The Jasleen Royal Controversy: How Bad Are Her Live Performances, Really?

You finally snag tickets to @Coldplay’s long-awaited concert in Mumbai. Amid a sea of glowing phone flashlights Jasleen Royal takes the stage as the opening act.

There’s a moment of excitement—after all, she’s a Spotify darling with millions of streams. But within minutes, the mood shifts. By the second verse, whispers ripple through the crowd, and the group chats start buzzing: “Is she off-key?” “What’s happening?” “Was this a mistake?”

This was meant to be her moment—opening for one of the world’s biggest bands on their India tour. Instead, it became a nightmare.

Criticism came fast and hard. Social media was relentless, labeling her performance “unbearable” and “unprofessional.” Even peers chimed in. Antara Mitra’s sarcastic remark about Jasleen being the “brightest idea” for India’s representation made her stance clear. Vishal Dadlani didn’t hold back either: “When you put a basic-to-bad singer on such a large stage, all you’re doing is exposing their weaknesses to more people.” Vivek Agnihotri tweeted – “the audience was more sureela than the singer.”

The controversy, however, also raises larger questions. Was Jasleen miscast for a Coldplay concert? Her introspective, indie-folk style clashes with the high-energy theatrics of an arena-rock spectacle. The pairing felt mismatched from the start; a decision that set her up for failure.

Then came Ahmedabad, where Jasleen attempted to reclaim her narrative on Republic Day by leading a massive crowd in singing the national anthem. Yet, for many, it felt like damage control—a calculated PR effort to overshadow the Mumbai backlash.

Jasleen’s ordeal is a case study in the widening gap between studio perfection and live performance. Technology has allowed artists to create polished, auto-tuned tracks that sound flawless online, but live stages strip away the gloss. They demand skill, preparation, and charisma—qualities that can’t be engineered.

Her Mumbai performance exposed this disconnect. Whether it was an off-night, inadequate rehearsal, or poor curation, the outcome was the same: disappointment for the audience and a hit to her credibility.

What are your thoughts on this?