[ad_1]
- By Harpal Bobby
- BBC Asian Network
Image source, Sony Music India
The group from left to right: Ri (Riya Duggal), Sim (Simran Duggal), Zoe (Zoe Siddharth) and Suchi (Suchita Shirke)
The world has seen the rise of J-pop and K-pop, but could I-pop be next to take over the global charts?
That’s the aspiration of Indian girl group WiSH, an acronym for World inka Stage Hai, or “the world is your stage.”
The quartet (Ri, Zo, Sim and Suchi) is said to be India’s first mainstream girl group in over 20 years.
India has a strong history of female singers, with soloists like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Shreya Ghoshal.
There’s also the hit duo Nooran Sisters, but girl bands haven’t taken off in the same way.
Zo tells BBC Asian Network that WiSH wants to change that and rise to the top by spreading a positive message of sisterhood and female empowerment.
She describes her debut single, Lazeez (which means “delicious” or “tasty” in Urdu), as a song that “celebrates the modern woman and encourages self-love.”
“It’s very special to me, to all of us, in fact,” he says.
“We like to strengthen each other not only as artists but also as people. We are on this journey together and I am very grateful for that.”
Image source, Sony Music India
Zo feels that WiSH can be a catalyst for Indian groups to achieve global impact
Diljit Dosanjh is the latest example of an Indian star gaining global attention with performances at Coachella and collaborations with artists like Sia and Ed Sheeran.
And Zo believes WiSH can help I-pop reach an international audience.
“We are ready to travel around the world and play our songs everywhere.”
WiSH was created by music producer Mikey McCleary under Sony Music Entertainment, and Ri, who was the first cast member, has been overwhelmed by the positive feedback from fans.
“It hadn’t even been a day since our song was released and we already had tons of fan pages. And that’s when we realized how much India really wanted this and was waiting for it.
“If young girls see us and then decide to be pop stars, it’s amazing. You can do whatever you want. The world is your stage, it’s your oyster,” says Ri.
“You just have to believe in yourself.”
Image source, Sony Music India
“India has so much talent and culture, it is so rich in so many ways,” says Ri
Although they are excited to be India’s first girl band in over two decades, Zo admits there is still a feeling of pressure.
“Now we have to set a new standard, so we have a lot of expectations for us.
“But at the same time, it’s very exciting because now we can set trends,” he says.
But WiSH has also been studying famous Western girl groups like Spice Girls and Little Mix, and wants to follow their example by embracing each member’s individuality.
“Zo is very calm and sweet, I’m the sassy one and Suchi is mischievous and fiery. Ri is the boss, the leader and the mama bear,” says Sim.
And sisterhood is something that is also very important to them, especially because Sim and Suchi are brothers.
“I’m happy that my sister and I are together for this experience,” Suchi says.
With high goals, the group is already thinking about who they would like to collaborate with.
“We love BTS, we are four girls and they are four boys. I think we would make an amazing song,” says Sim.
Suchi says that right now, WiSH is living a dream.
“I’m enjoying everything about life right now because we’ve been working on WiSH for two years, so this is an exciting time for all of us.
“Now it’s our turn,” he says.
Listen to Ankur Desai’s show on BBC Asian Network live from 15:00 to 18:00 Monday to Thursday – or listen to us here.