Raveena Aurora, live at The Chapel

When asked to describe a typical day in a feature by J’AIPUR Journal, Raveena Aurora claims she “spend[s] a lot of time crying about feelings, boys, injustices to women, minorities, and the poor, and world peace, and then put[s] that into song.” After months of obsessing over her sweet, airy vocals and groovy beats via Spotify releases, in early September, I got the opportunity to see soft-pop artist Raveena at The Chapel in San Francisco. I can confirm: she is more than meets the eye.
The concert wasn’t off to the best start — Raveena’s arrival was delayed. Her team kept appearing and disappearing onstage to arrange random paraphernalia: giant pink flowers, a floral mic stand, a giant banner in her signature pink font. Whatever negative impressions attendees might’ve formed were quickly dispelled when she swept onto stage with her popular single “Bloom.” Sometimes we come across artists whose live renditions don’t quite hit the same as the recordings that led us to their concerts. But this could not be more inaccurate in describing Raveena: her seemingly effortless riffs and silky smooth vocal texture were infinitely more magical in person. It was immediately clear that her abilities transcended vocals, and the concert was more of an experience than a performance. Her neon eyeliner and gold headpiece, quirky personality, the over-the-top stage decor — all of it recreated what she had obviously long envisioned in her mind (for a more visual peek, check out her vibrant “Miss Temptation” music video). She is her art.
One of the highlights of the concert was her rendition of “Still Dreaming. ” She explained she wrote the song while feeling mixed emotions through her struggle to become an established artist. Ironically, it was just weeks before she would sign with a record label and embark on fulfilling her dream. This track seemed to come straight from her heart, I even thought she was tearing up. Every emotion, from her anger, to her excitement, to her heartbreak, seemed amplified onstage, and she just seemed so genuinely happy to be there. Seeing her live, it quickly became clear that her dainty voice is just a mask for the tenacity that lies not-so-far below the surface.
From her smugness in “If Only” to her confrontational attitude in “Stronger,” Raveena adopts a silent immovable strength in her life and music. She emanates confidence and authenticity in a way that is truly awe-inspiring. Her songs are drenched in attitudes of self-love, healing, and positivity that are contagious (in fact, her EP Shanti (2017) means “peace” in Hindi). Halfway through, she called for us to spend a silent minute meditating to allow us to collect and feel all of the goodness in the room. And as cheesy as it sounds, I did feel the love amongst the intimate, enthusiastic crowd in that moment.
I must admit what drew me to her initially was superficial – I was excited that an Indian-American, someone who looked like me and grew up like me, was finally making waves in music (similar to my excitement upon discovering all my non-Indian friends were reading Rupi Kaur’s poetry). Her music is an obvious means of sharing the nuances of her life — her most recent album Lucid documents her experiences through love, heartbreak, and then love found again in discovering herself. Appropriately, her hit song “Miss Temptation” was actually a declaration of her queer identity. The more I learned about her, the more I realized why her presence as an artist is so groundbreaking.
As a first-generation queer Indian-American woman, she is the embodiment of a unique intersectionality that deserves deeper recognition. She represents a lot more than just herself — an important responsibility, but one she has beautifully served thus far. If anything, the diversity within the audience was just a reflection of the widespread effect her music has, and the overwhelmingly accepting and enthusiastic listener response made it a prized experience. Raveena exceeded all of my expectations, and she’s found a lifelong supporter in me.

Written by Sanjana Sanghani