Spinning into her own spotlight

For Neharika, being an artist is about more than just making music, it’s about creating something that reflects her fully.

As she puts it, her art is “a true reflection of my feelings and myself.” It evolves as she grows, shifting alongside her, and more than anything, it serves as a way for her to process her emotions. Storytelling and worldbuilding are at the center of that process, and her work extends far beyond just singing and songwriting.

She produces, works on arrangements, plays instruments, directs her visuals, edits her videos, and handles everything from styling and makeup to graphic design and merch.

“It’s a lot,” she says, “and I love combining all of these different elements to create a world around a song or album.”

That sense of worldbuilding is especially present in her single ballerina, a track that balances something playful and chaotic with something much deeper underneath.

The song began with a beat from producer xander lee, originally titled headspin. When she first freestyled over it, one of the first lines that came out was “you got my head spinning like a ballerina.” From there, the concept naturally took shape.

She describes the song as being inspired by a toxic relationship with an ex best friend, someone who would manipulate her while she continued to find reasons to forgive them. She wanted the song to capture that specific kind of chaos, the feeling of being aware of something unhealthy while still staying in it.

“It’s a crazy mentality,” she explains, “and the contrast between the lyrics and the beat really match that internal battle you have when you’re in this kind of relationship.”

That contrast is intentional, and it shows up not just in her sound, but in the way she approaches visuals as well.

For Neharika, visuals are a key part of how the music exists.

She describes herself as an extremely visual person, someone who naturally sees colors, lighting, or full concepts when she hears music. While the visuals often come after the song is made, they’re almost always guided by that initial image in her head.

Her recent singles are all part of an upcoming mixtape, and their visuals were designed to reflect a shared world; one centered around ambition, growth, and light.

The glitchy textures represent the electronic sound, while the glitter, bokeh, and bright colors act as an illustration of light and energy.

“Overall, the visuals really match the ‘pretty’ hyper/electro pop sound,” she says.

That intentionality carries into how she approaches identity in her work.

As a desi-american, queer artist, she acknowledges that her identities shape her perspective and experiences, which naturally influence the stories she tells. At the same time, she’s thoughtful about how those elements show up in her music.

She’s classically trained in carnatic vocals and grew up with both indian and western music, and while she sometimes incorporates those cultural elements into her sound, it’s something she approaches carefully.

“It can sometimes be hard to tell if I genuinely want to incorporate cultural elements or if I feel like I should,” she explains.

Because of that, she chooses to only include those influences when they feel natural, allowing that connection to evolve over time rather than forcing it.

Her queerness exists in a similar way.

While it’s not always explicitly at the forefront of her lyrics, she views queerness as something that extends beyond identity labels; something rooted in boldness, expression, and authenticity.

“It’s loudness, weirdness, and all the things that come with living authentically and unapologetically.”

That duality, between intention and instinct, emotion and movement, is something that continues to define her sound.

She’s always been drawn to electronic music, especially the combination of a danceable beat with emotional depth.

“There is a duality to everything,” she says, “and I think it’s very representative of who I am and how I see the world.”

That sense of evolution is clear when looking at her earlier project tundra compared to her newer releases.

Tundra was built with a strong sense of structure and worldbuilding, blending electronic, acoustic, and rock elements to tell a cohesive story. As the album progresses, it shifts sonically, moving from more layered, electronic production into something more stripped back and emotionally direct.

Her newer work moves in a different direction.

Influenced more by hyperpop and hip hop, her upcoming mixtape feels more digital, energetic, and playful. The songs are looser, more experimental, and often incorporate humor and pop culture references, while still maintaining a thread that connects them.

“It’s a mixtape rather than an album,” she explains, “so these songs still have a thread that ties them together but they are also less intentional.”

When it comes to vulnerability, songwriting is where that comes most naturally.

She describes it as the place where she’s able to say things she can’t always admit elsewhere, whether that’s in conversation, journaling, or even therapy. It’s often through writing that she fully processes her emotions.

One of the lyrics that still stays with her comes from the end of her song tesselations:

“How much more can we take?

I just miss your embrace

Can you hold me again?

In the silence, only tears can fill the space

All we do is tesselate”

She explains that the concept of tessellations, repeating patterns that stay connected, mirrored a relationship in her life that never changed, no matter how much she tried to.

“It wasn’t until writing this part of the song that I truly realized this,” she says, “and it really impacted me and changed the way I looked at this relationship.”

That kind of reflection is what makes her work resonate, but for her, the most meaningful moments have come from how others respond to it.

She describes the most affirming part of her journey as hearing that she inspires other people.

Whether it’s an indian artist from new zealand who felt seen in her work, someone rediscovering their love for singing, or other small artists finding motivation through her process, those moments have had a lasting impact.

“It means a lot to me, to have a positive impact on the people I’m reaching, even if it’s a small one.”

Community, both online and in person, plays a huge role in that.

As an independent artist, she describes the process as something that can feel isolating at times, especially when you don’t see people like yourself reflected in your immediate environment. But finding a creative community has been essential.

“They inspire me, challenge me to be better, and encourage me to keep going.”

Whether it’s collaborating on music, creating visuals, or simply supporting each other, that sense of connection has become a core part of her growth.

“There is nothing that compares to the rush of working as a group to get a really cool shot, or collaborating on a song.”

At the same time, her online community continues to be just as meaningful.

Every message, every comment, every interaction adds to that sense of connection, especially on days when creating feels difficult.

Looking ahead, Neharika is stepping into a new era.

She’s currently preparing to release a mixtape that reflects everything her recent work has been building toward; something fun, sparkly, empowering, and honest.

Alongside it, she’s planning new visuals, a merch collection, and collaborations, while also continuing to expand her work as a producer, both for herself and for other artists.

It’s a continuation of everything she’s been building, just pushed further.

And if her work has shown anything so far, it’s that she’s not just making songs.

She’s creating worlds.