Melbourne-based, Australian-Indian artist ASHWARYA, today shares her latest single and debut independent release, Best Friend out now. Receiving its global debut while supporting Dua Lipa last week at a one-off intimate live show from Melbourne’s Palais Theatre, ASHWARYA continues to cement her status as a musical powerhouse on the national landscape with this genre-blurring single of ethereal pop bliss.
R&B-derived coos sit atop a crunching bassline of Best Friend, before the airy vocals of ASHWARYA enter the mix. A hypnotic melody that repeats the phrase, ‘I was your best friend’ adds bittersweet undertones to the emotional yearning that the spoken word between verses evokes.
ASHWARYA says of the single: “Catching feels for your best friend straight up sucks, and I wanted to convey that internal turmoil of not wanting to ruin the friendship. The core of this song is a tragedy because it got me reminiscing on what used to be. That aside, though, creating this track was nuts. I wanna give people something different than before, something to ferociously sing and dance to. I need that myself right now.”
Best Friend follows ASHWARYA’s previous pop-hybrid single, Can’t Relate. Produced by Stevan, the bright and bold track received praise from Acclaim, Sniffers and Purple Sneakers, alongside additions from triple j and community radio alike. Both tracks join ASHWARYA’s previous releases BIRYANI, FLARE and the collaborative track with US rapper Vic Mensa, To The Night. ASHWARYA fuses pop-minded melodies with electronic samples, unconventional arrangements, organic percussion and traditional Indian instrumentation to find a sound uniquely her own. Since joining the Australian music landscape, ASHWARYA has received praise from critics including Vogue Australia, Vogue India, ELLE, The Guardian, NME, Acclaim, Paper, alongside radio support from triple j, BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music.
This Sunday, November 13, ASHWARYA will be performing at Naarm’s Yarra Park, in the Melbourne Cricket Ground Precinct, as part of the T20 World Cup Finals‘ live entertainment line-up. Having already introduced her dynamic live show to Australian fans at festivals including Field Day, NYE on the Hill as well as on support slots for Broods, Meg Mac and more, ASHWARYA recently added live appearances at Brisbane’s BIGSOUND and the aforementioned support for Dua Lipa’s exclusive show at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre to her repertoire. Backed by a live band that recreates her unique instrumentation, ASHWARYA’s ability to perform and captivate a crowd is immeasurable.Â
ASHWARYA returns today with her pop-centric fusion of emotions, opinions and romantic melodies in Best Friend, reminding you that more must-see live shows and music awaits around the corner.
“BEST FRIEND” IS OUT NOW
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With thanks to Thinking Loud
