R&B and jazz aren’t necessarily genres that are automatically associated with homegrown artists. They’re fundamentally rooted in the historical complexity of the African-American experience and evolved in tandem with their collective moments towards autonomy and emancipation.

Largely influenced by other subcultures and movements such as soul, rap, hip-hop, and rock and roll, the 80s, 90s and early 2000s saw R&B explode in popularity. Thanks to a wave of vocal and artistic powerhouses like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carrey, Beyonce, and Mary J. Blige, as well as its immediately relatable lyrical narratives of angst, love, and heartbreak, this new ‘contemporary R&B’ was able to crossover into the mainstream and permanently cement its place in the Western zeitgeist. 

In India, American R&B saw some mainstream appeal in the 90s and early 2000s, with global artists like Akon finding tremendous success, but there weren’t really any homegrown R&B artists who ever managed to meaningfully break through. In 2025, that may be about to change.

In the last few years, self-made singer and songwriter Mary Ann Alexander has firmly cemented herself within a new wave of homegrown R&B, jazz, & soul artists who are reinterpreting the themes and motifs of the genres and linking them to their own distinctly ‘homegrown’ experiences and stories. 

Since 2020 the Bengaluru-based creative has been carving out an electric path that’s been marked by a slew of exceptional solo releases and collaborative projects with artists as prolific as Sid Sriram and Dishaan. Her creative approach amalgamates the sounds she was exposed to while growing up with her own cultural identity as a Malayali. From Disney bops and Tamil film music during her childhood to discovering slightly more niche R&B mainstays like Brent Faiyaz and Hiatus Kaiyote, the musical palette she draws on allows her to channel the best aspects of the genre while not confining her to one specific sound or approach. 

Beyond her musical ability and just like her artistic precursors, Mary Ann understands the power of earnest storytelling. She is able to craft lyrics that underline to capture the emotional weight of people’s lived experiences. She’s also been able to tap into the power of platforms such as Instagram Reels, to draw in an audience of young adults who find resonance with her sonic narratives filled with excitement, infatuation, lust, adventure, joy, melancholy and sorrow. 

We recently sat down with Mary Ann to learn more about her artistic origins, the people, places, sounds and artists that have shaped her, her plans for 2025, and much more.  

Could you give us a little insight into your journey as an artist so far? Take us through your artistic ‘origin’ story, as you see it. Who were your earliest influences and who or what shapes your work today? Was there a singular moment that made you realise that you wanted to make music a focal point of your life or did it manifest organically? What are some of the biggest obstacles you faced while trying to get your music out there, particularly early on?  

I am lucky to be born into a family of creative and encouraging people. All of us draw, sing, bake, embroider, etc. It was both nature and nurture that shaped me into an artist. Even my school life was super eventful and full of passion. My dad is a singer and I spent a lot of time with him in the studio from a very young age. But funnily enough, he does not consume a lot of music himself. We had a cassette cum CD player and he would play the same few albums from time to time. I can vaguely remember a few old Hindi and Tamil movie records, some Michael Jackson and also a Tibetan record that played ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ on repeat.

I was very drawn to hip-hop and R&B but I did not grow up immersed in that culture so I only knew the songs on the charts at the time. My taste developed way more when I made new friends outside my school as a 15-year-old. I was introduced to Alina Baraz, Brent Faiyaz, Drake, Hiatus Kaiyote, and more, and I loved it so much.

There was no singular moment that made me realise that I wanted to make music a focal point of my life because it was a huge part of my life from the moment I was born. I don’t think I’ve gone a single day without singing from the time I can remember. One of my friends encouraged me to make covers on social media and I started making videos for YouTube using my phone. It soon became very natural for me to share my singing on Instagram.

Even with all my experience with music growing up, I was still quite shy about sharing my ideas and creating alongside other musicians but I knew I had to learn to collaborate to make music, especially as a singer who has limited skill on the guitar and piano.

Doing music professionally was not an option initially. My parents did not feel safe letting me do something that they couldn’t envision a set plan for. I pursued a degree in Visual Communication but then I sought a life with music and started teaching people how to sing right after college. The biggest obstacle I face when putting out music is having to think about the rollout and the most effective way of packaging the music. I know I can make good songs, but I’m still figuring out the marketing and promotion bits.

How does your cultural identity shape the music you make? Finding your voice as a South Asian creative in a space like R&B, which is predominately dominated by Western identities, can often be a challenge. How did you reconcile those two seemingly distinct aspects of your own upbringing to create art that not only resonates with your fans but nourishes your creative soul? 

Up until a few months ago, I thought I was crazy for trying to make English music for a global audience as a Malayali girl. But I also am quite stubborn and I knew this is what I wanted to do. I’ve even asked myself if this pursuit is coming from a place of delusion. It doesn’t help when your mom keeps asking you to pursue your master's in design. It really helped to have friends and admirers who really believe in me and enjoy what I do. 

A few months ago my Instagram videos of my own compositions started to go viral. A lot of successful artists and even some of my idols started to recognise my talent. It meant so much to me. Through the eyes of a newly attained global audience, I could see that the things I thought were my drawbacks were actually my strengths. Being South Indian and doing what I do makes me unique. I also seemed to confuse a lot of people with my accent and ethnicity which was quite funny to me.

We’re seeing a revival of 00s-esque aesthetics, narratives, sounds, and influences across both homegrown and global creative spaces. Your own music has elements that immediately harken back to distinctly 90s and early 00s R&B soundscapes. Everything from the overall production of your discography to your vocal delivery seems like a direct nod to trailblazing R&B and soul pioneers like Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, and even early Rihanna. Could you talk about how you used these influences to sculpt the distinct sound that you bring to the fore today? How did you contemporise these sounds for a generation that’s looking for something fresh and something exciting, without it crossing the line into being derivative?

Since I did not grow up listening to R&B other than the popular mainstream R&B singers like Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Usher, Chris Brown etc., most of the time I don’t even know the music of artists that people tell me I sound like. 

My influences are mostly modern R&B music and not the music from the 90's and 2000’s. When I made an effort to listen to more of those records, I felt that artists weren’t afraid of their feelings or of being borderline corny while expressing their love in a song. It was really endearing and charming to me. It’s such a shift from the current vibe of R&B musi where everyone loves to act like they’re the shit and that they don’t need anyone. There’s more toxicity and a feeling that lovers are disposable and replaceable. I was inspired by the passion that is on display in older R&B music. 

I don’t necessarily try to contemporise the music I make because R&B is only one of my many many influences. I listen to so much music and tend to pull from everything, so it will naturally be fresh and exciting. Also, I work with different producers, so all of their influences also come into the picture. The way we approach music making is also really different from the 90s and the 2000s, so it is bound to sound new and different.

You’ve been a part of some incredible collaborations – from Sid Sriram to Dishaan to the inimitable Till Apes. How do you approach collaborations as an artist? Some creatives prefer to sit back, let everyone do their thing, and have things fall into place and some creatives prefer to be more hands-on about every aspect of the project. Which camp do you think you fall into? What do you look for in an ideal collaborator and what have been some of your favourite collaborative releases over the course of the last year? 

I was shy during my early days making music but now I have really grown to love collaborating. Making music with other people is so cool because it’s almost guaranteed that you’re going to come up with something you never imagined on your own. I love working on top of beats as well as working on building the production around my vocal ideas. 

I welcome all processes and that’s the beauty of being able to immerse myself in other people’s processes as well. It’s always a back-and-forth thing and we add and tweak ideas to come up with the best outcome. An ideal collaborator is someone who is open-minded, has a good work ethic, has great taste and of course, is someone who is good at what they do. It gets me super excited to work with people I admire.

Speaking of some of your collaborators, it’s been heartening to see a rising new wave of distinctly Homegrown R&B and soul. There’s you; there’s Ranj & Clifr; there’s Till Apes; there’s Tarang Joseph, and there’s quite a few more. It’s a far larger list than it was even five years ago. And while all of you do fall under the same general ‘umbrella’, what’s most exciting is how distinctly each of your sounds are. Do you think the space you’re in becoming a little more saturated helps or hinders you from the point of view of standing out? Do you think we’d be able to see a full-scale ‘homegrown’ jazz, soul and R&B fest going into the near future? 

I am so proud of all of us for pursuing what we believe in and making the music we love to make. I think we all bring different things to the table and that’s beautiful. Why would it hinder us from standing out when there's space for everyone in this world? We are all capable of so much and so many different styles. With all this talent in the country, why shouldn’t we put all of us under the same roof and have a full-scale ‘homegrown’ jazz, soul and R&B fest? I mean, we do have Jazz Weekender in Delhi already and it was a pleasure to be part of it.

There’s been a lot of talk about the ‘necessity’ of artists becoming ‘content creators’ via mediums such as TikTok and Instagram Reels. You seem to have found a way to strike that balance. Your Reels don’t just feel like content for the sake of it. They seem warm, organic, and a genuine attempt to connect with your audience. Was that something that came naturally to you or did you have to kind of push yourself into doing them? What advice would you give to creatives who like making music but hate making ‘content’ to feed the algorithm? 

Firstly, thank you. It took years and years of making videos and talking to the camera to feel natural and free in front of one. One’s urge to fabricate and script things too much and not being able to execute them with ease really makes sharing ideas a burden. I’ve always loved making videos. I would’ve pursued a YouTube career if I wasn’t doing music. 

A lot of people message me asking me for advice on making content. They ask me about the equipment I use and strategy, etc. Most of the time I don't even feel like answering these questions because how do I make someone understand that these things don’t matter as much? You need to be consistently practising, creating or doing whatever it is that you do, even when no one’s watching you. 

The ‘contentification’ of that experience can be a byproduct. You need to train yourself to identify shareable moments. You need to get excited about things so that you can share that excitement. Don’t worry about equipment. Use what you have, keep it simple and try to understand basic human psychology. When you’re scrolling through reels and consuming content, teach yourself to ask yourself why you started watching something and what made you stay on that video. The more you do this,  the more ideas will start to come naturally.

What does the word ‘Homegrown’ mean to you?

I’ve been following you guys for so long that when I think of the word ‘homegrown’ I think of your brand haha.

Who are some artists that are currently on rotation for you? Are there any homegrown artists you think people have been sleeping on? 

I’ve been listening to GloRilla, Justin Timberlake, Doechii, and Kehlani for the past few weeks. As for homegrown artists, don’t sleep on Dappest and AdL from Shillong.

Could you give us some insight into what you have planned going into 2025? Are there more single releases we can look forward to? Is there an EP on the horizon or maybe even a tour? 

This year is going to be the most exciting year yet for me. In the past two years, I wrote a lot of music and also got to perform at some of the most popular music festivals in India. With my Instagram gaining so much traction recently, I have attracted a lot of good opportunities and I can’t wait to share more music with the world and learn so much more about myself through the industry.

If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:

The Unapologetic Authenticity Of Sid Sriram: Homecomings, Tiny Desk, 'Sidharth', & More

The Rise Of D36: The Label's Nuanced Approach To South Asian Artistry Is A Gamechanger

The Reign Of Kalmi: The Producer Behind 'Big Dawgs' Is Showing Us How To "Make Good Music"