Natania Lalwani, known for songs like ‘Yellow Lights’ and 'Gulzar', is a trailblazer for Indian artists trying to get global recognition. In an exclusive conversation with Hook, the singer-songwriter gave her rapid-fire responses to topics related to the music business, women claiming their space, plagiarism, and inclusivity.
Natania on the objectification of women in music videos
When asked about the first thing that came to her mind when she thought of the phrase “Objectification of women in the music videos”, she said, “item songs,” proving how these ‘dance numbers’ have continued to reduce women to their physicalities. Something many dismiss as a relic of the 90s or early 2000s, these videos continue to be churned out, and still carry the same undertones of sexism.
Natania’s take on body positivity and inclusivity in music and cinema
When asked about her take on body positivity in music and cinema, Natania said, “Slowly building,” suggesting that the movement towards tolerance and acceptance of all bodies still has a way to go. On the same note, her take on inclusivity in the music industry was also that it is “slowly building.”
Natania’s take on the new era of music
A lot of the popular artists today are creating music that is genre-agnostic. Coldplay, once a rock group, has ventured into the pop space, and Miley Cyrus, a pop star, made ‘Plastic Hearts’, a rock album. So, when we asked Natania for her take on music genres that are fluid, she called the prospect of it “exciting.”
Even when it came to the role of AI in making music, Natania had a definitive answer. Her response to “Use of AI in the music industry” was, “the future,” making it clear that AI is here to stay.
Music being discovered through social media
Glamour and music
Despite being an artist who loves introducing creativity in her videos through fashion and makeup, Natania was clear on the fact that glamour is not everything. When asked about what she would say to those who claim that music doesn’t sell without glamour, she said, “Music is universal. I think that (glamour) aids it, but I don’t think that should be the main thing.”
Natania’s hot takes on the music industry: plagiarism, big labels
As an artist who had previously released music independently, but then also worked on music for shows, Natania’s take on Bollywood versus independent music was a practical one: “Numbers.” Highlighting the financial factors at play for those creating music, her succinct response was quite telling.
Given the long history of ‘derivative’ compositions in Hindi film music, which has also otherwise birthed memorable original sounds, we quizzed Natania on her take on the controversial subject of plagiarism in the music industry. Natania said it was “the easy way out,” and it’s hard to disagree.
Another hotly-debated topic for any musician, is who owns their work. After news of Taylor Swift’s older music being sold off without her permission broke, she decided to re-record her old albums so she could own the rights to what she created. Following these events, the question of rights has become a major topic of conversation for artists. Natania didn’t seem to disagree with the direction Taylor went in, because when we asked her about big labels owning the rights to songs, not the creators, she called the practice “predatory.”
Natania is clearly an example of how today, the musicians who are loved by fans aren’t just those who make good music, but also have a voice, who stand up for what they believe in, and who create while keeping their legacy in mind.
