If you have not already heard, the next few months have been labelled as ‘brown girl summer’, meaning that it is time for us to allow South Asian culture to truly shine. What better way to celebrate this than to create a soundtrack to play this summer that features some powerful female South Asian artists. There are a few songs I want to particularly put a spotlight on, which I have listed below for you to listen to.
Identity – Pallavi
This track has the fiery beat that would usually sit behind a track from female rappers such as Megan Thee Stallion or City Girls, which makes it the perfect track to play if you are trying to hype yourself up or if you are out with your girls. The chorus hook that Pallvi repeatedly chants is extremely empowering and straight to the point with the mantra: ‘I’m a brown b*tch, melanin-rich Fijian queen’.
Rush – Raveena
This song is the first track from Raveena’s latest album Asha’s Awakening, which was released in February of this year and centres around the concept of being a ‘Punjabi space princess’. ‘Rush’ is a beautiful track in every aspect from the soft, mellow guitar strumming to Raveena’s sultry, effortless vocals. The entire thing feels divinely feminine and goddess-like, and I particularly love her use of the Hindi language at the end.
Kamali – Priya Ragu
I have always been a big fan of Priya Ragu, who started releasing music not too long ago during lockdown, because she strikes the perfect balance between the incorporation of both classical Indian instrumentation and fresh electronic dance rhythms. Inspired by the story of a girl in a short film, this song is a reminder of the power that South Asian women possess, thus defying their stereotypical representations in the media.
BIRYANI – ASHWARYA
As can probably be garnered from its title, ‘BIRYANI’ is a little more left-of-field than the other songs I have recommended and might not necessarily be for everyone. However, I think that its alternative nature is definitely something to be appreciated. I think that the best thing about this track is how it constantly changes tempo, maintaining a faster pace in the verses and then slowing down for the taal scale in the choruses.
Ladke – Shreea Kaul, REHMA
No matter the culture, a universal problem that all women have to deal with is men. Shreea Kaul and REHMA do not even give them the luxury of that label, opting for ‘ladke’ (boys) instead. If I had to find this song’s Western parallel, it would have to be ‘No Love’ by Summer Walker and SZA. The sexy R&B vibe this track adopts is super catchy and you cannot help but just groove along to it, no matter where you are or what you are doing.