A Glimpse Into Her Upcoming EP: Anjali Manoharan Finds Power in Simplicity on “Curls”

There’s a weird trend in singer-songwriter music right now where everything has to feel overly important. Big concepts, heavy metaphors, production doing the absolute most just to prove there’s depth. Most of the time, it ends up feeling forced. Anjali Manoharan doesn’t fall into that trap. “Curls” takes the opposite route, and honestly, that’s exactly why it works.

On the surface, the song is literally about her hair. That sounds almost too small to carry a full track, like it shouldn’t hold enough weight. But the longer you sit with it, the more it expands. It becomes about identity, self-image, and the quiet ways people learn to see themselves. Something as everyday as curls that don’t behave turns into a reflection of something much bigger without ever needing to spell it out.

What stands out immediately is the restraint. With a background that includes training from Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music and a foundation in jazz, blues, and experimental styles, Anjali clearly has the ability to do more technically. But she chooses not to. The vocal harmonies are soft, intentional, and placed exactly where they need to be. They don’t feel like a showcase. They feel like an extension of her thoughts, almost like she’s thinking out loud rather than performing.

The production follows that same mindset. It’s minimal, sometimes almost bare, with no unnecessary layers or dramatic shifts trying to force emotion. Everything sits back just enough to let the lyrics breathe. That space creates a kind of intimacy that feels real, not manufactured. It feels like you’re in the room with her, hearing something personal as it’s being processed in real time.

Lyrically, “Curls” stays direct without losing depth. Growing up without seeing representation of women who looked like her, Anjali reframes something that once felt isolating into something she owns. But she doesn’t turn it into a big, dramatic transformation moment. It’s quieter than that. More like a gradual realization that acceptance doesn’t need to be loud to be real.

That’s where the song separates itself. It doesn’t try to sell self-love as some huge, life-altering breakthrough. It presents it as something smaller, more consistent, and actually believable. Accepting yourself isn’t always a moment. Sometimes it’s just a shift in perspective.