Pop singer Shriya Rao talks about her recently released new song On My Mind

Tell us about your latest song. Reminiscing about that romance you knew wouldn’t last.

In my latest single On My Mind, I blend pop and RnB. The song depicts a teenager’s acceptance that even in a happy relationship the joyful moments are ephemeral and fleeting. It evokes feelings of sentimentality and nostalgia for the listener.

You started your musical journey at the age of 14. How much have you grown as a performer since then?

I’ve definitely become a more confident person. I learnt how to engage with the audience when performing on stage. I also learnt how to be myself on stage rather than putting up an act. I learnt to love my voice. When I was 14, I tried to sound mature. But after a point, I just learnt that it’s best to sound natural. That’s when I became the most comfortable with myself.

How excited are you to release your first track?

On My Mind is the first song that I’ve released in collaboration with DayOne and I’m super happy and grateful for the sweet and supportive responses to the song. I have released music independently in the past. However I’ve never had a two-day video shoot. The making of the music video has been one of the most fun and memorable processes.

Who has been your biggest inspiration in the music industry?

I try to have as much of an all-rounded music taste as I can, but some artistes who have influenced me are Charlie Puth and Chick Corea, as well as indie artistes Kayan and Meba Ofilia. I’m inspired by the way Charlie Puth sings and produces his own tracks. I think his knowledge of music is incredible. Similarly, with Chick Corea, I find his songs the most challenging to perform but super fun.

How do you balance your academic life and your music career?

To be honest, I haven’t quite figured out a way to balance them yet. However, for the longest time I found myself finishing most college assignments in the day and then post 9pm, it was all about music. But that meant no time to sleep! It’s the only reason my parents yell at me. More recently, I’ve been trying to prioritise a bit more mindfully so I do tend to space out assignment and music projects. I also have a rigid schedule in place which helps me understand how much time I have in the day to work on music. On the weekdays I only find myself playing the piano and doing nothing else.

Tell us about your upcoming projects?

I worked in a Bollywood project recently which will release soon and I’m super excited to see everyone’s reaction! I’ve been working on new music and albums.