The artist began making music when she was very young, first starting with a love of traditional Indian music. “My Baba always played a lot of Indian classical music at home, and we often went to concerts,” says BombayMami. At the same time, the singer says she was mesmerized by the artists like Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, and M.I.A. that she would see on MTV—and soon, she slowly began experimenting with fusing her love R&B, hip-hop, and Indian music into her own original songs. “The first time I stepped into a studio, I was 14—it was a huge deal back then,” she says. “From that moment on, I never really stopped.”
Her latest song, “Fire in Delhi,” has thrust her into the mainstream spotlight, thanks to the track going viral online. For the artist, the song is all about reclaiming self-confidence. “When I wrote Fire in Delhi, I was in a state of chaos,” she says. “I had just come out of a toxic relationship, and felt the urgent need to reclaim my power and confidence. I knew the only way to do that was by listening to my gut, trusting myself, and realizing that I am the captain of my own ship.” She also used her love for Delhi, India’s capital territory, as a metaphor in the lyrics. “In this context, Delhi became a metaphor for the turbulence in my life—a city that mirrored the intensity of everything I was going through,” she says.
Video: Courtesy of BombayMami
While her songs make for perfect club music—think, steady dance beats, and even steadier rap flows—her singular personal style is just as worthy of making her a star. The singer enjoys working with her stylist Jonni Boi to meld her cultural Indian attire with elements of casual streetwear. “My style is a fusion of my roots and my love for R&B,” says BombayMami. “I love incorporating traditional elements in a way that feels fresh—like draping a dupatta over a streetwear look, or rocking silver jhumkas with a tracksuit. I wear a bindi almost every day: It’s something that feels powerful to me.”
BombayMami adds that her biggest fashion inspirations are her parents. “To this day, I raid their wardrobes, incorporating their pieces into my outfits. There’s something special about merging the past with the present, creating a style that feels both nostalgic and fresh.“ Some of her favorite labels to wear? You could find BombayMami wearing Indian labels such as Rahul Mishra—“his work is so bold,“ she says—as well as Sabyasachi. “Those textures and prints are insane.“ On the Swiss side, the artist is also a big fan of brands like Ottolinger. “I really respect them for their deconstructed, futuristic take on fashion,“ she says. “I love small, independent designers who push boundaries.“ Even better yet, BombayMami finds time to design her own clothing line, named Shava. “I take South Asian fabrics and silhouettes, and flip them into something that works for the club,“ she says.
