Commonly known as the “melting pot” of world cultures, the United States has multicultural dimensions in every area of life, including pop culture.
Former Miss World and the top Bollywood actress from India, Priyanka Chopra, is back in Hollywood with her single “Exotic” featuring Pitbull. Chopra debuted last year in Hollywood with her single “In My City” with will.i.am, and is once again rocking her music career with the king of rap, Pitbull.
Marissa Munger, a senior business management major at Colorado State University-Pueblo, said Chopra’s music does a good job of blending American and Indian cultures. The music video included elements of American dance, but also integrated dance from Indian culture.
“If she sticks to her cultural values, I think she’ll do fine with our pop culture,” Munger said.
Not only did she like the Indian aspect of the song, Munger also said that she thought it added an element which would be lost if Chopra became too “Americanized.”
The Arsenio Hall Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, The Los Angeles Times and E! News are a few of the media outlets which have interviewed Chopra about “Exotic.”
In order to promote her single, Chopra had an “Exotic Shakes” event in Los Angeles in summer 2013, where the attendance was far higher than expected and the line of people spread out for many blocks.
“I definitely liked the music video and outfit, and it felt like she definitely showed that she’s exotic. I loved what Pitbull said that he’s Mr. World and she’s Miss World,” said Samantha Cush, biology major at CSU-Pueblo. “I definitely think she has career in American pop-music industry, and her song is very catchy. I believe we are ready to accept such amazing diversity in our songs.”
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Chopra said she was brought up both in the U.S. and India and she wants to bring this mix in her global music, which is primarily made for entertainment.
“The song is unique, and she paints a very cool picture with her lyrics. I like how she puts her heritage spin in the song, as you can tell that she’s doing Bollywood dance moves on an American song along with a South American rapper,” said Jenissa Rutt, sophomore psychology and Spanish major at CSU-Pueblo.
After winning four Filmfare Awards and one prestigious National Film Award, considered equivalent to Oscars and Golden Globes in Bollywood, Chopra is ready to make a career in the American music industry.
Her first single “In My City” became triple platinum in India, and her second single “Exotic” was number one on the Indian iTunes chart and among the top forty in the American iTunes chart. She also recorded her voice for the Disney movie called “Planes,” where she voiced the character called Ishani.
Last year, Chopra was signed by the National Football League for the Thursday night football ad endorsement for her single “In My City,” and this year her contract was renewed.
