‘Inconsistent. That’s who I am!’

Singer Shilpa Rao was awarded the Best Female Playback at the recent IIFA Awards. A candid conversation with the singer.
Singer Shilpa Rao
Singer Shilpa Rao
Updated on
3 min read

If you are grooving to Mere Mehboob and Chuttamalle and earlier sang your heart out to Tumhare Hi Rahenge Hum, Chaleya, Besharam Rang or Ghungroo, then you are listening to ace singer Shilpa Rao. Rao was awarded the Best Female Playback at the recent IIFA Awards.

The singer has carved a special place for herself in the Indian music industry, delivering hits across genres. Over the years, she has broken the mould, blending traditional Indian music with contemporary styles and made her mark in both commercial cinema and indie projects. At the audio launch of Devara starring Jr NTR, Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, Rao sits down to chat with TMS.

Excerpts:

Tell us about your collaboration with Anirudh for Devara.

It’s always a great collaboration with Anirudh. It’s been like a jam more than anything else. He’s quick and decisive. I like that about being a musician and it’s easy to feed off each other’s energy. This song has been such a great ride. It is not a love song or a dance song but hits a very sweet spot between nice, romantic, slow dance music.

Who is Shilpa Rao away from the limelight?

If you leave me, I would be happily climbing trees and sitting on one of the branches, it’s a very peaceful thing to do. I love to travel and read books. I travel for food especially.

Why did you become a singer?

My family wanted it. I didn’t have many aspirations growing up. I am like someone who doesn’t have a plan.

How has your journey been in the music industry?

In a nutshell, meeting great people, working with them, learning so much with them, learning so much from them and of course, eating good food.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would that be?

Inconsistent, inconsistent, inconsistent. That’s who I am!

You have collaborated with so many artistes. Do you have any bucket list of artists you haven’t worked with yet?

Many actually. I want to work with Sting, The Weeknd and Shoshinsha.

What’s the initial thing that attracts you while choosing a song?

Subtlety is one thing which I like. Be it a dance song, be it a love song, be it something which is more intrusive – you need to have subtlety. It shouldn’t seem like you’re trying too hard to achieve that expression.

You have performed live in so many places. Do you change your singing when performing live?

Yes. We try to adapt it to the stage and make it more people-friendly because it’s not just about expressing yourself. It is aabout bouncing off the energy of the audience.

You have sung in so many languages. How do you pick up the nuances in the languages?

It helps to hear music from that language. It’s not just so much the phonetics or the pronunciation, it’s also the emotion that comes through it.

Does social media help you reach more audience through reels or does it restrict you to a trend?

It’s a very nuanced situation. The song that you’re making, recording or singing can’t be made in a way that it will trend. That can’t be the purpose of creating it because it stops you from expressing limitlessly. For me, having fun at the studio is important. I really make that day count. Frankly speaking, after we complete the song, it’s not ours, it’s yours whether you like it or not. If you enjoy yourself, I think then the audience will also enjoy it.

Do you have any tips for people who want to take up singing professionally?

Learn music. We always want educated people running the country. But we don’t have educated musicians doing music. That’s a very big vacuum. There are small things you can do which can really enhance the song and that can only come when you learn and keep learning all through your life. Definitely listen to a lot of different music because music is changing. Also have an open mind to failures. Failures are not bad.

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