In a collaboration with Canada-based R&B singer and performance artist, Raghav Mathur, aka Raghav, recently released Indian pop ballad, Maayera, on Artist Originals (AO).

Born in Toronto, Canada, Raghav has achieved global success with hits like Can’t Get Enough and Angel Eyes emerging as one of the South Asian community’s most well-known artists for R&B, pop and and fusion music.

Maayera reflects his history and experience with Indian pop music combined with a distinct Bollywood melody. As the latest release to come out of Saavn’s artist development program, the track will be marketed and distributed globally.

After moving from Toronto to the UK, Raghav was vocally trained by Seth Riggs, who also trained Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. After studying at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, he joined R&B band 11/7 which was nominated for a Mobo Award for Best Unsigned Artist. He wasn’t unsigned for long, however. Raghav released his debut studio album, ‘Storyteller’, while signed to A&R/V2 Record in 2004. The album contained his most known commercial success, Angel Eyes, which peaked at #7 in the UK in 2005. His singles So Confused, Can't Get Enough and It Can't Be Right also reached the UK Top Ten in 2004.

During an exploratory period of dissonant chords, Raghav wrote “Maayera” as a raw, pop, Island-sounding tune that strikes dissonant emotions, as well. The song is about a breakup that feels wrong and unnecessary,  a torturous conflict that is beautifully illustrated in the music video, which features a poignant back-and-forth between nonsensical loneliness and the couple’s happier days, featuring Canadian actress Priya Banerjee. The track evokes the tragedy of a relationship falling apart for no logical reason other than life’s inherent mystery and winding, unexpected paths. However, the emotion of the song is actually rooted in the pain Raghav felt missing his family while he toured the world and built his career.

Speaking on the emotions of the track, he says: "Love is the most powerful feeling in the world. But more often than not, it comes with imperfections. Maayera is about knowing that the love is more important than its flaws and I hope it conveys the universal feeling of both deep connection and the strength required to help it get through turbulence. I am delighted to work with Saavn Artist Originals on music that I feel excited to share and proud of.”

As a love song, Maayera will also appeal to his Bollywood-loving fans. In early 2012, Raghav collaborated with A. R. Rahman and Shilpa Rao for the 2012 Indian film Jab Tak Hai Jaan. He collaborated with him again for the song Mawalli Qawalli for the film Lekar Hum Deewana Dil. His new track touts Raghav’s nostalgia for Bollywood music of the 70s and 80s. “This is vintage Bollywood with a modern bassline,” Raghav says.