British Indian artist Shivali Bhammer recently released her new album, Queen of Wands, dubbed a groundbreaking, deeply personal and genre-defying work marking a striking departure from her acclaimed devotional music. The new album, which Shivali describes as "a self-portrait", is conceived as an intimate exploration of heartbreak, healing and unconditional love, embracing vulnerability and introspection.
“It’s a story, I want people to close their eyes and listen from beginning to end, experiencing the emotions as a cohesive journey,” says the musician.
Blending urban beats, classical piano, spoken word, and R&B influences, Queen of Wands invites listeners on a transformative journey through the complexities of relationships, identity, and the reclamation of feminine power in today’s fractured world. The album plays with concepts such as the seven stages of grief and the five stages of spiritual awakening, taking listeners from emotional trauma to self-acceptance and love.
Shivali describes each track as an internal conversation in search of truth beyond fear: “I hope listeners see themselves in my words, we are not separate in what we feel, we are bound by our struggles and desire to overcome.”
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The inspiration for Queen of Wands was born during a trip to New York. After attending a Masego concert, Shivali returned to her hotel room, filled with emotion, and wrote the album's first track, We're Done, in just 10 minutes. The raw lyrics, left untouched from that initial burst of creativity, set the tone for what would evolve into a cohesive, full-length project.
She reflects: “This album is about being human — navigating loss, questioning faith, and finding yourself again.”
The seven tracks reflect her dual identity as a British Indian woman and a Londoner, with lyrical references to iconic London landmarks such as the River Thames and Chelsea. It is wrapped up as a celebration of feminine power and universal themes, with tracks such as Commodity critiquing the commodification of relationships and The Blind Man addressing politics and social detachment. It is designed to seamlessly balances the personal with the universal.
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The musician-author is known for her work to bridge cultural boundaries through her music. Shivali followed up her sell-out debut album, The Bhajan Project, with Urban Temple and then The Bhajan Project 2. Her talent as an innovative artist earned her Grammy consideration.
*Info: Shivali Bhammer