A song has surfaced that fans didn’t know existed, and it’s given them their first new taste of Alka Yagnik’s voice since 2024. Apna Chehra Dikha, released under T-Series, pairs the veteran singer with composer-singer Rishabh Kant, who performs as The Rish.What makes the release unusual is its backstory. The recording itself isn’t new at all.Yagnik’s major studio recording before she stepped away from singing was Naram Kaalja, composed by AR Rahman for the 2024 film Amar Singh Chamkila.Soon after, she was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, brought on by a viral infection that struck suddenly after a flight and left her unable to hear. The condition, which damages the inner ear or auditory nerve, pulled her away from singing and public life for an extended stretch.Against that backdrop, Apna Chehra Dikha arrives as something of a time capsule. Speaking to media, The Rish said the song was actually recorded close to a decade ago, during a chance studio visit.Yagnik had come to his father’s Andheri studio to record for a separate project. Once her session wrapped, his father played her the unreleased track on his son’s behalf. She responded to the mukhda instantly and recorded her part in one sitting. Reflecting on the experience, The Rish said, “I held on to that song for a long time.”Despite having the song ready for years, he waited for a moment when it would land with the audience it deserved. That moment arrived after his track ‘Barbaad’ gained traction and built his profile as an artist, giving him the confidence to finally put the duet out into the world.He has stayed quiet on whether he has shared the finished version with Yagnik or spoken to her about the release.Yagnik resurfaced this year to receive the Padma Bhushan from President Droupadi Murmu on June 23. A video from the ceremony showing her in a wheelchair worried fans and sparked speculation about a medical emergency.She addressed it herself a day later, clarifying there was no emergency and that she had simply asked for a wheelchair because she was exhausted after a long day of events. She used the same message to thank fans for their support through what she described as a difficult two years spent focused on her recovery, away from the spotlight.