From 2019 to 2022, singer-songwriter Jass Manak consistently released an album a year—but then waited exactly 24 months to put out a new collection of songs. The Punjabi pop star’s decision to drop only a handful of singles in the interim was the result of a conscious move to focus on quality over quantity. “My mindset has changed,” says Manak, who returns with his first EP, Late Night Talks, a connected set of compositions based on a fictional relationship and “the kind of conversations I imagine having with my partner at night when there’s relatively more peace and calm, and we can express ourselves freely”. On the EP, Manak moves between a man and a woman’s standpoint, envisioning what they would say to each other when voicing their thoughts and insecurities. To tie the songs together, he’s made sure that the lyrical and musical “language of the tracks” remains similar. Here, he takes Apple Music through the making of Late Night Talks, track by track. “Ruby” “It’s the story of a guy who’s of a shy nature. He’s singing about how he’s fallen for a girl and is happy with just being near her. He is so infatuated with her that sitting next to and locking eyes with this girl is enough for him. I’m not so shy myself, but it’s inspired by some friends and some of my observations.” “Tera Ki Jana” “This track has been written from the point of view of a girl who is deeply in love with a guy. She’s saying to him that if he leaves her, he won’t lose much—but she will be devastated because she’s given her all to their relationship. The girl is imploring him to stay with her. We’ve added background vocals by a female singer to add to the feeling and emotion. For me, it’s not a dance tune; the vibe I was going for is a sad song with a groove.” “Adtaan” “This is sung from the girl’s perspective as well. She’s narrating how [accustomed] she’s become to her boyfriend and how she needs him in her life. She’s complaining that he doesn’t pay her enough attention.” “Guarantee” “This song has two parts. In the opening verses, the girl is asking her partner not to abandon her. In the second half, he reassures her that he will always be by her side and that he has their life all planned out. That’s his guarantee. The girl’s part is soft and the guy’s is kind of aggressive. I’ve never made a track like this [before] where there’s a beat switch.” “Garage” “This was released as a single earlier, but we had decided on putting out a five-song EP so it’s like a bonus track. I had gone to my friend producer Avvy Sra’s studio where he played ‘Garage’, saying it would be a fresh sound for me even though it’s an old-school genre because you don’t hear garage in Punjabi music these days. We completed it in 45 minutes.”