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With stars strumming alongside R&B rhythms, Bombay Mami’s latest single, Hot Boyz, is a genre-blurring celebration of desire, power and pride. A sonic cocktail of Indian classical textures — sitar, tabla, sarod — and glossy pop influences, the track pulses with the SwissIndian singer’s love for the traditional soundscapes. More than just a cheeky anthem, Hot Boyz is an homage to the LGBTQIA+ community, released in perfect sync with Pride Month. Making her India debut at BudX NBA House in Mumbai recently, Bombay Mami spoke to us — before her first performance in the country — about the concept behind her track, upcoming album and lots more!
Let’s start with the core of your new track. What does Hot Boyz mean to you and what sparked the idea behind it?
It’s just a cheeky anthem. It’s about choice — whether that’s liking one, two or three people. I wanted to create something that reflects the kind of position I want to see my fellow sisters and brothers in — a space where they can choose what they want without limiting themselves to societal norms. I do recognise that I come from a place of privilege, having grown up in the west and in dual cultures and I know not everyone has that kind of freedom.
The music video is a love letter to the LGBTQIA+ community. Tell us how it came together?
The idea was to switch the usual dynamic we see in society. Often, women are portrayed as the ones who must please men. In this video, I flipped that — I’m surrounded by beautiful men and I have the choice. Fun fact: all the boys in the video are my friends and they’re queer. So in reality, the interest wasn’t in me, but it plays with that illusion. We still live in a world where being queer isn’t fully accepted. There are stigmas and societal pressures everywhere. I consider myself a strong ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and want to offer a stage and a voice to everyone, through me, in whatever way I can. I don’t believe in the patriarchal structures that confine us. I try to challenge those norms, sometimes bluntly, sometimes more metaphorically. I think with this video and song, the message still comes through, but in a way that’s palatable and visually striking.
Speaking of your soundscape, it’s a unique blend: sitar, tabla, sarod, pop and R&B. How did you build this fusion?
I’ve been listening to Indian classical music my whole life — concerts as a kid, just growing up around it. But I really started studying it deeply about four years ago. That immersion has opened up my musicality so much. The blending of different sounds — when it’s done right — it creates something beautiful. Timbaland was one of the first to play around with that, sampling and mixing with hip hop. But for me, I wanted it to be real. My friends came to the studio and actually played — live sitar, tabla and vocals. It adds this nostalgic rawness, even though the track is very modern. I was inspired by Missy Elliott’s Hot Boyz. Akash Parekar played sitar, Abhishek Borkar from Pune is an amazing sarod player, Junaid Ali did the tabla and Metu Raja from Switzerland lent his carnatic vocals. Indian classical music is still quite niche, even though it’s globally known, so it felt important to bring it into a wider context, even if not in its pure form. I love the fusion.
Is Hot Boyz a standalone single or part of something bigger, like an EP or album?
It’s definitely part of a bigger project. We’ve got an album coming! The album is titled The Peaceful Attitude and it’s set to release around January 2026. I’ve got about six months left before it drops. It features many collaborations with Indian classical musicians and artistes from around the world, including Nigeria. It’s been in the works for quite some time and now it’s finally nearly ready. I’m really proud of it. It’s going to be around 13 or 14 tracks. A proper album and I feel like, sonically, the album tells a story.
