Indian singer Aditi Iyer turns opera towards dark pop with her four-track EP Dollhouse

(January 5, 2022) As a child, Aditi Iyer was often bullied, and had a difficult time dealing with it. One day, she decided to stand up against it. Only, she chose an altogether different way of doing – Then aged 10, she wrote a song Who You Are — her way of rising above bullying and advocating against it. The track sent out a message of how she would stand up against bullies if they were to hurt her again. Those who listened to her song were simply bowled over by the expressive lyrics.

“I got lots of amazing feedback from listeners. It made me believe in myself and my abilities as a musician,” informs Aditi, the singer-songwriter who is creating waves with her brand new four track EP titled Dollhouse that chronicles the life of an abusive relationship. It released globally in August 2021, and is the second EP by this opera-trained school-going prodigy.

Poignant, haunting and groovy, the lyrical intensity of the four tracks digs deep into the vastly rampant pattern of abusive relationships. It leaves the listener thinking.

“Abusive relationships are a bit of a dark theme and I don’t want to shy away from dark themes. There are a lot of cruel/dark things along with happy and light-hearted ones. I find abuse heartless as it manipulates the safety and love a relationship is supposed to offer,” feels the London-born.

“I have never been in an abusive relationship,” the 17-year-old answers speculation, in an exclusive chat with Global Indian.

A lot went into the making of Dollhouse which depicts the stages of an abusive relationship. Tearing Me Open is the first stage of being hurt but still unsure, Hollow is a reflective stage of questioning everything, while Withdrawals is when you finally leave the person but still want them back, and finally Your Photograph is all about the state of happiness and self-sufficiency you learn.

“I wanted each song to come together to express the complexity of human emotion in a non-preachy way,” says Aditi, who explores a range of emotions through the synth-bass hip hop vocals and touching lyrics.

The music, Aditi feels, encourages one to think deeper, and spreads awareness about the seriousness of the issue as many might be in such relationships but might not recognise the signs.

The now Mumbaikar gave the EP a dark-pop sound with glowering synthesisers and melancholic melodies. “It just needed to sound like someone was going through a really dark time in their life, and I did not want my music to ever trivialise that feeling,” says the huge Taylor Swift fan, who also likes to listen to Hozier and Olivia Rodrigo’s thought-provoking lyrics.

The Iyer who loved singing

Aditi was born to be a musician, as she began humming at just nine-month-old! By age three, she was effortlessly reciting nursery rhymes. Then came a period where Celine Dion and Michael Jackson influenced her. Then, came the clincher, learning opera at barely eight-years-old. Once, in seventh grade, Aditi was part of a school band and gave a rocking performance by singing Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses.

That operatic learning, Aditi credits her teacher Situ Singh Buehler, who helped her become versatile. “She taught me classical vocal and breathing techniques that have been critical to the way I sing, even pop. In that sense, music is universal and I wouldn’t be able to sing the way I do without my opera background. It’s a huge part of my identity,” says the soprano, who feels music lets her integrate with her passion for writing. “I often convert my poems into songs. I love how music lets me have the best of both worlds,” she adds. At 15, she even performed an opera concert at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai.

Her musicology is human

Dark themes interest her, thus find their way into her tracks. She admits that she likes exploring different facets of life. “That includes ‘dark’ moments among happy ones. I don’t like to shy away from uncomfortable and grim aspects of life,” informs Aditi, who intends to cover similar subjects in the future, while also not restricting herself to dark themes alone.

An avid reader, the singer likes to read about people’s experiences or those of her friends that motivate. “Words have a limitation but music doesn’t. The desire to empathise with people gets me motivated to write,” says Aditi, a student of Singapore International School. While making music, emotion is one of the first things Aditi thinks of. “Every song has a story to tell and my focus is based on encapsulating every feeling properly. That is why I create expressive and visual lyrics with an intriguing melody that encourages people to join me on this journey,” avers the singer, who, after spending her early years in London, moved to Singapore and then to Indonesia before making Mumbai her home.

The alt/dark pop singer-songwriter with an opera background says her success mantra is to accept failure. “Being a musician is often unpredictable and harsh. Everyone fails and that is something unavoidable which I have to accept. I try to learn from it rather than fear it,” says Aditi, adding she has become less sensitive to criticism and failure, and her musical journey has made her more thick-skinned.

Inspired by Taylor Swift, and her lyrics

American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has had a massive influence on Aditi. “Since high school, I have listened to Taylor Swift, this influenced me as it helped me discover what kind of lyrical style I wanted as well as the goal of my own song writing,” informs Aditi, who feels Taylor has this very visual style of writing where one can picture everything she writes about, which is almost like telling a story. “I found that appealing and discovered my own style of writing by taking inspiration from her,” says the only child of parents who have been super supportive. In fact, she shared on Instagram a Mother’s Day outing, masks in hand, of a time in school when she felt like an outcast, “My mom stuck by me and defended me no matter how many times I was told I was a problem. and it’s because of her I’m who I am today.”

What’s next? “I am working on new music which I hope to release soon. It will have a completely different vibe to Dollhouse, more upbeat and energetic,” says Iyer, who is open to different genres. Her ultimate goal is to crossover into the international music scene. “I figure that dreaming is the first step to doing. My plan to achieve this is just to keep making music,” says Aditi, who admires Priyanka Chopra for her smooth transition from Bollywood to Hollywood.

Fans have been encouraging, though trolls like “you sing badly,” “comb your hair,” or “you are ugly” dampen her spirits. “Obviously, it’s bittersweet but I take the positive comments from my fans and dump the negative ones from haters,” adds Aditi, who looks to her mother for constructive feedback.

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