Mumbai, 25th April 2025: Maalavika Manoj, aka Mali, returns as a defining voice in India’s indie popscape. After a year-long break from releasing music, Mali is back–this time with a dark, esoteric concept and an arresting music video that dives into the world of cults and control. The song is releasing on 24th April 2025 on all streaming platforms, including YouTube.
Mali’s unique voice, both vocal and thematic, has garnered her international acclaim. She won the award for Best Indian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards, even catching the attention of Apple CEO Tim Cook. With Dr. Dust, Mali shifts her dreamy, vintage-pop aesthetic to a dark, grim silhouette. The single barters her signature warmth for a grimmy soundscape, unravelling the sinister ways hope can be weaponized–through big pharma, drug lords, celebrity worship, and organised religion.
Dr. Dust is about manipulation masking as care. The song starts like a lullaby; a deceptive, sweet melody accompanies an unsettling undercurrent as it reaches the crescendo. It is reminiscent of her singles Mango Showers and Age of Limbo with a more laid-back and contemplative feel.
Directed by Hitaali Dharamshi, the music video for Dr. Dust stars Mali as a charismatic cult leader whose sacrificial ceremony makes way for a successor. The narrative explores the cyclical nature of control, identity, blind faith and dependence – underscoring the question: who’s pulling the strings? Mali features her fans in the video, handpicked through social media, blurring the lines between the audience and performer.
Talking about the new single, Maalavika Manoj said, “With Dr. Dust, I’m exploring a space that feels new, both in sound and the narrative that I am trying to put forward. The idea came about from watching and reading lots of material relating to cults, and the more I sat on it, the more I was intrigued by this world where people, especially the young generation, fall prey to these luring cult spaces. It also brings up more relatable questions about controlling relationships in our everyday lives. It is concerning but real, and I felt the need to say something about it. To make it more fun, I even included some of the fans in the video. I really hope that it finds its people like my previous work has!”
Maalavika Manoj has created a dedicated fan following since her debut feature album Caution to the Wind, and singles like Semi Automatic Butane and Anniku Raathiri. Her sound can be better described as being a lovechild of Fleetwood Mac and Radiohead. It is introspective, soulful, and nostalgic. Recently, she opened for Ed Sheeran during his Bangalore leg of The Mathematics Tour. Mali has performed at prominent stages like SXSW Sydney, Lollapalooza India, and Music Matters in Singapore, making vulnerability and authenticity a part of her larger brand.