Where Carnatic Meets R&B: Gayathri Krishnan's Music Isn't Here To Conform

When I came across Gayathri Krishnan's music through an Instagram recommendation, I was tempted to ask her the formulaic interview questions about identity and representation as a 'South Asian-American artist.' However, minutes into our conversation, I stood corrected; I realised she is so much more than a two-dimensional label. Musician, Tamil, American, queer: These are just attributors that orbit her and are important to her, but don’t constrict her self. 

And that is exactly what this Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and producer wants to convey with her work. "I don't think of myself as just a 'South Asian' artist or '[gender] fluid' artist. I'm... an artist," Gayathri pondered, speaking to SheThePeople. That does not mean she distances herself from her identity. On the contrary, it is the force that's shaping her multifaceted art, not conforming it. 

Gayathri's music is a confluence between her Carnatic classical training and influences like R&B, jazz, and neo soul. These genres possess a rich history of spirituality and cultural assertion, and have long been used to reclaim space, preserve heritage, and defy erasure, expectation, and silence. Gayathri's cross-genre work is her way of speaking her multiple truths.

Gayathri Krishnan in conversation with SheThePeople

Gayathri's romance with music is influenced by her family's deep-rooted relationship with several art forms. "I have been training in Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam since I was just four or five. My mom's always playing Skanda Shasti Kavasam, my dad's always singing, and my brother loves Sufi music. So I've always grown up around music," she said.

Although Gayathri's music has quietly but powerfully been sending the world a strong message of self-acceptance and the fluidity of identity, it is her younger self that she truly hopes to make an impact on. "I think my younger self would think I'm so cool!" she expressed, recounting how she always carried a rebellious spirit.

"I remember in middle school I wanted to get into a singing group for high schoolers, and one of my teachers told me that only older kids could get into it. But I was like, 'Watch me girl!' I literally studied so hard for it, auditioned, and I got in. So I feel like younger me would be proud that I haven't tried to fit myself into a mould."

By high school, Gayathri knew she wanted to pursue music for a living. "I was in junior year when I started making my own music. Our school choir used to have shows, where I would make tracks and perform," the Berklee grad recounted. These early experiences laid the foundation for her artistic voice that grew to merge different traditions.

"For my track, Made It, I initially wanted it to be a completely R&B song," Gayathri revealed. "My friend and I were experimenting with it, and we were like, 'Yeah, let's try adding Carnatic in it.' It was definitely challenging; that part took almost a year and a half to write. It was just sitting there on my laptop file. I tried again, and again, and finally got it."

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Gayathri notes that there are also some similarities between these genres. "What's common between them is the playfulness and the improvisation in neosoul, jazz, and Carnatic music. Although I may not understand all the words in Carnatic music or all the structural elements of neo soul, it still makes me feel something. And I think that's what connects them."

Music as an expression

Gayathri's latest release, Peace of Mind, is a textured, meditative song that reflects her emotional depth as an artist. She describes it as "the end of a chapter," a period marked by introspection and evolution. She said, "I think in the past two years, I have kind of rebirthed. This song is just me letting go of things that keep me stuck in the past, and just moving on with peace."

Gayathri's soulful voice seamlessly switches between the swaras and raga of Indian classical music and the fluid phrasing of neo soul. With lyrics like ''I put you on a pedestal; forgot for a moment that you are human' and 'Told myself to thank the past and wave goodbye', she creates a path for self-forgiveness and embracing a newer, more grounded self.

Art with a purpose

Gayathri does not see her art as separate from the world around her. She is clear-eyed about the expectations that come with having a a platform as a South Asian queer woman. However, she chooses to centre emotional connection over labels. “It doesn’t matter if you’re South Asian, white, or whatever ethnicity. If [your music] feels good, people are gonna like it," she expressed.

That does not mean Gayathri shies away from real-world issues. For her, representation isn’t about constantly explaining who she is; it’s about showing up fully and authentically. Gayathri believes deeply in the political and cultural power of art. She spoke about the importance of engaging with what’s happening around her through presence rather than performance.

"I think that it's really important to speak about different issues going on in the world. Even if you're not posting on social media or being very vocal about things, it's in the little details. The way I treat people in my life, the way that I teach, the way that I speak. Those acts are acts of leading by example, and I try to be conscious of that every day."

Gayathri Krishnan, who recently concluded her Australia tour, continues to chart a path that is expansive, yet so introspective. In fusing different sounds, histories, and identities with care, she’s creating a beautiful world of her own, where you do not have to choose one version of yourself to be seen or heard; You just have to feel the music and let it resonate.