Shalmali Kholgade Flips Love Narrative with New Empowering Song 'Impression'

The music video of the song features Shalmali shaking a leg. 'Impression' is a groovy track that flips the script on modern courtship, and flips the typical gender narrative of girls making an impression on men. Instead of loud declarations or borrowed bravado, the song celebrates attraction in its quieter, more assured form. The song places Shalmali in control of her playful, composed, and unapologetically present.

Talking about the song, Shalmali told IANS, "Impression is a really special song for me, both from an expression and performative point of view. It combines both my passion for music and dance, and as an artist I find that very fulfilling. For decades, a lot of love songs followed very fixed emotional roles, especially for women".

She further mentioned, "There was a lot of waiting, yearning, and sacrifice. That's not the full picture anymore. With Impression, I loved the idea of flipping the narrative a bit, letting the woman set the tone, hold the gaze, decide the emotional pace. I think listeners today want to see themselves in songs, and that includes feeling powerful, not just vulnerable".

'Impression' also marks a natural evolution of Shalmali's journey as an independent artist to a pop performer. After years as one of Hindi cinema's most recognisable playback voices, she's constantly pushed the boundaries of her own music. Shalmali has released two full-length albums and collaborated with artists across genres.. With Impression, she further strengthens her repertoire.

Impression is a result of a song-writing camp where many incredible artists came together to build this world along with her. Co-written with Shloke Lal, and co-composed with Rutvik Talashilkar, Guitarist Amandeep Singh Soni, Shalmali's songwriting is something to watch out for in the coming years. The track was produced by Rutvik Talashilkar and mixed and mastered by Sunny M.R. at Chordfather Productions.

- IANS