe marks two decades in the global music industry. With BL/UR, the company is expanding its imprint strategy in India beyond language-specific markets, while placing greater emphasis on artists working across genres and cultural influences.
