Singer Shashaa Tirupati opens up about her new single Raynnn and new EP, Maahirr!
There is a certain magic to a voice that can slip effortlessly between worlds, carrying the intimacy of a whisper one moment and the sweep of a cinematic melody the next. Singer Shashaa Tirupati has made a career of just such musical shape-shifting, moving fluidly between languages, genres and moods while carving out a distinctive space in Indian music. From her memorable playback performances such as Naan Pizhai (Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal) and Naane Varugiraen (OK Kanmani) to her independent musical explorations, the singer has consistently demonstrated that a voice need not be confined by labels to leave a lasting impression.
Known for her collaborations with AR Rahman and several other prominent music directors across the country, Shashaa’s musical journey spans Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and several other languages. Her ability to navigate everything from contemporary pop to classical influences has made her one of the most versatile voices in the industry. Yet, beyond the chart-toppers and film soundtracks lies an artiste continually curious about the possibilities of music and the stories a song can tell.
That spirit of exploration finds an intriguing expression in Maahirr, her just released EP. At its heart is her first release, Raynnn, a composition inspired by the poetry of Amir Khusrau, the celebrated sufi poet and musician whose verses continue to transcend time. Anchored in raag megh, the song conjures the romance of the monsoon, bringing together classical textures, evocative poetry and electronic soundscapes. What began as a single composition has since blossomed into a four-track EP, drawing from diverse musical traditions, languages and emotional landscapes.
We catch up with Shashaa as she reflects on the creative impulses behind Raynnn, the poetry that informs its sound and the enduring appeal of blending tradition with contemporary expression. We also discover what continues to excite her about a career built on curiosity, collaboration and the freedom to keep reinventing herself, while she also reveals what else we can look forward to.
How did the idea come into being, and what can we expect over the next few months?
Raynnn was conceived as the final song on Maahirr. I wanted to work with Amir Khusrau’s poetry on this one. Initially, I’d imagined it as a monsoon release. The taan section right at the end was meant to stay within raag megh, but I eventually wanted it to spill into a few other raags. I didn’t want the song to sit entirely within one domain. It was about exploration, pushing boundaries, breaking loose and leaving a signature of our own. The idea of an EP actually came about when we were three songs in. Despite all three being so emotionally varied, there was a thread tying them together. What began as a single became two songs and eventually a full-blown four-track album. Over the next few months, you’ll hear Heerrr, which is in Punjabi; Kaisay, a thumri in raag bhairavi; and Chakkee, which draws from Kabir. We’ve really plunged into our roots, though sometimes it feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. The more we explore where we come from, the more we realise how endless that source of inspiration can be. We’ve moved through raags, languages, Khusrau and Kabir, meandered between sentiments, voices and tonalities and placed all of that against electronic sound. Over the coming three months, we’ll release our second single, Heerrr, on October 22, followed by the rest of the album, consisting of the two remaining songs.
Raynnn has a timeless quality to it, especially because of Amir Khusrau’s poetry. Tell us more about the song?
Raynnn is predominantly rooted in raag megh, a much-loved raag associated with a sentiment cherished across so much of India: the anticipation of the monsoon after a gruelling summer. That association alone carries such a compelling emotion. It also brings to mind the folklore surrounding miyan Tansen, who is said to have beckoned the monsoon clouds with his creation and rendition of miyan ki malhar. That relationship between music, rain and longing has lived in our imagination for generations. To this, add the sorrow, pain and passion of separation from a lover and the desire that builds when you cannot see or be in touch with them, until you finally can. That love within longing is common to both Raynnn and Heerrr, our next track from Maahirr, although the contexts are different. Khusrau was the quintessential master of expressing that sentiment: passion, love and longing.
Down South, we largely know you because of your several hits with AR Rahman, whether from OK Kanmani or the much-discussed Ninnukori bit in Rasaali (Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada). Tell us about your journey with South Indian music and AR Rahman?
My first big hit in film music was actually Oday Oday from Raja Rani, although my association with it is less widely known! Ironically, many people never knew I had sung it, partly because the credits were incomplete, so I couldn’t really build on the success of the track. I sang quite a few more Tamil songs after Oday Oday, including lesser-known ones such as Kadhal Nergaiyil with Javed Ali, before being noticed by ARR. So my journey with South Indian music has been longer than many people realise. The success of my work with him also brought some of those earlier collaborations and lesser-known songs to the fore. With ARR, the journey has involved so much growth, learning, experimentation and change. Working with him feels like opening a new portal with every song: discovering a new skill set or a new tonality within the instrument that is your voice. I would also often sing most of the language versions of the original song with him, which expanded my exposure to South Indian music enormously. That included songs in Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam, alongside Tamil and Hindi.
Taking a trip down memory lane, tell us how you began your career as a singer and how your interest in music first developed?
It began with singing bhajans and aaratis with my mother as part of our daily prayers. That was also how I learnt many of the religious chants and mantras my parents expected us to know, coming from a pandit family. From there, I began learning and singing along to old Hindi and Punjabi classics. My guru was Punjabi and Sikh, so Punjabi music was also a part of my early learning. I started singing on local radio in Canada as a six-year-old caller. To request a song, you had to sing a few lines of it for the station! I went on to perform live when I was around six or seven and my father encouraged the entire process. Daddy wanted me to train in hindustani classical music so I would have a strong foundation. On pandit Jasraj’s advice, he relocated our entire family from Vancouver, where I was growing up, to Allahabad, where I trained. My first recording was for a music producer in Vancouver when I was about twelve or thirteen.
What forms of music do you experiment with? Carnatic, hindustani and, we’re sure, many more?
Haha, zero carnatic training! I’ve never learnt it and part of me wonders whether I would have had the intellect for it to begin with. It’s so intricate and nuanced. Hindustani, absolutely. Then there are my own songs, which have been described as alternative pop, singer-songwriter music or indie folk. I also love playing the kazoo, dabbling with the classical guitar and I get a rush from trying unfamiliar styles of singing, including Armenian and Turkish styles. Exploring vocal techniques associated with them feels like vocal mathematics to me and it keeps broadening the possibilities of what I can do with my voice.
Who are your contemporaries that you absolutely love?
I’m smitten with Shilpa Rao’s tonality, although she may be just a little senior to me and I love how carefree Shalmali Kholgade is with what she puts out into the world. Sid Sriram is already a legend. But if there’s one singer who feels like she encompasses both my soul and my alter ego, it would be Billie Eilish. She feels like a soul sister somewhere. We seem to have more in common as people than I would have imagined!
Who are the singers who inspire you?
Lata Mangeshkar, Noor Jahaan, Mohammed Rafi, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Shreya Ghoshal, Chinmayi Sripada, Ella Fitzgerald and Leona Lewis.
As someone who understands classical music, which raag best suits October, or which raag is occupying your mind right now and why?
I’ve never really thought about this, actually! To me, October is when the chill begins to sneak in and the nights grow slightly longer, alongside the festivities and all their hustle and bustle. So, I think, October might sound like raag bhairavi. Perhaps that’s why I composed Kaisay, the third song on our EP, predominantly in raag bhairavi. Interestingly, I composed it around this time last year, too!
Finally, what can we look forward to from you next?
It feels good to return to my music career after what has felt like six never-ending years. Whatever unfolds from here, I’m open to following it. For now, it’s everything Maahirr: Raynnn, Heerrr, the final two tracks, and, of course, taking the EP live to stage! I also have a few South Indian film songs lined up and I’m looking forward to their releases.
Raynnn is now streaming on all audio and video platforms.