In the vibrant landscape of India’s music industry, a new constellation has emerged, promising to dazzle audiences with their infectious beats and empowering messages. Meet W.i.S.H, the nation’s newest girl-pop group, poised to captivate hearts and minds with their distinctive pop melodies.
W.i.S.H, an acronym for “World inka Stage Hai”, consist of four talented young women; Ri (Riya Duggal), Sim (Simran Duggal), Zo (Zoe Siddharth) and Suchi (Suchita Shirke), who come from diverse backgrounds.
W.i.S.H are the brainchild of music composer Mikey McCleary, who saw a void between mainstream Bollywood music and indie music and decided to bridge this gap by forming India’s first all-female major pop group in 22 years, under Sony Music Entertainment.
The band’s first single ‘Lazeez’ released on March 1 and already has amassed over four million views on YouTube.
Zo describes their debut single as a song that “celebrates the modern woman and encourages self-love”.
"It is so special for me, for all of us, actually," she tells BBC Asian Network. “We like to build each other up not only as artists but as people. We are in this journey together, and I'm so thankful for that.”
As they continue to rise in prominence, W.i.S.H remains focused on honing their craft, pushing boundaries, and reaching new heights of success globally.
“We are ready to travel across the globe and perform our songs everywhere,” she adds.
Ri, who was the first member cast, is overjoyed by the positive feedback from fans.
“It hadn't even been a day since our song had released, and we already had tonnes of fan pages. And that's when we realised how much India really wanted this and was waiting for this. If young girls see us and then decide to be pop stars, that is amazing. You can do whatever you want. The world is your stage, it's your oyster," says Ri, adding, “You just have to believe in yourself.”
But W.i.S.H. have also been studying famous Western girl groups like the Spice Girls and Little Mix, and want to follow their lead by embracing each member's individuality.
"Zo is really calm and sweet, I'm the sassy one, and Suchi is naughty and fiery. Ri is the boss, the leader and the mama bear," says Sim.
Suchi says that she is currently enjoying everything about life. “I'm enjoying everything about life right now because we have been working towards W.i.S.H. for two years, so this is just an exciting time for all of us,” she says.
