Shalmali Kholgade and Bebhumika’s ‘Follow’ Brings Tamil and Marathi Pop

Pop artists Shalmali Kholgade and Bebhumika craft a song of kinship with spiritual overtones on “Follow,” produced by Pixl. The multilingual approach includes an English hook and verses in Tamil by Bebhumika aka Bhumika Anantharaman and Marathi by Kholgade.

With lyrics by Prithvi Prakash and Nikhil Mahajan, the pop artists each bring their strengths to the track, from Bebhumika’s R&B chops and Kholgade’s distinct vocals, this time in Marathi.

Kholgade says in a statement about the making of the song, “Meeting Bhumika and Pixl was serendipitous; our mutual love for Afrobeats sparked an instant connection.” She adds that when Bebhumika shared the hook “Where you go, I follow,” the artist knew they had “something special.” Kholgade adds, “We envisioned blending Tamil and Marathi, making music the song’s essence without saying it outright. It’s become a prayer for me, deeply  spiritual.”

In her statement, Bebhumika calls “Follow” “a remarkable fusion of Tamil and Marathi cultures and languages.” She also touches upon the chorus and says, “With its chorus, ‘Where you go, I follow,’ the song invites varied interpretations, resonating with our shared love for music.” The artist says the song was created in Himachal Pradesh. “The track merges Afro, Amapiano, and [Tamil traditional music form] kutthu paatu influences, capturing a beautiful blend of ideologies and musical genres,” she adds.

The song comes with a music video in which Bebhumika and Kholgade are adorned in black and white outfits with striking jewelry, respectively. The song comes with lyric subtitles in Tamil and Marathi, with a translation appearing below.

Bebhumika, a singer-producer from Bengaluru, has previously worked with the likes of Punjabi artist Navaan Sandhu as well as pop artist Lisa Mishra, in addition to regular collaborations with Pixl. Kholgade, for her part, recently worked with singer-producer Shor on “Dil Mile” and teamed up with artists Natania, Subhi and DJ Lyan for the Desi Trill song “Mumbai Magic.” The Mumbai pop artist had kicked off 2024 with her solo single “Grind.”