King and Alan Walker behind the scenes of their “Story Of A Bird” music video shoot. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
When Desi hip-hop and pop star King teamed up with Norwegian electronic favorite Alan Walker to drop “Story Of A Bird,” the track had everyone buzzing, coming hot on the heels of their standout set at the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai.
Fans first got a glimpse of the surprise collaboration when Walker dropped a snippet of the song during his set in Bhubaneswar on Apr. 19, 2025, getting King on a video call to show him thousands of fans roaring in anticipation.
It’s one of those collaborations that just makes sense—two hitmakers from different corners of the globe coming together with undeniable synergy. After all, King has been riding his own wave with his recent hip-hop-centric album Monopoly Moves last year, and Alan Walker has been extensively touring India like few other EDM artists in his league. The collaborative project started with the two bouncing ideas back and forth remotely before linking up in person for their WAVES performance (as part of the recently announced YouTube Music Nights series) and the music video shoot. King says the process of working together felt natural. “It was a pretty special moment, and I’m grateful we got to share it, not just as collaborators but as brothers in music,” King tells Rolling Stone India.
The “Maan Meri Jaan” artist says there was an “immediate musical understanding” when he received the initial demo for the song. “Alan’s production style is cinematic and emotional—it lets the story breathe, and that gave me space as a writer and performer to really pour my heart [into it].” King is no stranger to building tracks from the ground up, but working with Walker gave him a deeper insight into the latter’s process, resulting in an uplifting, emotionally charged EDM/pop song co-produced by Aditya Rawat. “As a producer myself, I could appreciate the little touches, the sound design, the way he [Walker] builds the atmosphere,” King says.
At the music video shoot, King says “the bond became real as artists and as people” between him and Walker. They also got to dive deeper into each other’s journey, with the storyboard incorporating archival footage of key moments—from MTV Hustle to bedroom production days. King says the way the shoot came together helped him get a closer, more focused look at Walker’s trajectory. “I’d always known Alan as this enigmatic figure—the hoodie, the logo, the global hits—but during this process, I got to understand why he does what he does,” he admits. “He started young, experimenting with music from his room, building this world from scratch, staying true to a sound that connects people. That’s something I relate to—creating from a place of emotion and intention. I think that mutual respect really drove the song forward.”
The music video for “Story Of A Bird” also brought in fan-sourced footage celebrating their love for the artists and their own creativity, which, according to King, added an additional layer of meaning. “It’s been beautiful, honestly. The response has been so heartfelt, not just from fans in India, but globally. I knew we could make something that speaks across cultures and experiences,” he says.
Walker also took to his social media to talk about how the song and video were their way of connecting with fans on a deeper level. In an Instagram post, he said, “When King and I decided to release ‘Story Of A Bird,’ we knew it couldn’t just be about us. This music video is made with your voices, your ideas, and your spark. Thank you for being part of it. And remember, keep creating.”