Pop Artist ANJ:LI Drops Debut Moody Single ‘The Game’

When Bengaluru artist Anjali Sankaran aka ANJ:LI was short-listed for the Top 50 as part of a singing competition a few years ago, she knew that she didn’t want to return to her investment banker job at a hedge fund. Sankaran says, “I didn’t make it very far in the contest, but it was through that, that I really was like, ‘If they [the other artists] can do what they love so fearlessly, maybe I can too.’” She adds, “I also saw how happy and fulfilled it made me.”

Since then, the artist began releasing covers and late last year wrote her just release dark pop-themed debut single “The Game.” While the lyrics, according to Sankaran, are metaphorical and tell multiple stories, she says, “I believe in making art that leaves people thinking. There are sounds in the song that you couldn’t guess the origin of.” “The Game” – produced by Jonathan Wesley – features electronic elements as well as the singer’s captivating and enticing vocals.

ANJ:LI also put out a vibrant music video – directed and edited by Kevin Joseph/Who Made This Films – to accompany the song. In the clip, the artist is seen performing the track against a black void while other scenes show her singing underwater as well as with trippy visuals creating quite the cinematic experience. She says, “There are elements there [in the song] that are meant to create imagery far beyond what the video portrays.”

The musician used the pandemic to identify and accept her fears and insecurities which has allowed her to explore more of her creativity. Coming up, there’s more music from ANJ:LI, including an EP. The singer-songwriter also wants to get back to performing live and is hopeful to be signed by a label too. She says, “This is a journey I’ve been waiting to get on. It’s all this stuff that’s been shut inside of me, that’s been waiting to burst out.”

Watch the music video for “The Game” below and stream the song on other platforms.