E-Paper
Naalayak turns HT City Friday Jam into a city-wide singalong
The pop-rocker Naalayak had the Gurugram crowd grooving to his unreleased tracks and classics like Sunday at the 10th edition of HT City Friday Jam.
Pop-rock powerhouse Sahil Samuel, aka Naalayak, turned week two of the HT City & DLF CyberHub Friday Jam, presented by Cantabil with festival partner Monkey Shoulder, Merch, Music & Co, associate partners Zappfresh, Instax, Bingo Mad Angles & Bingo Tedhe Medhe, and health partner Paras Health, into a storm of sound, sweat and soul, more jam session than gig.
The frenzy began the moment he dashed on stage, guitar in hand, grinning: “Any naalayaks in the crowd?” The deafening roar got his reply: “Tonight is for all the naalayaks, especially Gurugram. We’ll play unreleased songs from our new album — but only if you sing with me.” He kicked off with Gulfam from his upcoming Marammat, and the energy never dipped.
From unreleased tracks like 3am Thoughts and Cauliflower — complete with sing-along lessons — to crowd favourites, Naalayak had the amphitheatre thundering as one giant chorus. “This didn’t feel like him on stage and us in the crowd. It felt like ‘our’ concert,” gushed Aarzu Sharma, adding, “This was the musical experience of a lifetime.”
Fans came chasing old anthems too. “I’ve come for one song and one song only, Sunday,” said Ajeet Dewan, a Delhi-based marketing professional. And right on cue, Naalayak lit up the mic: “Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for Sunday!” The amphitheatre exploded, voices rising word-for-word until throats burned, followed by Zakir as the perfect closer.
Even sceptics walked away converted. “I debated whether the drive through Gurugram traffic was worth it. But after tonight, zero regrets,” said Pragati Jaiswal, an entrepreneur from Noida, adding, “There’s no way I’m missing the next two Fridays.”
The event is presented by Cantabil with festival partner Monkey Shoulder, Merch, Music & Co.
