Hear Shadow and Light’s Vibrant Return to Form on ‘Raahein’

Shadow and Light’s Pavithra Chari and Anindo Bose dive into a story of nostalgia and love on their latest single “Raahein.” The new Hindi song stays rooted in the New Delhi fusion duo’s penchant for groovy production, shimmering keys and fluid, classically-informed vocals.

Written in late 2020 and originally planned for release in 2021, the duo say they took the decision to delay putting music out owing to the “devastating impact of the second wave of the pandemic.” Shadow And Light tell Rolling Stone India, “It just didn’t feel like the right time for a new single.”

With the track in gestation along with a lot of other material, the duo kept returning to “Raahein” and refined it to the version they’ve finally released. In a statement, the duo describe “Raahein” as a song of “light hearted nostalgia and the rush of memories we experience about a significant other. It’s a groovy take on a person who has left us with a lifetime of emotions, feelings and thoughts – both resolved and unresolved.”

“Raahein” arrives after an entire year since Shadow and Light’s last release, the Tamil song “Yaarum Illai,” featuring singer-composer Haricharan. While it was a decision imposed to be mindful of the pandemic, the duo don’t necessarily consider the past year as a “gap” between releases. “We have had the opportunity to compose without the pressure of time, and enjoy the process of expressing our current state of mind through our music,” they say. “Raahein” also sees Shadow and Light appear as Spotify India’s RADAR artists for January.

The duo intend on releasing several singles through 2022. “We are exploring different languages and collaborations – both prospects excite us a lot,” Chari and Bose say. With their individual projects, Chari says she has “many releases in the playback and film space” while Bose’s headquarters of Plug ‘n’ Play Studios is getting an upgrade as well as more production gigs. “For now, we are grateful to have our music and hope for better times to come soon for everybody,” the duo say.

Listen to “Raahein” below. Stream on more platforms here.