BENGALURU: Two years ago, Bengaluru-based singer Anjali Sankaran aka ANJ:LI, took a leap of faith when she left a lucrative career as an investment banker to devote all her time to music. It’s the beginning of a long journey, but Sankaran is delighted about the release of her debut single, The Game, which is out on various streaming platforms.
According to Sankaran, the lyrics of the songs are metaphorical and are inspired from multiple stories of her life. “The songs speak about my journey, love and I look back at what happened with acceptance,” says Sankaran, adding that the song was produced by Jonathan Wesley. The singer, who is in her 20s, also explains that she has tried to express herself through metaphors. For instance, she compares a blackout from alcohol to someone in a toxic relationship. “In both the cases, they are functional but are not able get out of it,” she adds.
The song was supposed to be released at the beginning of the year, but due to the lockdown, plans were pushed. “The song was ready but I wanted to release it with a video, which took time to shoot and produce. But now that it’s out, I am happy and fulfilled,” says Sankaran, whose video has trippy visuals with an underwater feel so as to give a cinematic experience.
Though this is her first original, Sankaran’s last cover of Brown Skin Girl, originally by Beyoncé, went viral on Instagram. “I started doing covers only by the end of last year but was not active. During the lockdown, I became more regular about posting videos, which were mostly shot at home,” mentions Sankaran, admitting that Brown Skin Girl has been the most liked one with close to 33,000 views on Instagram. “When I do a cover, I like to do my research on what the feel of the song is.
Brown Skin Girl is about accepting who you are and your culture. I was very sure that I wanted to do the video wearing a kasavu saree,” explains Sankaran, who is a trained Carnatic singer. Growing up with a lot of classic rock and ’70s and ’80s pop, she became a part of college choirs and acapella groups. “Although I can sing softer tunes, due to my Carnatic training, I can also sing powerful notes. But at this point, I am trying to find my space,” says Sankaran, who also listens to Adele, Beyonce , Alicia Keys, and Nina Simone.