American composer and theatre artist Sheherazaad shares her new single ‘Pakeezah’ (meaning “Pure One”), from her forthcoming debut album Khudgarzi, out 20 November via Erased Tapes.
Atmospheric and gothic, ‘Pakeezah’ pulls listeners into a haunting world within Sheherazaad’s mind, confronting ideas of purity and coming face to face with our own inner monsters.
“To compose ‘Pakeezah,’ I wandered around old mughal ruins in Lucknow, India humming the melody. At night, I’d stay up late at the historic Clarks Avadh–a grandiose, eerie hotel full of nostalgia for the city’s former glory. I was trying to conjure up the ghost of the track: a woman who thinks herself pure before she realizes her own inner monstrosity. ‘Pakeezah’ specifically is about my relationship to purity culture, having grown up in a caste/oppressor background.”
Sheherazaad
Directed by Vincent Moon, the accompanying video features a live performance of ‘Pakeezah’ by Sheherazaad and her ensemble.
Follow Sheherazaad on Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music | TikTok | Website