HT Exclusive: Meet Shriya Rao, rising Indian Pop-R&B artist who can't be locked ‘In a box’

Mumbai-based R&B singer Shriya Rao, who recently did the backing vocals and arrangement for Netflix's Nadaaniyan, shared her creative process with HT.com

Shriya Rao, who is now a 19-year-old (per her Instagram bio) singer/songwriter from Mumbai, India, has been singing all her life. The rising music star has written and composed over 15 original songs, mostly in the English R&B and contemporary pop genres.

R&B singer-songwriter Shriya Rao recently did the backing vocals and arrangement for her first Dharmatic Entertainment film, Netflix's Nadaaniyan.(Instagram / justshriyarao)

Two of her original songs were released early in 2024 through DayOne (Sony Music India’s sub-label). In January 2025, she ultimately released her EP “In a Box,” comprising four tracks: “Her,” I’m not alright,” “Are you down,” and “Dream about it.”

In addition to writing her songs, Shriya even got to direct the music video for her song “On My Mind” last year. Moreover, she shares the accomplishment of starring in a musical adaptation (like Ariana Grande) during her school years. In October 2024, wrapped up a live concert gig as part of the ‘From. The. Vault. Vol. 2’ lineup in Raasta Bombay, Mumbai. Her most recent contribution was doing backing vocals and arrangement for her first Dharmatic Entertainment film, Nadaaniyan.

Indian R&B singer Shriya Rao on overcoming challenges at such a young age

At the early age of 14, she took a leap of faith, diving deep into the music scene. Having faced significant challenges, she said she was indeed “under immense pressure at school while trying to balance my passion for competitive skating, professional ballet, and music."

"After finishing a national-level skating competition, I realised it wasn’t what I truly wanted.” On top of all that, Shriya was also dealing with bullying. In the midst of all that turmoil, music became her “refuge,” and a vessel to express and release her emotions through song. She added, “It turned out to be one of the best decisions I made for my mental health.”

Having kicked off her musical journey at such a young age, Rao named Yohann Marshall, a multi-instrumentalist from Mumbai and fellow dynamic force in the music industry, as her “rock” and someone she leans on for professional advice. When asked about her dream collaborations for the future, the teen musician gave a shout-out to Kayan, Yashraj and Gini from India and Summer Walker, Ambre and Ari Lennox internationally.

Emotions drive Shriya Rao’s music-making process

As I probed her creative process further and asked her how important it was to her to sing a song she’d invested in herself by contributing to the lyricism, working on its composition, or more, Shriya admitted that so far, all her music has been deeply personal to her.

“I’ve sung all the songs I have composed and put the lyrics to, so I cannot imagine another scenario,” she said of possibly relying on external creatives to manifest her music into reality. Even her songs’ themes are reflective of her frame of mind and emotional state at the time of composition, which is also why she claimed that she doesn’t choose the genre for her music, rather it chooses her.

She explained, “Several of my songs have been composed during times of hardship or even elation, so I feel that my voice brings out the raw emotions that I felt. But it would also be great to hear someone else’s interpretation of my compositions.

"I’ve recently come to realise that it is a lot harder to perform my original songs live than to do covers because we typically cover songs we have grown up listening to. But performing my original music takes a lot more planning and effort, and it means the world to me to see people in the audience grooving to my original songs!”

Musical inspirations, aspirations of becoming an R&B megastar

Picking her preference between her songs being classified as groovy “bops” as opposed to becoming an artist who focusses profoundly on the songwriter/lyricist aspect of their music-making process, she settled for the middle ground. Shriya admitted, “Some of my more recent compositions probably fall under the “bops” category” but even then, she “would like to be remembered for songs that helped people find strength during hard times.”

Nevertheless, it’s hard to deny that pop-R&B has somewhat become her brand. She attributed the same sound bleeding into her music to being inspired by the music she’s been listening to.

“I’m super inspired by artists such as Daniel Caesar, Summer Walker, Erykah Badu, Mac Miller, and Tate McRae,” Shriya Rao revealed. Describing herself as “a blend of old and new soul,” the “Like That” songstress divulged, “I love pioneering artists like Jill Scott, Ella Fitzgerald, D’Angelo, and Erykah Badu, while also enjoying contemporary voices like Daniel Caesar and Summer Walker. Mac Miller is a staple on my playlist—his music is something I always return to.” Rao listed “Congratulations” and “God is Fair, Sexy, Nasty” as some of her favourites by Miller.

As for if she was working her way to building her image as an R&B megastar, she went on to say, “ I often wish I had been present during the songwriting and recording sessions of artists such as Mariah Carey, Brandy, D’Angelo, and Jill Scott. I think the music I compose reflects a lot of the styles of these artists and is not a conscious choice. And I have a long way to go (I’m only 18), so I’m sure that my style will evolve over time. Nevertheless, becoming an R&B megastar would be a dream come true, so thank you for saying that!”

Getting personal about love through music without leaning into toxic undertones

With heartbreak anthems and love songs having become the go-to musical direction for artists all over the world, there’s a grave possibility of such a relatable and humane expression associated with a range of emotions being misconstrued and manifested into a toxic narrative. In that arena, Shriya has “made a very conscious effort in (her) songwriting so far to avoid toxicity in (her) lyrics of any sort and to dwell on the positive.”

She alluded to “Her,” which was released on 04 October 2024, a song about her first heartbreak at 16. Baring her heart out, she shared, “My boyfriend at the time left some lasting impressions on my mind and heart, and one of the most difficult aspects was the persistent uncertainty about whether I could trust him. Although I was feeling a range of negative emotions, I made a strong effort to make sure that this song wasn’t about putting the other person down.”

She continued, “When we choose kindness over negativity, we not only elevate others but also nurture our own emotional well-being. In this particular situation, I found it overwhelming to hold onto hatred for two people. Initially, when I carried such feelings, it only fueled my anxiety and sadness, creating a cycle of resentment that was hard to break. Embracing forgiveness, or at least acceptance, allowed me to free myself from the burden of those negative emotions and focus on healing instead.”

Competing with fellow young Indian musicians

In a high-stakes music industry, competition is an inevitable by-product, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be negative. For some, it serves its purpose as the perfect motivation fuel when harnessed to its advantage.

Shriya admitted how she was in awe of some of her own contemporary rivals in the Indian music scene. Kayan, also known as Ambika Nayak, is one such artist from India singing in English whose confidence is palpable in her music. Calling her “a big inspiration,” Shriya also gushed about “kickass rappers” Tsumyoki and Yashraj, branding their live performances as “unforgettable.”

Indian Pop being relegated to the sidelines / Bollywood’s monopoly on mainstream Indian music

Music lovers mostly and instinctively turn towards American music as soon as talks about international music come to the forefront. With K-pop also earning a seat in mainstream popularity, Indian Pop is still sitting on the sidelines or largely being associated with what Bollywood has to offer.

As I asked Shriya about her vision for the future of Indian Pop music, she humbly acknowledged, “I am probably too young and new to the independent music scene in India to offer an opinion on this compared to folks who have been around a long time.”

Nonetheless, she has hopes for the changing times. “The international success of artists originating from India such as Hanumankind and Peter Cat Recording Co. is a sign of things to come,” she proclaimed. “While Bollywood may continue to dominate the Indian scene for its sheer monetary power, I think it won’t take long for Indian international music stars to emerge. I hope to be one of them and that is something I am working hard towards!”

Social media trends and the pressure to fit into a box

As social media continues to establish an almost exclusive and restrictive algorithm creators must follow and replicate to attain the “viral”-level of popularity in the mainstream, retaining one’s musical originality isn’t as easy, or even a conscious choice in many cases, whether one likes to admit it or not.

Giving her take, Shriya Rao approved social media as the ideal platform for listeners to communicate directly with the artist and “get a peek into their creative processes and even life choices.” As a “true-blue fan” of music herself, Rao divulged that she also loves seeing what her favourite artists are up to, both creatively and personally.

“For me, social media is a super powerful tool that I can use to bring me closer to my listeners and show them who I am,” she said before getting real as an artist, “Ultimately, it is quite simply all about the music.”

Shriya continued, “I strongly believe that if the music works and folks can identify with your songs, then popularity and virality will follow. Without keeping myself grounded in creating good songs, going after popularity on social media will be an endless (and possibly mindless) journey down the rabbit hole.”

Future plans. What 2025 will look like for Artist Shriya Rao?

Already credited with being fully invested in the music-making process, performing live, and directing her own MV, Shriya finally considered her future plans as an artist.

Being grateful for the year 2024, she revealed, “I have come to realise that composing, producing, and releasing original music is core to my soul. Another thing that I have recently started doing (and loving every moment of) is collaborating on original music with other artists from India and internationally as well.”

Rao confessed that 2025 would also “be a year of original music releases from me and my collabs. I am also working hard to perform my original music live more often because nothing beats the feeling of having a live audience grooving and singing along to your songs.” She concluded, “I want to be remembered as Shriya, an artist whose songs helped people find strength in their darkest times!”

You can catch her at ‘Shriya Unfolded’ on March 29, 2025, at 7:30 pm IST at The Cube, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), in Mumbai. Yohan Marshall (drums), Shivam Trivedi (keys), Fardeen Siddiqui (guitar) and Russell Fernandes (bass) will accompany her for the ‘Deep Dive Into Shriya’s Original Music.'