Over the next few years, the American R&B/hip-hop singer became the figure Rao hoped to be someday. “Her music wasn’t like the stuff that Britney [Spears] and Christina [Aguilera] were doing, like, ‘I’m a genie in a bottle, rub me the right way.’ No, it was more like, ‘I played my enemies like a game of chess’,” she recalls. “That was one of the first things that Lauryn said to me. Listening to albums when you’re young is like hanging out with the artist.” She realized that while she would never be a Britney or a Christina, maybe she could be a Lauryn Hill. Or maybe she wanted to be someone completely new and become the representation she so desperately wanted in the industry. “I needed to find a way to make it as an Indian pop star.”
This story is from the March 2020 edition of RollingStone India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2020 edition of RollingStone India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
KING GIZZARD AKE FLIGHT
The Aussie band keeps the inventive, chaotic music and the epic live shows coming, and the fans follow
CHRIS MARTIN ON THE MOMENTS THAT DEFINE COLDPLAY
The frontman looks back on 10 of the band's best songs - and talks about how he's learned to let go
LIKE A NATURAL WOMAN
Shy in person, the actor thrives playing hot-tempered women.
SPICE WORLD
Ice Spice ignored the haters, commanded our attention, and became a new kind of star. Next up: a great debut album
Pritam: THE HIT MAKER
INSIDE THE MIND OF HINDI FILM MUSIC DIRECTOR PRITAM CHAKRABORTY, WHO RECENTLY WON HIS FIRST NATIONAL AWARD FOR BRAHMASTRA: PART ONE - SHIVA, ON HOW HE CREATES SCORES THAT ENDURE AND SONGS THAT CLOCK MILLIONS OF STREAMS
K-Drama Flashback: 'My Name'
'My Name,' starring Han So-hee in the titular role, deftly subverts gender norms in society via a story of relentless fight for revenge
LAST NIGHT I DREAMT I WENT TO SILENT HILL AGAIN
The 'Silent Hill 2' Remake has you returning to that restless dream from 23 years ago
FIFTY FIFTY: 'WE'LL CONTINUE TO SHOW OUR BEST SELVES'
Fifty Fifty's single 'Cupid' was a viral hit. The K-pop girl group is back with renewed vigor, releasing its new album, 'Love Tune.' The following interview covers details, insights, and anecdotes
EXCISE DEPT: 'IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CREATE STRONG, BOLD CONTRASTS'
From An Armory Of Instruments To Personal Stories Told With An Uncharacteristic Straightforwardness, The Delhi/Goa Band Are Taking Over The World With Their Latest Full-Length
Mali is Heading to SXSW Sydney in October
For the longest time I have known that my music has a significant market outside the country,' says the Chennai/Mumbai pop artist