A ripe offering

Malavika Manoj aka Mali

The plot in Interstellar 5555, French electronic act Daft Punk's cult film from 2003, revolves around an innocent band whose young members are corrupted by the fat cats of the music industry for their own selfish gains, before a group of aliens descend on earth to restore the outfit's purity. It's a dark comment on how the music business churns out manufactured artistes to increase profit margins, and city-based singer Maalavika Manoj aka Mali has now explored the theme in Mango Showers, her stunning new single.

The track's video has three masked dancers tempting the musician with riches and wine. They eventually blindfold and tie her up, forcing her to sign on the dotted line. The act signifies how some industry bigwigs trick artistes with hidden clauses that rob them of their rightful earnings, and in the video, Mali drops to the floor as a sign of capitulation. That, unfortunately, is how things often unfold in the music world's corridors of power.

The singer thus paints an ominous picture that's mirrored in her whispery, haunting vocals. The lyrics, too, reflect the same with lines like, "When you start speaking/I know you're reeking of a lie/I should've called it/Just crystal-balled it/Instead of letting it get by." It's a gutsy offering that serves as a warning to other independent musicians, and for that, the song gets a double thumbs-up from us.

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