Fresh Indie Fridays #80 Featuring Apoorva, Natasha Noorani and Mali

Natasha Noorani – “Matlabi”

Lahore singer-songwriter Natasha Noorani’s fourth single off her upcoming album RONAQ comes in the shape of the electro-pop track “Matlabi,” co-written by fellow artist Zeerak Ahmed. The song features slick production chops by Talal Qureshi, Noorani’s effervescent vocals that shine throughout as well as crisp melodies. There’s also a chic music video – directed by AR Malik – which has been released to accompany the track. In a statement, Noorani said, “It [“Matlabi”] illustrates the loss of oneself, the period of self-reflection and the journey back to solace. It deals with themes of the burden of generational trauma carried by women and matriarchs.”

Mali – Apple Music Home Session

As part of an Apple Music Home Session, Chennai-bred and Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Maalavika Manoj aka Mali reimagines two of her songs to create bone chilling and piano-aided versions of her tracks “Absolute” and “Mundane,” both off 2021’s full-length debut album Caution to the Wind. The songs are far from the synth-pop heard on Mali’s album and instead offer a more emotional approach wherein her vocals and lyrics take center stage. To close, Mali ‘Rickrolls’ us with a sublime cover of Rick Astley’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

Apoorva – “Journal”

Two years on since releasing her bouncy and fizz-filled single “Pisces Energy,” Bengaluru singer-songwriter/producer Apoorva is now back with fresh new music via the trap-leaning pop track “Journal,” produced by Lost Hero. Apoorva displays lush and dreamy backup singing which makes for good ear candy while her lead vocals showcase a hint of rapping, droning and melodious moments that sit well on the 90-second track.