It’s that time of year when the city’s music lovers wake up to joy and excitement, with a wave of concerts and festivals lighting up the calendar. The announcement of the Lollapalooza India 2026 festival lineup—with both Indian and international artists—has only added to the buzz. Headlined by rock legends Linkin Park, making their long-awaited India debut, alongside hip-hop star Playboi Carti, R&B favourite Kehlani, and even J-pop sensation Fuji Kaze, the lineup spans rock, EDM, indie, and more.
Among them is Delhi’s own Akriti Lal—better known as Pho on the city’s hip-hop circuit—who is preparing for what she calls a career-defining moment. “Honestly, I’m still trying to process this information,” she tells TMS. “Artists like me, people around me, our friends—we dream of being here. Maybe when I’m actually on stage, that’s when it’ll really hit me.” The singer-rapper describes Lollapalooza as her big leap into a larger audience. “The best thing about Lolla is that you get discovered by people who don’t know you, who aren’t there just for one genre,” Pho says. “That’s huge. It opens a path for me to show more of who I am.”
Apart from Lolla, she’s also set to take the stage at Spotify’s annual hip-hop showcase, Rap91 Live, on October 16 in Mumbai. If Lollapalooza represents scale, then Rap91 feels like home. “Rap91 is like a community meetup for me. All my artist friends are there. We don’t get to meet often because everyone’s back home making music,” says Pho. This will be her third time at Rap91, and though it comes just weeks before Lolla, Pho says the two performances will be worlds apart. “At Rap91, it’s pure hip-hop. At Lolla, I can show more of myself than just the rapper side.”
Rising star
Pho began rapping as a young teen, experimenting with Christmas carols at her school and later performing in her college canteen, before finding her space in Delhi’s hip-hop scene. Her career turned a corner in 2021 after a well-received collaboration with hip-hop artist Frappe Ash on the track ‘About You’. In 2023, she made her mark by debuting her EP Bheetar Bahar, a collection of self-confessional tracks that turned inward to speak of life and courage.
Since then, Pho has proved herself in hip-hop while also venturing into new sonic worlds. Bheetar Bahar wasn’t just her first EP—it was also an experiment in independence. “We toured independently across three cities with other artists onboard,” she recalls. “I didn’t want to just be a Spotify artist people streamed online. I wanted people to hear the songs live, and feel them in their cities.”
Recently, she also featured on Yo Yo Honey Singh’s track ‘Mashooqa’. She had earlier collaborated with Singh on ‘Lapata’, from his 2024 album Glory. “The one thing that I have really taken from working with him is that no matter how big or small you are, you have to consistently keep working and keep reinventing yourself. And I think that is something so important for an artist to understand and to learn and to achieve,” says Pho.
Unapologetic and raw
Pho’s music carries a raw, unfiltered appeal, moving seamlessly between sharp social commentary and intimate self-reflection. Take her 2023 track ‘Make a Mess’, a drill-pop anthem about breaking free from toxic circles. “I just write what comes to me and I think most of my songs are about yearning—wanting a certain feeling, something intense,” says Pho. But at other times, she simply goes with the flow, as in ‘Nayi Ladki’, where she chronicles her journey as a rising artist, navigating life as the new kid on the block.
This has also shaped her journey as a woman in India’s hip-hop scene, where visibility itself becomes a statement. When she appeared on MTV’s hip-hop reality show Hustle 4.0 last year, she was the only woman on the show. “A lot of times, when you’re the only woman, there’s this unsaid pressure,” says Pho. “Either you’re expected to give more than your best, or nothing is expected at all. It’s like you have to constantly prove yourself—even if you’re just going with your own flow.”
Now, she’s looking ahead. Alongside her festival appearances, Pho is putting the final touches on a new unnamed EP, due before Lolla, and an album that she describes as “very intense, very personal,” scheduled for next year. “The EP is very different—it’s not just rap, it’s music. It’ll make you think, make you see the world through my eyes,” she says. As for the album, she hints at a soundscape of pop, R&B, and house.
With a string of collaborations, headline performances, and a new album on the horizon, Pho has already made her mark, but she sees this as just the beginning. “I don’t worry too much about what’s next. Every day, subtle changes are shaping me as an artist.”