Priya Ragu Drops Her Debut Album
Out now via Warner is “Santhosam”, the long-awaited debut album proper from Priya Ragu.
“Santhosam” (Tamil for “happiness”) has garnered some impressive reviews, especially in the UK press. The Guardian gives it four out of five and writes:
“…the debut from Tamil-Swiss artist Ragu channels her musical roots into an intoxicating blend of R&B, pop and dance.” “A colourful, spiritual call for freedom… The self-affirming debut by the self-described ‚Raguwavy‘ star captures hope for society and oneself” says the New Musical Express in another four-out-of- five review. “Priya Ragu’s Santhosam is a self-assured debut of an artist who has fully arrived and is ready to carve out a distinctive space of her own.” reckons The Skinny. Still more enthusiastic is The Line of Best Fit: “Priya Ragu is a masterful pop innovator, and Santhosam is a clear indication of what might happen when an artist’s overflowing creativity is allowed to be freed. Unforgettable, powerful, and easy-going all at once, Ragu’s maximalist debut is a special mark on the landscape from a new pop disruptor.”
Once again produced by her brother, Japhna Gold, “Santhosam” is clearly the work of a woman who has found her voice, her feet, and her style. Born and raised in the Eastern part of Switzerland by parents who had fled Sri Lanka to escape a raging civil war, her music blends elements of R&B, funk and Western pop with the rhythms, textures and colours of the Indian subcontinent. And, whilst Ragu is perfectly capable of praising the joys of dancing, her lyrics don’t shy away from serious topics, including gender roles (“School Me Like That”) and Black Lives Matter (“Black Goose”). Having already caused more than just a ripple with her mixtape “damnshestamil” (2021) and a series of single releases, with “Santhosam”, Priya Ragu has at last truly landed.
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