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Mahathi Malladi is a rising South Asian-American singer-songwriter from New Jersey, known for her smooth, agile vocals and emotionally charged pop-R&B sound. Born in India and raised in the U.S., her music explores the emotional dualities of growing up first-generation — caught between cultures, expectations, and self-discovery.

She began uploading soulful covers to YouTube in 2011, using music as a way to express what she couldn’t always say out loud. Her raw, emotionally resonant performances quickly found an audience, earning over 1.9 million views and connecting her with listeners across the globe.

After stepping away from music to explore her interest in mental health and reconnect with her identity, Mahathi returns with a deeper sense of purpose. Drawing inspiration from artists like JoJo, Ariana Grande, Jhené Aiko, and SZA, her vocal agility blends with introspective storytelling to create a sound grounded in R&B, shaped by pop, and rooted in her South Indian identity. Her debut single, “Say It,” dives into the spiral of wanting clarity from someone who won’t give it — holding space for hope, hesitation, and heartbreak while gently guiding listeners back to self-trust and self-love.

“I just want someone to hear a lyric and suddenly realize, ‘Maybe this is something I’ve needed to feel for a while.’”

Through a blend of introspective storytelling and vocal vulnerability, Mahathi invites her listeners to not just hear her music, but to sit with it — and in turn, sit with themselves.


Photographer: -

Ethnicity: South Indian - American
Location: New Jersey, USA

Instagram: @mahathimalladi
Website: 



GET TO KNOW - completed May 2025
3 words to describe you:
Expressive, empathetic, evolving

Describe your sound:
A blend of emotionally honest lyrics, fluid R&B melodies, and introspective storytelling rooted in both Western pop and my South Indian identity. My sound moves between softness and strength, always aiming to make people feel seen.

Describe the moment you knew that you wanted to pursue music:
I think I’ve always known, deep down, that I wanted to pursue music. I wasn’t sure in what capacity, but I’ve been naturally singing and exploring my voice since I was a child. I told my parents I wanted to start voice lessons when I was around 12. Since then, I’ve had many moments where I got sidetracked or pushed music away. At one point, I even walked away from it completely because I thought it was the right thing to do. But I never truly felt like myself, and the pull to start singing again always lingered. I started songwriting last year, and I took that as the official sign that this little voice isn’t going anywhere. So now, here we are!

How does your heritage impact your art?
As a first-generation South Asian American, my heritage has deeply shaped the emotional core of my art. Growing up, I didn’t always feel like there was space to be vulnerable or to understand my emotions. But I’ve learned that feeling deeply is not a weakness but a form of strength. Educating myself on mental health helped me understand the importance of emotional awareness, especially in communities where it isn’t always encouraged. That’s why my lyrics often explore themes of self-reflection and feeling. I want my music to help others connect with themselves in ways they may not have felt permission to before. Ideally, I want people to hear a song and think, “Oh okay, I should probably go deal with that."

What moment are you most proud of in your music journey so far?
Writing my first song. It’s not released yet, but it was such a random and meaningful moment for me. I was just looking for a karaoke track to sing to when I came across a beat, started humming a melody, and the words just followed. It was an indescribable feeling, and that’s when I realized I wanted to dive back into this again.

Your next music goal:
More singles for sure! I want to start performing live and keep collaborating with people who inspire me.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who and why?
Young Miko! She was a huge inspiration and honestly the nudge I needed to trust myself and pursue music again. I started following her in 2023 and was instantly drawn to how authentic she is, both in her sound and image. Her music is catchy, full of personality, and made me want to embrace my own voice more. I’d love to bring a South Indian meets Puerto Rican flavor to something with her. With her flow and my vocals, I think the fusion could be insane.

Lyrics you live by:
“F*** a fake smile” 
(fake smile - Ariana Grande)

I think I’m at a point in my life where I’m done doing things just to please people or meet expectations of what you’re “supposed to do” at a certain age. I’m learning to embrace what I want and who I really am.

3 songs you're listening to right now:
Wassup - Young Miko
CUDN'T B ME - Jessie Reyez
Ordinary - Alex Warren

Your community shout out:
Yanchan Produced! (@yanchanproduced). I remember hearing his song “Tradition” for the first time and feeling so inspired by the way he blended cultural sounds and instruments into Western music. It’s the kind of representation I never saw growing up, and it really left an impact. Seeing how far he’s come, it’s amazing to know that Western audiences are openly receiving our culture and making space for us in the music industry. When I shared one of my songs, I thought it would be a long shot, but it meant a lot that he not only saw potential in me but also wanted to help me find and shape my sound, especially in a way that blends our South Asian culture into the pop and R&B space. I feel genuinely lucky to be learning from someone whose artistry I’ve admired, and even getting little pep talks from him that remind me why I want to do this. Working with him makes me feel like success in this space is actually possible, which is a huge shift from how I felt growing up. To go from admiring his work to actually creating with him feels incredibly full circle.

Anything else you'd like to share:
"Say It" is my first single, but I have a bunch more in the works. So that can definitely be expected in the coming months.