Students at Toronto Metropolitan University were the first to hear the new single at the historic course dedicated to Diljit Dosanjh in partnership with Billboard Canada.
Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh has teamed up with pop singer Sia and EDM producer David Guetta for a new international collaboration titled “Ranjha.”
A snippet of the track was first played publicly on Tuesday (Mar. 10) inside a classroom at Toronto Metropolitan University, where students attending a course dedicated to the global star heard an early preview of the song before it drops publicly this Friday (Mar. 13).
Students were stunned as the track played, becoming the first to hear new work by an artist they have been studying all semester.
“This is a huge moment,” said Richard Trapunski, guest lecturer for the course and national editor of Billboard Canada. “This is the first-ever course dedicated entirely to a Punjabi artist, and Diljit was really excited for the students here to be the first people to hear a snippet of his new international collaboration. It feels fitting that you all get to experience this first.”
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The single brings together three artists whose careers span different corners of the global music industry. Dosanjh has emerged as one of the most internationally successful Punjabi artists, steadily expanding his reach beyond South Asian audiences, while Sia and Guetta have each built decades-long careers shaping global pop and dance music.
“Ranjha,” released via Warner Music India, pairs Punjabi lyricism with electronic production and pop vocals, reflecting the increasing crossover between South Asian music and mainstream global dance culture.
Diljit previously collaborated with Sia on the 2023 hit “Hass Hass,” which became an international breakthrough and charted on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. This takes their collaboration to even bigger heights.
“This track carries that Punjabi heart but opens up to the world in a big way,” Dosanjh tells Billboard Canada. “Working with Sia again felt natural, and having David bring his energy just took it somewhere new. It’s one of those songs that makes you move but also feel something.”
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Guetta says the collaboration appealed to him because of its cross-cultural mix.
“I love when different sounds come together in a fresh way,” he says. “This track has melody, rhythm, and attitude, everything I’m drawn to as a producer. Working with Diljit and Sia was a great vibe, and we wanted to make something people could just press play on and feel instantly.”
The release continues a period of rapid international growth for Dosanjh, who has taken Punjabi music to larger stages worldwide from Coachella to The Tonight Show to stadiums in Toronto and Vancouver.
The first-ever course of its kind, The Music & Influence of Diljit Dosanjh covers the rise of the artist on the global stage and how he embodies the intersection of culture, identity and global music entrepreneurship. After hearing the song for the first time, the students discussed the track and its relationship in significance to the themes they have studied throughout the course.
“His journey represents far more than commercial success. It stands for cultural pride, creative freedom and global representation for Punjabi and South Asian communities,” said Dosanjh’s manager Sonali Singh when the class was announced. “Seeing his impact formally recognized in an academic space is not only powerful; it’s long overdue.”
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Diljit Dosanjh, Sia and David Guetta’s “Ranjha” will be out on all streaming services on Friday (Mar. 13)
