On the heels of the release of her latest single ‘Aise Na They’, Artist and Producer Sona Mohapatra made her debut appearance on the Times Square Billboard in New York. As part of this feat, she has been handpicked for the Spotify EQUAL campaign and will lead the Indian leg of the global campaign for the entire month of July. Her single will feature all this month on the EQUAL playlist as she joins other global artists such as are Meryl (France), Bowklylion (Thailand), Nadin Amizah (Indonesia), and Anikv (Russia) from the roster of Paris-based leading independent digital music distribution and artist services company, Believe.

The track ‘Aise Na They’ has been composed by Ram Sampath with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and distributed by Paris-based music distribution and marketing service, Believe. The song’s narrative revolves around a relationship that has lost its fizz, but a sense of optimism is infused in the track through the lovely sound of the hills with pop-rock blended with ethereal flutes & tingling mandolins.

Artist and producer Sona Mohapatra said, "To be woken up in the middle of the night to see photographs of my face on a billboard covering a skyscraper in one of my favourite cities New York was a surreal feeling. To be one of the first independent musicians to be given this place is a pop-culture milestone because it paves the way for artistic expression of various hues and colours free from cookie-cutter formulas in musical mainstream success. I have been consistently releasing original music for many years, have fought many battles for IP & residuals for artists and it has been exhilarating, exhausting too but now, with my indie label Omgrown Music partnering with a global name like Believe, I truly feel optimistic about the future of the music scene in India and more so for other independent voices like mine. To celebrate this achievement, I am dropping a single EK DIN- Manhattan Memories, a Diltod, heartbreak love song that would be a perfect companion for a long highway drive or a dance party! We are slowly coming out of a very tough time together as a society but this phase in India has been the very best for independent music releases without the big banyan tree of Bollywood taking away all the media and audience attention with its’ big promotional budgets! This billboard is a validation of that constant hustle of never giving up on the power of music and self-belief. My allies have stood by me through thick and thin and I am grateful for their belief."

 

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Vivek Raina – Managing Director – Believe India said, "This is a great initiative by Spotify that creates a space on the platform to strengthen the work of female talent in music from across the globe and I am excited that it features Sona Mohapatra from India with her new song ‘Aise Na they’. We are proud to collaborate with her and the new song is a celebration of love which is soulful, a pop-rock romantic track which will surely enthrall her fans."

Spotify has been continuously working towards equity for women in audio by showcasing and highlighting female artists and creators through their work in music and podcasts. The campaign includes partnerships, activations, new content experiences, and on- and off-platform support on local, regional, and international levels, highlighting women artists who are shaping the future of music.

Launched globally earlier this year to celebrate female talent across the world, the Spotify EQUAL campaign aims to put the spotlight on women in music across the world. The initiative features specially curated playlists across 50 countries while the Spotify EQUAL global playlist features music from selected artists from across the world. Every month, the streaming platform announces new artists for the campaign, all of whom are featured in this playlist, and on the cover of their respective, local playlist.