Ananya Birla has released her much-anticipated debut EP 'Fingerprint' via UMG and Island Records UK. Just in time for summer, the four-song set boasts an ebullient blend of pop, electro and R&B, showcasing Ananya's upbeat sound and dynamic vocals.
The EP release marks the culmination of a ground-breaking 12 months for Ananya, in which the 24 year old has firmly established herself as one of the most striking artists on the international pop scene. Since her debut single in 2016, the multi-platinum singer-songwriter has leapt from low-key gigs around London to hitting over 160m streams, performing at some of Asia's biggest music festivals like Global Citizen and Sunburn, and featuring on major playlists around the world including Apple's Best of 2018.
Fingerprint contains recent hit single 'Blackout', which features two of Nigeria's biggest music stars Vector and Wurld, as well as 'All Night Long', 'Disappear' and the anthemic 'Love Suicide'. Recorded over a 12-month period in London, Los Angeles and Mumbai, Ananya teamed up with some of the hottest production and writing talent on the scene, including hitmaker DJ Buddha (Pitbull, Jason Derulo, Afrojack), pop guru Nick Atkinson (Lewis Capaldi, Little Mix), Empire State of Mind writer Angela Hunte, Edd Holloway (Gabrielle Aplin, Dean Lewis) and long-time collaborator Grammy-nominated Mood Melodies.
Speaking on the deeply personal collection of songs, Ananya commented "It's called Fingerprint because it is really authentic to me and my own experiences. It's mostly about love - the beautiful bits and the challenges too. Each song explores love from a different perspective; the diversity of emotions that we experience in relationships, in good times and bad."
Ananya has already made waves in India and last year became the first homegrown artist to go platinum with an English language track. Taking full advantage of globalising music trends, Ananya, who was recently listed as one of GQ's Most Influential Young Indians and a Forbes Woman to Watch, has a number of exciting projects lined up including a collaboration with Jamaican star Sean Kingston and live performances in the UK and US to be announced soon.
Ananya is a singer-songwriter based between Mumbai, London and Los Angeles, and the first homegrown artist to go Platinum with an English language track in India - something she has now done five times, breaking the dominance of Bollywood music on the Indian music scene.
Since signing with Universal Music India in 2016, the self-taught santoor and guitar player, has reached over 160m combined streams and collaborated with artists such as Afrojack, Jim Beanz and Mood Melodies. She has also performed at major Indian concerts including Global Citizen, Oktoberfest and Sunburn, Asia's biggest electronic music festival, and has plans to perform in The UK and US over the coming year.
Ananya, who has been listed as one of GQ's Most Influential Young Indians and one of Forbes' Women to Watch, has released her debut EP Fingerprint via UMG and Island Records UK.
Outside her music, Ananya is a strong believer in equality. She uses music to bring people from all backgrounds together and organizes music festivals in Mumbai to benefit the mental health organisation she founded, Mpower. Mpower was launched after she battled her own issues whilst at Oxford University and works towards dispelling the stigma associated with mental health illnesses and providing care in India where there's been little to date. Her last two concerts have brought together over 30 thousand people. She recently spoke about Mpower at One Young World.
She also promotes female empowerment through her business Svatantra which helps women entrepreneurs in rural India grow their businesses and become financially independent. Svatantra means 'freedom' in Hindi.
