From her striped tights and barrettes to digicam album covers, Esha Tewari is the epitome of a Pinterest princess turned indie singer-songwriter. Yet Tewari’s music is more than an “aesthetic.” With her second EP release, “What Makes A Girl,” Tewari proves to be one of indie’s best up and coming artists.
Tewari first began posting her original music on social media platforms in the winter of 2023, shortly followed by her musical debut “with ease” in February 2024.
As expected from any young self-made artist, Tewari’s music is unmistakably reminiscent of the “bedroom pop” sound, named for music that is self-written, recorded, and produced, often from the artist’s own bedroom. There’s a certain sense of underproduction seen throughout her music that works in her favor; acoustic guitar and raw, emotional lyricism are found throughout her discography.
With “What Makes A Girl,” Tewari’s signature guitar strum is still evident, but there’s a noticeable uptick in production. The first track, “Muse,” opens softly until a plethora of instruments burst in before quieting down again to make way for Tewari’s vocals. Tewari’s songwriting is strong in “Muse,” with lyrics like “If you give me love, I promise I’ll bring it back to you / Before the dawn pulls you away / And I am alone because I am awake.”
The second track and prerelease single, “In Twos” is an easy listen — it’s the kind of song you would find paired with someone’s carefully curated Instagram post. Paired with electric guitar and drums, a stray from her usual acoustic preference, the song touches on a relationship that’s seemingly changed for the worse. Tewari questions, “How am I supposed to kiss a stranger?” and eventually admits that “We lie but it’s no use / Love only works in twos.”
The last track on the album, “The Winner” is overlooked, yet the most gut wrenching. The song is full of religious connotation, with Tewari’s raw vocals laid over a gentle strum of guitar, and is reminiscent of Tewari’s earlier music. Tewari sings, “I am not what you pray for…I am not your angel / And I am not your savior.”
“What Makes A Girl” is another addition to Tewari’s impressive discography at only 19 years old. I’m eager to see what she releases next, and to see how her already apt lyricism develops in the future.
