Shohini Maitra Returns with Poignant New Single ‘Stay’

Just over a year ago, Pune-based singer-songwriter Shohini Maitra dropped her debut R&B/soul offering “For You.” Since then, the vocalist took a break from music and delved into the world of public relations to understand networking better and learn about the commercial side of running a show. She says, “It was quite taxing.” Now, the musician is back with her latest emotional single “Stay.”

Maitra initially penned an early version of “Stay” immediately after writing “For You.” The singer says, “I was not very happy, thinking it requires something more.” The refined version of the song includes hauntingly beautiful piano parts over ambient production with Maitra’s glowing vocals at the center of the track. On the lyrics, she says, “It reflects the wait and longing for somebody’s love.” Maitra adds, “There is a lot of desperation and self-deprecation in the lyrics. All of these come from a sense of rejection.”

According to the musician, she hopes people understand that wanting to be loved is natural and “extremely human.” She says, “We allow people to dictate our reactions to pain and rejection. We are never taught to sit and allow the feelings to flow through us.”

The singer-songwriter recorded “Stay” at Pune’s Gray Spark Audio while Nitin M. Krishna produced and mixed it and Ronak Runwal mastered the song. During the lockdown, Maitra has been teaching vocals online and has also been writing new material. She says, “I plan to grow as a teacher and I will record and release music at my own pace.”

Stream “Stay” below: