Abhijeet Bhattacharya: KK was the last playback singer we had, all others have copied him

Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK died just hours after playing in Kolkata, and his untimely death has left the entire country in tears and the music industry speechless.

KK's pleasant voice enchanted music fans, and his chart-topping hits from the 1990s are still popular today. ETimes spoke with vocalist Abhijeet Bhattacharya, who struggled to comprehend the loss of his regular partner. Abhijeet described KK as a ground-breaking vocalist who "dominated the music space" with his distinct talent.

He quoted,

 "He was a voice for actors like Shah Rukh Khan and even for the new age heroes. KK was the last playback singer we had… those who came after him, I don’t count them as playback singers. His songs were written for the screen and heroes. Those who came after him, were all about remixes, singing our songs, or singing anything at home. All these people have copied KK.”

He also added that KK was and continues to be a trend-setting singer. He further shared that when Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, and he were the main singers, KK came in the scenario. They were astounded by his voice and singing abilities, and he became his fan. He had a couple of songs which he believes were composed specifically for him, but then KK showed up, and his anxiety rose. Abhijeet exclaimed that, because of KK, music directors began to compose music with different pitches. He ushered in a new era of music that was more western and youthful.

Several backstage footage of KK, who was seen sweating profusely and using a towel in between acts, surfaced soon after his death.