ASHWARYA explores longing, desire and mania in gripping new EP WHY’S IT GOTTA HURT
Melbourne-based, Australian-Indian artist, ASHWARYA releases her EP, Why’s It Gotta Hurt - available independently.
Exploring the edges of R&B, progressive pop and electronic as emotions at teetering heights are caught in song, Why’s It Gotta Hurt retains ASHWARYA’s power-packed vocals and hypnotic approach to production to firmly launch her artistry from new heights.
An exploration of longing, desire, mania and introspection, Why’s It Gotta Hurt is a cyclical whirlpool of emotions that serve as a self-reflective mapping of ASHWARYA’s inner journey - both with herself and the people around her. Brought to life with an all-star team of young creatives - including some of her best friends - Why’s It Gotta Hurt is a universe seeing ASHWARYA deliver vulnerable honesty, whilst unveiling her prismatic multitudes against glimmering sonic and visual landscapes.
ASHWARYA says of Why’s It Gotta Hurt: “The Why It Gotta Hurt EP further solidified to me that there are no rules in music and I wanted to continue to stay true to who I am and my sound. Exploring the songwriting and visuals of this EP was like making a movie, and I wanted to create a project where listeners could step into my universe and feel the cycle of emotions sonically and visually. “Whys It Gotta Hurt” ultimately explores the realizations of my past and present experiences, of longing and desire - to resentment and chaos - and finally the realization and acceptance that, sometimes letting go of the things you love will give you peace.
ASHWARYA will launch the record from Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory on Thursday, October 5 before heading to Melbourne’s Workers Club on Sunday, October 14 for two live performances backed by her band, rehearsed to showcase her starry arrangements and undeniable crowd charisma.
The EP’s opening single, “Up In My Head”, delivers a gripping showcase of the variety and depth ASHWARYA has to offer as a songwriter and force in pop. Cocooned in the traditional Indian drumming of the tabla and a swirling haze of electronic-laced chords, ASHWARYA’s emotive vocals dive into an exploration of love and hyperfixation - before they disintegrate into a flurry of vocal chops darting between 808s.
Next up, “Enough” is ASHWARYA’s most recent single and an exploration of one of humankinds’ most raw and sincere themes of worthiness. A palpable melancholy via rippled synths, brooding production and wispy vocals settles in as ASHWARYA laments a past relationship. The booming crash of cymbals and glitchy guitars echo throughout the third track, “I’m Over” as a defiant and emotive statement balancing fragility with ASHWARYA’s airy verses.
Swirling and arpeggiated synths accompany a UKG backbeat, as ASHWARYA sings out of endings, moving on and new beginnings on self-titled track, “Why’s It Gotta Hurt” pondering why these moments have to break and hurt her. Final and previous single, “Best Friend” is RnB-led seeing ASHWARYA’s coos sit atop a crunching bassline. The song’s hypnotic melody repeats the phrase, was your best friend adding bittersweet undertones to the emotional yearning that smatterings of spoken word evokes.
Cutting through with hyper-stylized cinematic components for her art, ASHWARYA’s unapologetically raw lyrical messages laced with the rising talent’s natural fashion nous and creative mind have been captivating audiences since the off-kilter synth beats of “PSYCHO HOLE”.
Breaking onto the scene with well-received gems like “BIRYANI”, “FLARE” and the collaborative track “To The Night” with US rapper Vic Mensa, ASHWARYA’s recent UKG-infused rework of her R&B laced hit “Best Friend” proves her genre-defying capabilities – fusing pop-minded melodies with electronic samples, unconventional arrangements, organic percussion and traditional Indian instrumentation to find a sound uniquely her own.
With career milestones including support slots for the likes of Dua Lipa and Broods, ASHWARYA has earned mass critical attention from the likes of Vogue Australia, Vogue India, i-D, ELLE, The Guardian, NME, Dork, Wonderland and Hypebeast – and the excitement is sure to continue building around ASHWARYA with the release of her new project Why’s It Gotta Hurt.
As ASHWARYA unveils her latest body of work, she proves to be one of the international pop scene’s most exciting new prospects – the future is bright for this young visionary.
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