She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not...

Raf-Saperra is getting personal. On his third project, She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not…, the British Punjabi singer is channelling his powerful Indian classical vocals into an intimate tale of heartbreak and loss. “This project comes from a very honest place since I started work on it in a state of grief after losing someone in my life,” he tells Apple Music. “It moves through all the stages of loss, with the first half being ‘she loves me’ and the second being ‘she loves me not’.” Coming to prominence with the viral popularity of his 2020 debut single, “Glassy Riddim”, which blended soaring Punjabi vocals with a thumping hip-hop backing, Saperra has since touched on everything from grime to Sufi qawwali music and Bollywood melodies in his genre-crossing work. Across the seven tracks of She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not…, he presents his most expansive sound yet, spanning the guitar-laced R&B of “Heer” to the hand-clapping communal qawwali of “Nazara” and indie-rock guitars of “Dardan Da Shehar”. “I’m showcasing my classical vocal training to create a new tapestry of sound,” he says. “It’s maintaining the oral tradition of folklore and classical production with a fresh perspective that’s all me.” Read on for his in-depth thoughts on the EP, track by track. “Heer” “One of the most tragic love stories in Punjabi folklore is the tale of Heer Ranjha. On my previous 5 Deadly Venomz project I told the story of Ranjha, and this track is a companion piece, giving the woman’s perspective on the fatal tale. The track is a collaboration with the producer Ikky, who worked on Karan Aujla’s genre-defining Making Memories album, and he brought a beautifully polished sound and warm R&B vibe to my Punjabi lyrics and earthy vocal texture—it’s a perfect combination.” “Still Charming” (with JSK) “My name Saperra means ‘snake charmer’ and this tune plays on that idea with me charming someone through the lyrics of the song. Musically, it’s giving the punters what they want in its head-