07 October,2026 04:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Abhishek, Aaradhya Bachchan and Ariana Grande. Pics via AFP
Abhishek Bachchan may have grown up on the music of Kishore Kumar and RD Burman, but his 14-year-old daughter Aaradhya is introducing him to an entirely different playlist. The actor recently opened up about discovering the music of Gen Z favourites including Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, admitting that his daughter's eclectic taste has expanded his musical horizons.
Speaking to BBC Asian Network, Abhishek recalled attending an Ariana Grande concert with Aaradhya during a recent summer break abroad. Despite not knowing any of the singer's songs beforehand, he was left impressed by her live performance.
"On our summer break, we were abroad and she took us to see an Ariana Grande concert. I didn't even know one song, but that woman could sing. Oh my god! The quality of the voice... unbelievable," Abhishek said.
The actor also praised the passionate following enjoyed by contemporary pop stars, refusing to dismiss their music simply because they belong to a younger generation. "To see the fandom that these young singers have is unbelievable. I think they are all so immensely talented," he said, adding that people should not automatically reject artists such as Taylor Swift because of their age group.
"I know as an older generation, like, âOh no no, we don't want to listen to Taylor Swift.' No, they actually make great music," Abhishek added. The actor revealed that Aaradhya's playlist includes several current pop stars. "I have a 14-year-old at home, so there is a lot of Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande," he said.
However, Abhishek is happy that his daughter is also exploring some of his own musical favourites. He said Aaradhya has an "eclectic" taste and has started listening to rock acts such as Bon Jovi, Van Halen and Metallica.
Despite his newfound appreciation for contemporary pop, Abhishek remains firmly attached to classic Hindi film music. Kishore Kumar is among his personal favourites, while he also enjoys the work of composers including RD Burman, SD Burman, Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Bappi Lahiri.
On the acting front, Abhishek was recently seen in Riteish Deshmukh's Marathi film Raja Shivaji. He will next appear as an antagonist in Siddharth Anand's King, which stars Shah Rukh Khan alongside Suhana Khan. The cast also includes Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Arshad Warsi.
