Concert Review: Shreea Kaul’s Debut in New York City
Photo by August Cao
Review by Tara Saraf
May 13, Brooklyn
“I make global music”, states powerhouse Shreea Kaul on her first headline show in New York City after performing “Care For You,” a trilingual cut for lovers from her debut album Cruel Intentions. “Whether it’s learning Spanish or mastering my mother-tongue— Hindi”. Kaul’s music samples Indian classical and weaves it with original r&b/pop melodies that have stuck like glue in my mind, every new release becoming a staple on my playlists.
After attending the listening party for Cruel Intentions in September and getting a taste of some songs live, I couldn’t wait to see the fully fleshed out show. The loss of time is a crucial motif in Cruel Intentions, as Shreea is pictured on the album cover trapped inside an hourglass; “One day they gon' know Shrebae from Houston down to India” she spits on “We Have Time”. And she’s right, as the single “Tere Bina”, with currently over a million views, amassed her an even larger international audience after its release.
I attended with a dear friend who, like Shreea, went to college in Houston. We almost couldn’t contain ourselves once joining an audience jam-packed with desi baddies, knowing what was about to go down would be legendary and fulfill our hearts that yearned to see people who look like us take center-stage.
The setlist highlighted Shreea’s versatility and took us through the different eras of her career that spans ten years. “Bheegi” is a Bollywood-esque banger with a very entertaining music video and had everyone dancing while trying not to squish the person next to them. Next was “Gluttony”, one of her most popular songs from 2020’s The Seven Deadly Sins. Many fans discovered Shreea as a result of this project and were elated to hear it in the set. The dancers alongside her went above and beyond with an Indian-Western fusion style, perfectly enhancing the performance and empowering Shreea onstage.
Photo by Divya Shenoy
As soon as the saxophone sounds in “Khali Wali”, a hush fell over the crowd, as people pressed record on their phones to capture the moment eternally. The character in the song should probably be resisting this love, but old habits die hard. “Par jitna bhi koshish karu na, Mujhse chhutti nahi hai / But no matter how hard I try, it doesn’t leave me”.
Her ballad “Alive” begs an important question: “Are we alright?” It’s a beautiful tune with a carnatic breakdown recorded with Akshara (@aksharuh) that simply makes me ascend. Shreea shares that she “didn’t know if living was worth it” at the time she wrote the song, one of the lowest points of her career. At this point, I was tearing up, reflecting on the past year of my own life and the hardships I’ve endured. Creating and consuming art is one of the few constructive ways to process pain, which Shreea thoughtfully acknowledges.
Over the course of the album, the character Kaul has formed has become “darker” and “hardened by the brutality of reality”, she shared in an interview with KLAT Magazine. Producers and people in the industry have ghosted and taken advantage of her. This is highlighted in “Hungama”, her voice soaring over the instrumental, and “Crooked Salesman”, where she mixes a bhajan, or a devotional hymn, with Brazilian funk.
Of course, the show couldn’t have gone on without creative director Ashvini Navaratnam and manager Sanaya Gangal, among many others. In all honesty, I would’ve loved to hear more of Kaul’s older discography as a longtime fan– songs like “Lust”, “Ol’ Dude”, and “Sugar” have gone platinum in my house– but I understand the desire to spotlight the new album. Kaul’s ability to evoke every emotion within me with her voice is a testament to her incredible artistry and talent and, all in all, this night felt long overdue.
Courtesy of @shreybaebee on Instagram