Kamakshi Khanna
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In a 2021 interview, the Grammy-winning English singer-songwriter Adele said the best advice she had ever received was: “Keep your heart safe and your music dangerous.” These words became a guiding mantra for another young musician thousands of miles away. For Kamakshi Khanna in Mumbai, 2020 was tempestuous; it was a crucible from which her songwriting emerged, raw and potent. During this time, through her lockdown music series, Green Room Sessions, she began to unravel the complexities of love, loss, and the tumultuous journey of her twenties. Adele’s words did something within her.
Her lockdown series gave birth to her sophomore EP, Heartbreak 2020, which, in her words, “dives deep into the chaos of modern loneliness.”
Each song, she says, is a raw, real-life account of the various situationships and relationships she navigated through her 20s. “From awkward dates and mind games to short-term flings and unrequited love to still finding a sliver of hope, there is something in there for everyone.”
Kamakshi Khanna
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
After the EP was released this June, Kamakshi is preparing to take it for a multi-city live tour, starting with Bengaluru on August 23.
“I’m excited to go on my own tour after performing for so long. What I’m looking forward to most is connecting with the audience. Performing live is a powerful way to connect with people personally. Sharing the stage with my incredibly talented band is another highlight.”
With a background in both Hindustani and Western classical music, Kamakshi blends pop, R&B, and folk influences into her music. Her first Hindi single, ‘Qareeb’, in 2020, has close to two million views on YouTube and over a million audio streams across platforms. Her performances at major music festivals and growing fan base solidify her position as a rising star in the Indie music scene.
With Heartbreak 2020, Kamakshi dives headfirst into a realm of raw emotion. “Every song on that EP is undeniably sad,” she admits. Yet, she is quick to point out that the project is more than just a wallow in despair. “I wanted to present heartbreak in a different light… to have fun with it,” she says.
This duality is evident in the music videos and arrangements, which are upbeat and vibrant, contrasting the sombre lyrics. Take ‘Love Is Not A…’ for instance. The lyrics paint a portrait of heartbreak: “broke down your walls as you built up mine gave you my trust and my precious time when you wanted it but only when you wanted it.”
The music video, however, is a playful subversion, featuring Kamakshi in whimsical costumes inspired by iconic video games like Super Mario and Tomb Raider.
Though Kamakshi finds this creative process therapeutic, she is also clear about its limitations. “It cannot be a replacement for actual therapy. When making a song, you’re decorating your emotions and experiences to make them appealing. It helps me process my feelings and come to terms with things, but the real work happens in therapy.”
Kamakshi’s songwriting process is as diverse as the emotions she explores. “Sometimes I’m in the thick of an emotion and write about it immediately,” she says. ‘Love is Not A…’ is an example of this raw immediacy. Not every song, however, is birthed in such a fiery moment. “Other times, I write about past experiences as a way to process them. Some songs are even born from completely imagined scenarios.”
Once a song is finished, it undergoes a transformation. “It stops being about the specific person who inspired it,” she says. The focus shifts from personal narrative to universal emotion. “I don’t want people to focus on the specific person behind the song; I want them to connect with the emotions themselves. It’s about transforming personal pain into a shared experience.”
Kamakshi Khanna will be performing at Fandom at Gilly’s Redefined, Koramangala, on August 23. Tickets on Insider.