Priya Ragu

Tamil-Swiss artist Priya Ragu returns with Madras, a vivid new album that captures her most creatively free and joyful chapter to date. Written in Zurich, Goa, Mumbai, Kerala and Chennai (formerly Madras), and recorded in Chennai, the project draws deeply on the city’s light, colour and childhood memories, transforming them into a rich, modern tapestry of sound. Central to Priya’s work is her long-standing collaboration with her brother, Japhna Gold, her sole producer and close co-writer. Together they’ve developed a sonic identity that fuses Tamil melodies and South Asian rhythms with left‐field R&B, hip hop and disco‐leaning grooves. On Madras, that palette is elevated through live instrumentation, including strings performed by an orchestra of veteran players, and the warmth of a children’s choir, giving the record a distinctly human, lived‐in feel. If her previous album Santhosam (2023), praised by Pitchfork, NME, DIY, Rolling Stone UK, Clash and more, was about finding happiness and inner purpose, Madras is about applying those lessons in real time. The songs lean further into themes of presence and self‐connection, while embracing a lighter, more playful energy. Visually and sonically, this era is about simplicity and authenticity. Traditional and contemporary aesthetics sit side by side, stripped of excess, allowing Priya’s personality, voice and stories to take centre stage. With Madras, she invites listeners into a world where cultures, genres and emotions collide, forming a glowing, borderless vision of what modern, multicultural pop can be.