MUMBAI: South Asian singer-songwriter Nikitaa who recently released her exotically-driven single "Clutch" has come up with an acoustic version, which was shot at her home amid the lockdown

Nikitaa shared that during the time when she was in LA, she felt a definite sense of frustration with being fetishized as a South Asian woman. 

She also had a deep desire to create a song that showcased confidence and power of a woman that didn't revolve around satisfying a man. “Both of those feelings became my inspiration while writing Clutch” she shared.

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Due to circumstances Nikitaa shot the music video from her iPhone, she was her own director and photographer. With so much hesitancy and nervousness she shoots the video with the help of her family. “I guess you could say being at home and this entire lockdown inspired me” she adds.

Shooting the acoustic music video at home made her more comfortable “I wanted it to be simple but magical”. She wanted to venture outside or into nature, so the pop singer brought the outside to her. She surrounded herself with plants and created a little oasis, it was a simple but fun experience, she said. “I kept the sound of the koyal in the end - because it's always been my favourite part of summers in India. Growing up I'd always listen for the koyal. It's the sweetest sound to my ears”.

The singer voiced the song as well as composed the lyrics, “It comes from my own personal experiences or experiences of those closest to me. I dig deep for what I write about and each song means a lot to me. And I make sure to take that inspiration and that depth into the studio during recording and into a shoot for a video”.

There’s a good number of views on “Clutch”, on regard to that when asked her expectation on “Clutch Acoustic” she said, “I like to leave the success of a song up to the listeners. Once a song is out, I believe it doesn't just belong to me. It belongs to every person that listens to it. They will associate their own experiences in their lives with it, and form new memories with it, or at least that's the idea and the hope. My expectations for Clutch - both the studio and acoustic version - are that people have a fun time listening to them. Art and specifically music have become even more essential to our joy during this pandemic”.

The singer’s biggest challenge was learning to make her own decisions and trusting her own gut as a female independent artist, with a strong message about empowerment and encapsulating the cultural crossroads so many young people are at.

“People will always have an opinion over what you should do and how you should do it. But ultimately you know what is best for you and what serves best to achieve your vision. I'm blessed that none of these challenges have majorly hindered any of my releases so far, and where they have resulted in delays or changes, I have learned something extremely valuable from each and every one of them” Nikitaa adds.

“This release is one of a round of singles and an extended project will surely follow” she concluded.