“Mmmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm! Love bomber, baby, you've taken my heart. You've trampled it so badly and ripped it apart.”
In the 1990s, films defined love with grand romantic gestures from Shah Rukh Khan in his iconic film scenes – be it Raj tracking Simran from Europe to India in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, crossing the border for Zara in Veer-Zaara or rediscovering Anjali in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham – these Shah Rukh Khan moments set the tone for romance.
But modern dating is a whole different world. It has its own terminology like “love bombing”, “breadcramming” and “situationship”. Post-millennials often portray themselves as a “catastrophic” generation when it comes to love, but Gani Porwal rebelled against that view. Her viral hit “Love Bomber Baby” turned her heartbreak into an overnight sensation, proving that the emotional resonance still resonates today. Written and sung by Porwal, “Love Bomber Baby” became a social media hit, with celebrities and influencers across the world alike making reels of the viral song. But Porwal wrote the song for an entirely different reason.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, Porwal, a computer engineer, said, “This is inspired by my personal life. I thought that writing a song like this would spread awareness. A lot of people have been traumatised for so long that they no longer believe in love. I too felt the same way. But after crying for some time, I decided to alchemise my pain. Being an alchemist, I transformed my pain into power. I shared my story as I thought it would spread awareness.”
For millennials and baby boomers, 'love bombing' is a form of emotional manipulation whereby a person showers excessive compliments, attention and affection on someone in order to control them and then ignore them later. However, the concept is not exclusive to any particular generation and many people have gone through the 'love bombing' phase in their relationships. This is one of the main reasons why Porwal's song became a hit. “I wanted the song to reach as many people as possible as it is something that many can relate to. People have written to me that they forgot about their break-ups after listening to 'Love Bomber Baby'. So, it is an empowering song,” she says.
Reacting to one of the many reels, one user commented, “The guy who ignored his girlfriend after seeing this amazing song should apologize,” while another wrote, “The whole concept of a breakup song is insane. After someone breaks your heart the first thing you do is sing a song and do a ton of dancing. Love it.”
Porwal was also trolled after her songs became popular. “I wrote, composed and sang the lyrics. For music arrangement and programming, I had a person in charge, a cinematographer, an assistant cinematographer and a make-up artist. But apart from that, I had to do everything myself – costumes, styling, choreography, singing, lyrics, direction, cinematography. I am very grateful to my team. I had to wear several hats. I wanted to be a singer but I didn't get a chance. So, instead of asking, I thought I have to make it now,” says the singer.
Porwal's video has received over 13 million views. But the popular singer says he didn't impersonate anyone while creating the song. “There was no strategy in mind. I wanted a fusion of East and West,” says Porwal, who hails from Rajasthan.
“I don't want to look like anyone. I want to have my own identity but this song is about heartbreak so people stereotype me. I never thought of making an English song. I started to like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Charlie Puth because they do so much on their own. I started to be drawn to indie music because you can do anything. I never thought I would be able to write and produce songs but I did it solo,” she added.
Porwal had been making videos for songs, but none of them were a hit so far. While some might wonder if her latest song is an attempt at viral success, the singer's love for performing runs deep. Growing up in a defence family, she has been performing with military bands and orchestras since she was a child. “This is not a new path. I was performing with military bands and orchestras. After completing my studies, I moved to Bombay. I started giving auditions. Left turn, right turn, I did it all. But I only got cameo roles. But I was strong in my dream. I was strong in my desire to become a singer,” she says.
But social media also has its dark side – trolls. Speaking of trolls, Porwal has decided to embrace the positive side of her newfound internet fame and focus on collaborations. “People get trolled because of their accent but I kept my accent authentic. The song is, first and foremost, catchy and easy. It's a feel good song and the lyrics are relatable and anyone can sing along,” she says.
“This is my debut song. It is a song that is very dear to me. I want to do business but I am not planning to sell the song. I will use social media effectively,” Porwal added.
