The Last Ride: Moose Wala's ominously titled recent track

CHANDIGARH: From singing about guns to seeking votes and talking about Panthic politics in his song '295', Sidhu Moose Wala rose to meteoric heights in the Punjabi music industry within a matter of four years, collaborating with established artists such as Bohemia and Amrit Maan and newcomers like Wazir Patar.
All of 28 at the time of his death, Moose Wala first hit headlines with his song 'So High' in 2018. In a short while, Moose Wala, or Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu as his family named him, gained millions of fans as he belted out one hit after another.
One of his latest songs, ominously titled 'The Last Ride', was released about two weeks ago. Its chorus went: "Ho chobbar de chehre utte noor dassda, ni ehda uthuga jawani ch janaja mithiye (the glow on the face of this young man shows that he will die at a young age)."
Moose Wala did not give up on his music when he entered politics. He released 'Youngest Incharge' just before the 2022 assembly elections. He contested on a Congress ticket from Mansa seat of Punjab assembly, but lost to now-arrested AAP MLA Vijay Singla.
The electoral loss did not stop him from working on his craft, and he soon released the song 'Scapegoat'.
Moose Wala grew into one of the most prolific artists of his generation, beating his competition, collaborating with them and gaining crores of views on each of his songs.
He invited the wrath of politicians, religious figures and social activists for the content of his music. After coming under criticism from panthic circles for a song named 'Jatti Jeona Mor Di Bandook Wargi', the artist released the song '295', a raw commentary of the section of the Indian Penal Code that dealt with hurting religious sentiments.
Several celebrities and politicians tweeted about his untimely passing. Music director and Pentagram frontman Vishal Dadlani tweeted: "I only knew #SidhuMoosewala through his music, yet the news of his demise has cut deep. India has very few authentic modern artists. He was right on top of that list."