In her early teens, Shriya Rao was relentlessly bullied at school. She channelled her frustration into the art of the melody: “I found solace in music.” When she was just 16 years old, she released her first two original songs, Tell me and Dreaming. Now 19, she released six tracks last year, some of which are part of her first EP titled In a Box.
Four of the songs focus on Rao’s own struggles with mental health. “The idea was to show that most of us spend our lives in our respective ‘boxes’. We box up our feelings and emotions, especially in our younger years. I tackle heartbreak, the feelings of making tough career choices at a young age and emphasise that it’s okay to not feel okay all the time,” says the Mumbai resident.
The songs display her vulnerability, and also strive to show how to channel resilience and emerge stronger. Rao includes elements like thunder and lightning to add layers to the song Dream about it, inspired by a stormy Mumbai night. In another track, Her, snippets of a voice note capturing a girl’s giggles and chats offset the intense lines to highlight flirty frivolity which leads to a broken relationship and inevitable heartache.
Through these introspective tracks, Rao captures her emotional evolution of recent years. “This EP isn’t just a musical release for me—it’s an open invitation to step into my world and experience the raw emotions that defined my formative years,” she explains, adding, “I made it to help those struggling with mental health issues. I hope it helps them find strength during hard times.”
The emotional temperance of the songs is further enhanced by her collaboration with music producers Yohan Marshal and Hersh Desai. Brazilian Grammy nominee, Pedro Peixoto, assisted by engineers Pedro Said and Fili Filizzola, all of whom have worked with global stars like Doja Cat, SZA, and Harry Styles, also contributed to the mixing and mastering of the songs.
Having received her vocal training at the True School of Music in Mumbai, Rao chose to create jazz-infused melodies with influences of R&B, soul and pop. Over time, she has performed live across Mumbai and Pune. When asked how someone so young can be so prolific, she responds, “I’ve grown up listening to tonnes of amazing music and it has played a huge role in influencing me. Plus, Yohan Marshal and Hersh Desai have really helped me with the production side of things, which has allowed me to grow.”
She is all set to soar as she discovers worlds beyond the box.