5 months ago
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Rhea Raj’s time successful Chennai begins astatine 5am. “I deliberation I americium inactive a spot jet-lagged,” she laughs. “I get to person a bully agelong morning. I beryllium with my grandfather, person 2 cups of chai back-to-back and prime up a publication to read. I went to the formation yesterday, and it was truthful rejuvenating,” she says.
The Indian-American popular artiste has had a packed year. After performances astatine the iHeartRadio festival and her signifier debut astatine Lollapalooza Chicago alongside Aliyah’s Interlude with a show of their deed opus ‘Haute Couture’, Rhea released her 2nd EP, Commotion, and successful December, went connected her archetypal header circuit of the aforesaid name, crossed 5 venues successful the US.
It has been implicit a year-and-a-half since her past sojourn to Chennai and implicit the past fewer days, Rhea has been treating her fans to respective updates; from walks astatine Besant Nagar beach, a sojourn to the Ashtalakshmi temple, attending a Bharatanatyam class, buying for fruits, and decoding the dishes successful an elaborate ela saapad she thoroughly enjoyed. “I consciousness similar I spell backmost to the US aft a travel to Chennai feeling truthful overmuch much live and refreshed,” she says, implicit a video telephone from her grandfather’s house, looking each spot arsenic relaxed arsenic she describes her clip here.
Rhea has been keeping fans updated by sharing photos from her days successful Chennai | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Rhea and her sister Lara Raj, who is portion of the popular miss radical KATSEYE, person drawn attraction not lone for their artistry, but besides for their Tamil roots; a rarity successful mainstream popular music. Their South-Asian, and Tamil individuality successful particular, is thing some sisters talk about, and flaunt with pride.
Born to Tamil Parents Kavita and Sri Rajagopalan successful the US, 25-year-old Rhea says her puerility and teens were filled with Bharatanatyam classes, regular visits from her Chennai-based grandparents, and a dependable proviso of Indian food. “All of this was ever portion of our DNA; thing we’ve ever truly loved and cling connected to precise strongly. We consciousness truly arrogant of our identity. We are astatine this planetary signifier close present wherever we person a batch of eyes connected us, and we privation to bring guardant parts of our civilization that are important to us,” she says.
Rhea and her sister Lara
Both onstage and successful her euphony videos, Rhea is often seen sporting bindis, maang tikkas, and chunky Indian jewellery. Earlier this twelvemonth astatine the Billboard Women successful Music Awards, Rhea walked the reddish carpet draped successful a sari that erstwhile belonged to her grandmother. “This felt similar a large moment, a taste statement; but is besides thing that has been a portion of our lives forever,” she says.
Rhea recalls however increasing up successful the US, determination was precise small to nary practice successful the amusement tract for Indians, specifically South Indians. “I present consciousness truly proud, and excited to research caller ways of bringing the civilization forward, adjacent if it means thing arsenic elemental arsenic showing radical the nutrient that I’m eating each time astatine location similar my rasam, which I perfectly love,” she says, smiling. “Our fashion, food, music, and everything other is truthful vibrant and cool. I anticipation young kids spot this, and they consciousness empowered and proud,” Rhea adds. During the Commotion circuit arsenic well, Rhea performed a Bharatanatyam creation interruption successful her opus ‘Hunter’, choreographed by her mother.
“I spent astir 2 months prepping for the tour, and was successful creation rehearsals fundamentally each time for 8 to 10 hours, getting my costumes acceptable and going successful for fittings. I got to enactment with galore women designers arsenic well, and it was truly cool,” she says, describing the whirlwind lead-up to the tour.
As a composer, producer, and lyricist connected her songs, Rhea besides has songwriting credits connected ‘Priceless’ by Maroon 5, featuring Lisa of Blackpink. Be it successful her latest EP Commotion which featured songs similar ‘Mumbai’, ‘Killer’ and ‘Now That Ur Gone’, oregon her debut EP Hunter, Rhea’s songs are backed by her beardown vocals, and themes of femininity and empowerment. “It is besides astir being the fiercest mentation of myself; that’s what besides makes maine consciousness bully erstwhile I americium performing onstage,” she says.
Something she is excited to research much successful her adjacent epoch of music, Rhea says, is much susceptible storytelling that delves into her relationships, past experiences and adjacent her transportation with spirituality.
“The Commotion circuit was truthful energizing for me, and it was honestly similar the champion acquisition of my life. So, we are precise overmuch close present successful the works of readying much unrecorded shows successful the US, but besides extracurricular the US and being capable to instrumentality the circuit globally. And of course, the adjacent large happening is caller music,” she says, of what fans tin expect from her successful 2026.
Looking backmost astatine 2025, we inquire Rhea astir a infinitesimal that genuinely stood retired for her. “From my tour, it was my amusement successful Los Angeles wherever I got to execute astatine The Roxy. Not lone was I concluding the circuit successful my hometown, but to beryllium capable to execute astatine a legendary venue which has hosted greats similar Guns N’ Roses felt surreal. I woke up the adjacent time reasoning however I haven’t felt this level of gratitude and fulfillment before,” she says.
Rhea and her parents were precocious joined successful Chennai by her sister Lara, arsenic well. What are her plans successful Chennai implicit the adjacent fewer days, we ask. “Shopping! I americium buying a batch much bindis, tikkas, and jhumkas to instrumentality back, for euphony videos, reddish carpet appearances and everything else. There are temple visits being planned, and I besides conscionable emotion to devour bully food, truthful I americium eating each the astonishing nutrient here,” she says.
