Bluesss generates waves with anticipated romantic ballad from third EP

By Mannu Shahi

Suraj Shahi Lama a.k.a. Bluesss is a singer-songwriter, rapper and music producer garnering massive attention with his diverse style of music and ingenious collaborations. Before debuting in the digital platforms, the musician was already hustling in the scene, performing live shows, working on collaborative ventures and publishing low-key singles. 

Born on May 31, 1997, the 26-year old claims to be “driven to push boundaries in order to create a prosperous musical scenario in Nepal.” Captivated by music from an early age, the musician picked up guitar as his first instrument and remains loyal to the lute even today. Apart from singing, Bluesss is also a self-taught audio engineer well-versed in the craft, producing not only his solo music but also of other artists like Vten, Sacar, Uniq Poet, 5:55 and Kavi G to name a few. 

At only 22 he published his debut 15-tracks album “Blue Up High” in February 2019, this spotlighted him as a modern-pop artist possessing an innate caliber to write and produce catchy upbeat Nepali songs. This album also lured in tons of followers and features some of his most prominent works like ‘La La La La’ and ‘Straight Outta Kathmandu’. 

He dropped his sophomore album “Flyest Of All Time” in November 2022, consisting 19 tracks amidst which a few are also dialogue skits in between, to incorporate more pizzazz to the narrative. This R&B/ Dancehall entry cemented Bluesss as this inventive persona with a dynamic range as a storyteller; encapsulating humorous plots, generic bubblegum pop tunes, pop-funk arrangements, Nep-hop style and more. 

Preceding the release of his sophomore entry, the singer posted a rant through his social handles asserting how he despises the mixing and audio production of most Nepali Hiphop (and/ or general) artists. He even added the reason for him to commence audio engineering was the lack of seasoned producers and the overall apathy reflected by creators and audiences towards the audio quality of Nepali music. Furthermore, he stated how the rappers and their songs are actually not half-bad but the low quality of audio discounts other efforts and sounds unbearable to even remotely trained ears. 

And the singer is back again with his new EP “Love Language”, following a waterfall release strategy two tracks from the entry have already surfaced on major platforms worldwide. The initial track ‘Maya Ko Bhasa’ premiered in February 2024 and his recent release ‘Arko Barsa’ published a week ago on April 13. Featuring Kobid Bazra on sarangi, Nishaad Shrestha on cello, Jeson Awale on drums, the track is produced, mixed and mastered by Bluesss. The video is presented and directed by Dumb Director and Virus Dai; produced by Kapil Simkhada; Suraj Magar as DOP; Pratham Prajapati as the colorist; Rooster (Kculture) and Samrajya Shrestha on editing. 

The romantically infused pop-ballad sings the story of a long distance relationship, starting right away with a soulful vocal melody layered with piano fills and guitar plucking. Mid-way through the first verse the string section joins in, endowing more depth to the song. The second verse introduces drums and strumming guitars to the arrangement, ensuing right after is the bridge section with intensified strings layers combining flattering staccato and legato techniques. The post-bridge interlude sets in Nepali texture with sarangi on lead for a short span which immediately transitions to a swell bluesy guitar solo by Bluesss, the background string arrangement amplifies the impact of the solo furthermore. The entire structure repeats one more time and the tune comes full circle with the verse section, concluding in the same manner as it began.