Mya Mehmi is a force to be reckoned with. The Bradford born multi-hyphenate is a “extremely bad bitch, general gobshite and slag advocate”, forging new paths in UK club culture as she grapples with fresh modes of expression. A vital figure in London’s queer scene, her podcast Straight No Chaser is essential listening, while she’s also a keystone of the iconic Pxssy Palace collective.
New single ‘Parivaar (Interlude)’ wipes the slate clean, offering a fresh start that connects Bradford with her Pujabi heritage, queer identity with her familial links, all while channelling Millennial R&B tropes in a refreshing, forward-thinking way.
The lyrics deal with loss, referencing the pass of her uncle, while offering a depiction of Bradford that is both nostalgic and unvarnished. Mya comments…
“I made this song in 2020 for my cousin and my dad, after the passing of my beloved Thaya (uncle). I was drowning in emotions, smoking a score of weed a day and feeling so helpless watching my family grieve a loss that we will without a doubt never truly recover from. This was my effort to console loved ones and immortalise someone that continues to be so influential in my life.”
“Thaya was truly a community legend in them streets, and that energy is so key to how I move around the world today.”
Mya spearheaded the video shoot, which balances a display of femme energy with reference points from the cultural conduits that illuminate her roots. She continues…
“I wanted to create something super nostalgic that my community and so many ethnic communities in Britain would relate to. I also feature a picture of the legendary B.R Ambedkar – a social reformer who did so much for Dalit/Chamar (the lowest in the caste system) rights in India. Me and my family belong to this caste and my Thaya was always so proud of it, hence why I’m honouring our identity in this way for the video.”
Tune in now.
Photo Credit: Kesang Ball
