When I was introduced with Indie Pop artist, Shalini Kumar, truthfully I was skeptical at first. While I have nothing against the Pop genre, it was never one that captured my attention or my heart. Perhaps because I was subjected to primarily mainsteam, I don't really know; but what I do know is that Shalini Kumar is a woman with big dreams and beautiful music that captured me as a whole.
Pop music to me has always felt a bit on the shallow side, as if the artists are just quoting something but do not share the emotions of the story they are bringing to us. However, Shalini defeats everything I previously thought about the genre. The biggest attraction I have to Shalini's music is the amount of depth in it, from the beat to the lyrics. "Life of The Mind" and "Book of Dreams" off her self-titled EP are songs that every individual can relate to, both sharing the similar message of someone with dreams of becoming much more than their current path in life is leading them to be.
But don't think for one minute that these songs are one in the same, dear ladies and gentlemen. Not at all. "Life of The Mind" focuses on finding where you want to go, in Shalini's words, to "take a journey through the life of the mind." While "Book of Dreams" demands attention to working towards those aspirations, to grip onto those dreams and hold on through the ups and downs that life will throw. "Book of Dreams" I feel is a personal message from the artist to her audience, that she is living out of her book of dreams and that we too should do the same.
While "Life of The Mind" and "Book of Dreams" are what cemented the love I have for Shalini's music, they are not the songs that first garnered my attention towards her. That was the work of her single and third track on her EP, "Freeze Up". Once more, Shalini's lyrics are easy to relate to for many who have experienced the rite of passage known as falling in love.
On the topic of the music itself, it is obvious to me that Shalini's style draws heavily from classical music. As I am a lover of the previously mentioned, not only does it provide a very different approach to Pop music, it also as well draws in an unique aspect of my personality and tastes. The influence of classical music provides a different type of depth not commonly seen in today's music, and with that, sets Shalini apart from the norm.
Summarizing my review, Shalini Kumar is aspiring artist that is well on her way to climbing up the ladder to join the stars of the music industry. She is not a copycat of some famous artist; she stands alone and proud in her style that has so far captured the attention and changed the view of an individual who was once very critical to both the Indie and Pop genres.