Raja Kumari wanted track ‘Firestarter’ to be ‘fun, free-flowing’

New Delhi, July 24: Grammy-nominated rapper and singer-songwriter Raja Kumari unveiled her brand-new single titled ‘Firestarter’ on Friday. She says that the track has a universal appeal to it.

“After the last 16 months that we spent in the pandemic, it was important for me to put out something that represented what I was going through. I just love how universal the record is and how it’s for everyone,” Raja Kumari told IANS.

The Indo-American music trailblazer, Raja has earned herself a plum position as a powerful female voice in the modern hip-hop landscape.

Recorded in the thick of the pandemic, “Firestarter” reinforces how Kumari has galvanised popular music by belting grandiose vocal runs of self-love, inclusivity, and gender equality.

Pivoted on the theme of renaissance and rebirth, the record combines the hip-hop heavyweight’s sharp hip-hop sensibilities with her fashion aesthetics.

She said: “The song represents being reborn and rising from the ashes like a phoenix and the need to constantly reinvent yourself and not being fearful about it. This is my 25th music video and I have accepted now that it’s my job to make these visual pieces of musical art.” She brings a freewheeling playfulness to “Firestarter” with her cosmopolitan edge and strikes an alluring balance between her ‘desi’ and global avatar.

With phrases like ‘I ain’t afraid I’m only living for today’, and ‘There is no other can’t replace me cuz I’m bossy,’ Kumari spits bars with her trademark forward-thinking spirit.

She said: “It’s been almost two years since I’ve been on the set, specifically for my own independent music video, where it’s about the fashion and the production. This is the first time that I didn’t take the whole creation process too seriously as I wanted it to be fun and free-flowing.” The record mixes trap beats with Indian classical music, continuing Raja’s mission to trailblaze a musical connection between the East and the West.

The ‘Firestarter’ video is directed by MTV VMA 2020 titleholder Michael Garcia. He has been credited for his work with artistes like Machine Gun Kelly, Ty Dolla $ign, Fetty Wap, and Jack Harlow.

‘Firestarter’ is produced by the Indian film industry’s music director Aditya Dev.

The single is released via Mass Appeal India in partnership with the American record label Capitol Records.

Devraj Sanyal, MD and CEO, Universal Music Group, India and South Asia said: “At Mass Appeal India, our constant endeavour is to push the boundaries of our brand of global hip-hop and no one quite does it like Raja Kumari. Her sound, her vibe, and her words are unique and that makes her an amazing artist with massive mainstream crossover potential. It starts with ‘Firestarter’ now and we couldn’t be more excited!”