Ask any Gen-Zer what their core philosophy of life is, and it is likely that you will receive the answer —“I believe in self-love above all else.” As prominent youth icons of today, Hyderabad-based Pranati Khanna aka Peekay and Andrea Tariang from Shillong, picked up on this important concept and created their latest single ‘Sunshine on the Street’, which was released on 11 February 2022— just before Valentine’s Day.
A still from the song
Sunshine on the Street
Andrea Tariang
The song’s launch in the month of love was a deliberate choice made by the artists. They were keen to highlight that love should not be restricted to the textbook idea of romance or spousal love between members of the opposite sex. Love is a nuanced concept encompassing feelings and emotions across the spectrum—towards friends, lovers of the same gender, undefined bonds between people, pets, nature, and most importantly the feeling of self-acceptance and self-expression.
Peekay and Tariang are steadfast supporters of the LGBTQIA+ communities in their respective cities. These talented young multi-hyphenates use their influence positively to encourage the creative arts and alternative forms of expression. ‘Sunshine on the Street’ is the first song for which they have collaborated with each other, and riding on its success, they hope to do more collaborations of this nature in the future. With its positive message, vibrant aesthetic, and playful vibe, the song is being described in industry circles as the feel-good anthem of 2022. Both singers are proud and happy to be the recipients of this prestigious title.
Peekay has been a TEDx Speaker on two separate occasions and has also received the Asia 500 Inc. Award for her contribution to art and music. She began her musical journey by performing at pubs while studying a course in animation. Her strong vocals and outspoken and cheerful approach to her art made her the toast of the town. She decided to go solo in the year 2020 and released her first single ‘Good, Old Fashioned in Love’, which was a track produced by Grammy-nominated producer Jonathan Anand Wesley. It hit 20,000 listens in the first month of its release, spurring her to create more songs in quick succession. Next in line was ‘Dunno’, which was followed by ‘Much Better’ in March 2021, for which she again collaborated with Jonathan Anand Wesley. ‘Sunshine on the Street’ is her fifth track.
Tariang is a singer-songwriter, as well as an actor and model, best known for having acted in the popular Bollywood film ‘Pink’. She is also one of the brand ambassadors of skincare behemoth Garnier Fructis for their Bright Complete line.
In keeping with their overall vision, both singers were keen to include only those models and dancers in their video of ‘Sunshine in the Street’, who were friends and allies of the LGBTQIA+ communities from their native cities—Hyderabad and Meghalaya. Their freestyle dancing, unabashed singing, and visuals of goofing around in the video, certainly live up to the ‘feel-good’ promise made by the song. Interestingly, the song also has on-ground footage from the artists’ respective cities, showcasing inclusivity and togetherness across the spectrum of sexualities and gender.
Written and composed by Peekay and Tariang together, the song has been produced by Jonathan Edward, with whom Peekay has worked on a number of occasions. The mixing and mastering was done by Meshac Daniel. Though shot remotely in their own hometowns with a green screen backdrop, the singers credit Couch Potato Productions for putting the song and video together with just the right amount of pep and buoyancy to make it really stand out. Peekay’s wardrobe and styling was done by local gender-fluid brand Kothacheru helmed by Madhu Janakiram.
Tariang was the one who penned the initial set of lyrics for this song and Peekay liked them instantly. Then, they co-wrote the rest of the song and paired it with a guitar melody that Peekay came up with. She says, “It is a very honest and humble testament to the truth our generation lives with, which is that we don’t know where we truly fit and we go through awkward phases in life, but at the end of the day all we can do is love and be loved.”
The song ‘Sunshine on the Street’ premiered on Rolling Stone India and will soon be airing on VH1. It can also be streamed on all major music streaming platforms.
The writer pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com