The Making of an Indian Pop Girl
Charli XCX, Tyla, and Lara Raj have conquered global music. Why did it take so long to see them at the top?
“My heritage could give me quite the USP [unique selling point],” Charli XCX sings on her newest album, Music, Fashion, Film, released only a few days ago. The lyric points to a larger irony: having Indian heritage has rarely given one of the world’s biggest pop stars the upper hand. She even noted that few people even ask her about being Indian.
Yet, this summer is officially dominated by Indian pop girls. After the raging success of brat, Pitchfork rated Charli XCX’s latest work as the “Best New Album.” Tyla just performed at the FIFA World Cup, shared the stage with Shakira, and released her sophomore album A*Pop. And girl group KATSEYE, which counts Lara Raj as a member, is set to release its second EP in August and go on tour. So what led these three to break out and — given the subcontinent’s rich musical history — why did it take so long? The Juggernaut spoke with critics, anthropologists, and musicologists to understand why.