By Aparmita Das | SHILLONG:
She needs you. Yes, 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Shillong, Ricaa Stella needs you to listen to her newest single, Need You, a sentimental ballad, which has an interesting story behind its genesis.
One fine evening, Ricaa, who also goes by the name Mebarica Suting, was at her friend’s studio listening to music. It was June 2021 and her friend played two to three beats by Cold Melody, a beatmaker, who has a channel on a popular video-streaming website and sells original beats to interested buyers. “I had subscribed to the channel but hadn’t come across this particular beat. My friend sent me four beats. And one day, when I played this beat, I heard it sitting on the balcony and it caught my attention,” she says. And thus, Need You is born.
It took Ricaa three days to adorn the beats with her thoughtful lyrics and stirring tune. “After the third day, we went inside the studio and got it recorded in two hours straight,” she says.
For a year and a half, Ricaa was on a break from music. “I also went through mental breakdown and had writer’s block.” She informed that Need You was not a planned song. “I was lost and didn’t know what to write but after a few hours, words just started to flow. My songwriting comes from my experiences in personal life. Neither do I plan a song on a particular topic nor do I have a specific time to write them down. I might be travelling in a car and if something comes up in my mind, I immediately jot the thoughts down,” she says.
Need You is a song, which is very close to Ricaa. “I think Need You is that one song that makes me proud of myself. So far, the reactions from people have been heart-warming. Some even said that it is my best so far and that they are proud of me as well,” says the singer.
Ricaa says the song is about the bond we share with our that special someone. “Need You is a sentimental ballad borne of pure feelings and emotions. The song speaks about the value of that person who holds a special place in your life. It signifies the strong bond that you might have with anyone; the bond that you would never want to let go of, and desperately need that person to be part of your life forever,” she says.
Need You also has a very arresting video. Shot by Kevin Thubru and edited by Bankit Turnia, the music video consists of performance shots. “There are scenes in which I can be seen lying down on a white sheet. The point was to make the audience feel how it would be to sleep on the clouds thinking about that special someone,” she says.
The 19-year-old has a pedigree in music and she thanks her family, particularly her mother, for getting her into it. “I started singing professionally at the age of 13 when I was selected to join my school’s choir group. Back in the early 2000s, my mother used to play me songs by iconic singers such as Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Beyonce, and many more. This made me want to know more about these artistes and I aspired to be like them,” she informed.
Ricaa’s future goal is simple – to complete her education and continue making music until she reaches her goal. “I just want to get better and better and work more on myself. I don’t know the future but I want to be well prepared for whatever comes my way and keep doing what I love.” There were a few projects that the artiste is currently working on and are slated to be released this year.