Meet the new face of Gen Z Carnatic

At just 25, PRI (Priyanka Akhilan) is shaping her own distinct sound, equal parts rooted in Carnatic tradition and spirited experimentation. With a new EP on the horizon, a growing discography of genre-bending singles, and viral TikToks to boot, the Toronto-raised, Singapore-born artiste is fast emerging as a modern voice for South Asian fusion music.

The Toronto-based Tamil artiste, PRI is blending classical roots with new sounds

Her journey began, as many do, in childhood Carnatic classes, in this case, in Toronto at the age of four. “My mum put me in music early on. She and her siblings had all learned Carnatic music and played instruments, so it was part of the family,” she recalls. PRI trained under Smt. Kulanayaki Vivekananthan, and later under Sri MR Lenin, whom she met during a trip to Singapore. Though she initially treated music as a weekly chore, things changed in high school when she began to reconnect with the art. “Lenin sir was instrumental in improving my manodharmam,” she says. “That’s when I really started to take it seriously.”

While her foundation was steeped in classical music, her influences have always spanned genres, from Hariharan’s film hits to the Harry Potter soundtrack. “I was that kid who didn’t know any pop music at school dances,” she laughs. “My iPod was all Carnatic and film scores.”

Today, PRI’s work, whether through original tracks, Instagram reels or collaborations like Sakhi, freely blends her classical roots with modern sounds. “I’m always breaking rules,” she says. “When people ask what raga I've used to compose a certain melody, I never know what to say, so I always default to it being a "loose [insert raga]". It's why I love making my own music because there's less rules around it and I'm free to do what I want to create something that I like listening to.” But it’s this fearless approach that’s won her a loyal following online. “I just go with what sounds good to me. It has to feel right. That’s when you get goosebumps.”

Her latest single, Sakhi, is a breezy, Carnatic-EDM fusion track with 16-year-old producer Srihari. “It was the first time I felt like I was doing playback singing,” PRI shares. “Srihari asked me to really go for it, so I improvised a bunch of alaps and swaras. It came together quickly, which is rare for me! I think this genre of Carnatic-esque fusion and more contemporary genres like EDM are definitely ways to get a modern audience into classical fusion, and more than that, I honestly just thought it was a really breezy, catchy song that I'd listen to.”

Though based in Canada, PRI recently featured on the ar.ram.bam tape, a project by Tamil-American collective The Formula. “They wanted to start and end the album with Carnatic-inspired odes, and it just aligned with my style. Even though I recorded everything remotely, it felt like such a cohesive experience.”

Despite her rising presence, PRI remains candid about her growth. “When I performed live for the first time, I had no idea what soundcheck was or how to talk to the audience,” she admits. “It’s completely different from Carnatic katcheris. But I love that I can dress how I want, explain my songs, and still sing Tamil music. It feels more like me.”

Looking ahead, PRI is working on her debut EP, set to release this summer. “I’ve mostly done singles till now, but I want to build a proper discography and eventually perform my own set,” she says. “My dream is to do a show where I sing only originals and give people a really good time.”

As for dream collaborators? “AR Rahman sir, obviously, a lot of his songs are what I draw inspiration from either subconsciously or consciously,” she grins. “And Sid Sriram, he's definitely a huge inspiration, and I've always identified with the texture of his voice. I always felt as a female vocalist, my tone never had that same bright, angel-like consistency that a lot of my friends or even female playback singers had, and so seeing Sid with his unique voice texture becoming a staple singer in the film industry is super cool to see. On top of that, he's also a Carnatic artist and from America, so his entire journey feels very relatable to me and extremely motivating. But I’d also love to work with rappers like Raja Kumari or Brodha V.”

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