Juggy D needs no introduction. With an illustrious career spanning over 2 decades, he has entertained the audience with his Punjabi pop songs. In an exclusive interview with PeepingMoon, Juggy spoke about staying relevant even without depending on social media. Talking about the changed scenario in the pop music space, the singer felt there's not much longevity in music at present. 

"The music culture and longevity have changed. I don't see much longevity in music these days. I don't know whether an artist with a strong social media following will survive for another 10-15 years. I'm grateful and blessed to have a strong fan base but I come from an era where there was no social media. Word-of-mouth promotion is so powerful that's why people from my era are still around and active today. Now, everything is digital. If you hear a song today, it'll be forgotten in a month's time. People are still jamming to songs from my era, that's the power of good music."

Opening up about reinventing himself with every passing year, Juggy shared, "You need to keep reinventing yourself and be on the top of your game. It is important to take care of your health. People want to see somebody who is fit, still active and doing shows. They show passion in following such people who take good care of themselves and their craft. If you don't focus on your work, fail to deliver good stuff and don't take good care of yourself, you will lose your fan base. Having said so, it is not only about fan following but you are creating music for your fans, right? If you come with good music, you climb up on the charts and get chances to sing in movies."

Shedding light on his career and making it big in the Punjabi pop music space, Juggy said, "Everyone has a different journey. I would like to believe it is 90% hard work and 10% luck. There are so many people who are extremely talented par unki kismat saath nahi deti. Some of them put in a lot of hard work. I'm not a trained singer but whatever I do, it is with passion. I put in a lot of effort whether I'm writing it or doing the vocals. If I'm not happy with a song, I'll record it repeatedly until I feel satisfied. You should have the hunger and passion to work. Success doesn't come overnight. I started working at the age of 11 with my first stage show. I didn't get the chance to release my first professional song until I was 24. In all that time, I performed wherever I got a chance. My dad made me sing during parties which I hated but that built my confidence. My first song came out in 2002 and the rest was history. I will, fortunately, be making music even 21 years later."

Was Bollywood his dream when he decided to pursue singing as a profession? He replied, "Bollywood toh bahut dur ki baat thi. Maine bas ek gaana gana tha and that was my dream. People would come to me and say, "Paaji, aapki awaz acchi hai. We love listening to you." When we were 17-18 years old, jab ladke ek saath aate hai toh gaane gungunane lagte hai. I was into folk Punjabi music. They would say, "Juggy, sing us a song," and it would start from there and about half an hour later, we all would be singing songs. They always pulled me up. Over the years, my friends, family, and relatives would tell me, "Kuch kar singing mein," but I had no music producer friend or label to support it. Singing was a hobby for me. Then I started a band. When I entered high school, I participated in a competition and came first after singing with the band. I would collect music and records. I would go to a shop and tell the aunty there, "Ek din main apni khud ki album khareedunga yaha se. She would tell me, "I will not let you buy it, I'll give it for free." I said, "Nahi, main khareedunga," and that day came. In 2002, I went to the same shop to purchase my song. I have three children and I often tell them that you can have what you dream of. It's all about never giving up and staying consistent. You never know which door will open for you. For me, the gates opened with Rishi Rich's album called Simply Rich and my song was titled Nahin Jeena. Usi gaane pe mera dream pura ho gaya tha. Getting into Bollywood was like a dream come true Singing with Madonna and other international artists was surreal. I look back sometimes and wonder how did I do all of that work?"

Talking about the influence Punjabi artists had on him, Juggy told, "I grew up in a Punjabi household and listened to more Punjabi songs than Hindi music. We watched many films but I wasn't much into music at that time. I love Bollywood music and Hindi songs. As a kid, I would go to Punjab very often and buy cassettes. I grew up listening to Punjabi folk music. I listened to singers like Gurdas Mann and other artists. I love Gurdas Mann for the person he is. He's so humble and grounded, that's why he's successful, respected and loved. In Punjabi, we have a saying that- Keep your head down and work, and God will take you to greater heights. That's what I live by."

When we asked him about the Indian artist he would like to collaborate with, Juggy shared, "I would to collaborate with Salim-Sulaiman. We've been in touch for a while now and had thought of doing something but our schedules didn't match. "

Sharing his take on remakes and remixes, the singer said, "I don't mind if it's in different languages but not a remake. Soniye ka remake nahi ban sakta. If we go to the studio and remake a song, that's a different thing. I am not sure if I'll be happy with remixes. I would never like to hear my songs remixed. These songs are still trending and played at weddings and parties. There's no need to remix them. When people attempt it, they won't get the same kind of love, recognition and fame."