"Within 10 minutes, the vibe was there."
Paramjeet Kaur, better known as Param, made her debut with ‘That Girl’, which became a viral sensation, racking up over four million YouTube views in just eight days.
Shot in Mohali and produced by British Punjabi music producer Manni Sandhu, the track was backed by independent label Collab Creations.
The song was born in an Airbnb during Sandhu’s recent India visit.
He began playing keys while Param layered verses, capturing a raw, unfiltered vibe within minutes.
“There was no expensive studio, no acoustic treatment, you could hear cars outside, but the vocals were extremely crisp. Within 10 minutes, the vibe was there,” Sandhu explained.
He later returned to his UK studio to refine the sound, while his friends Tru Makers, Dilsher Singh and Khurpal Singh shot the music video that has since exploded online.
What sets Param apart is her unfiltered delivery, powerful tone and the fact that she challenges the typical role of Punjabi women singers, often confined to folk or pop.
The male-dominated Punjabi rap scene has historically reduced women to background figures.
Param defies this by writing, composing and performing, armed with an energy that commands attention.
“There are many women singing pop music. But Param is unique. She is the first woman rapping in Punjabi in the ‘Gully Boy’ space,” said Speed Records’ Satvinder Singh Kohli.
Kohli, whose label launched Honey Singh and Satinder Sartaaj, believes Param has a long career ahead because of her originality and her refusal to mimic borrowed swagger.
Raised in Duneke village in Punjab’s Moga district, her mother works as house help, and her father is a daily-wage labourer.
Param first discovered rap in Class 10 at her government high school and later studied music at DM College in Moga, where she developed her voice through constant practice.
Her collaborator and friend Jashanpreet Singh, also known as Saab, co-wrote additional lyrics for ‘That Girl’.
He recalls how she gradually sharpened her craft over time.
Saab and Param often performed freestyle in Moga’s Dana Mandi grain market, a gathering place for hip-hop enthusiasts where cyphers of boys and girls exchanged verses.
Their reels posted on Instagram, especially through the page Malwa Hood, drew local attention.
Param’s sharp, melodic delivery soon stood out among the freestyle crowd.
On her own Instagram, she often posted stripped-down performances with a guitar on her unplastered terrace, covering artists like Sidhu Moosewala and Satinder Sartaj.
In ‘That Girl’, Param raps about self-reliance, strength, and even invokes Jeona Morh, a Punjabi folk hero known for defending the oppressed against social injustice.
She proclaims her independence with lines about carrying a gun in her bag and rejecting the need for support, embodying fierce confidence and cultural pride.
Despite her rising profile, off-stage Param remains a humble village girl.
Her greatest dream is to build a home for her parents and provide them with comfort.
“I just want to support my family. I want to build a nice house for my parents so they can sit at home and relax,” she shared.
Her story, a blend of raw talent, resilience and authenticity, is rewriting the narrative for Punjabi women in music.
Param is proving ‘That Girl’ is just the beginning.
Check out the music video here.
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