<p>American rock legends Linkin Park are set to perform at Lollapalooza India 2026 in Mumbai this January, as is 22-year-old R&B singer-songwriter Rudy from Bengaluru. “It’s crazy! I always wanted to play there,” she says, still thrilled about the news.</p><p>Her love for English music took root when she was in Class 5. Her older brother introduced her to artistes like Linkin Park. Soon, she was listening to Adele, Katy Perry, and Sia and emulating their vocals. The turning point came with Canadian musician Daniel Caesar, whose lyrics and production opened the door to R&B and hip-hop. </p><p>“R&B felt more versatile and creative to me. There are so many sounds within the genre. I love variety,” she recalls. That love for creative range also draws her to Tyler, the Creator. “He is a great rapper, he directs his own videos, and even has a fashion line. That’s the kind of artiste I aspire to be,” she explains.</p><p>Before English music captured her attention, Rudy spent nearly a decade training in Karnatik music. But she does not plan to blend the two. “I am a purist,” she says.</p><p>She has released two EPs, and says her sound has grown each time. “In the beginning, I knew nothing about production or the technical side of making music. It was all about resourcefulness. I made my first EP, ‘Entropy’, on a friend’s iPad with a mangled pair of earphones,” she shares. It features ‘Funny’, the first song she wrote at 16 and recorded a year later. On her next EP, ‘Broke My Slumber’, she had the expert company of producer Kalmi, now known for Hanumankind’s global hit ‘Big Dawgs’.</p>.<p>They teamed up again last month to release the single ‘Love & Limerence’. Rudy has a soft spot for words that sound “nice”, a habit she owes to her English tuition teacher. She came across the word limerence through a reel. “It’s like an obsession with a person, but it’s hard to tell whether you like them or the potential you have imagined for them,” she explains.</p>.<p>She says her songwriting comes from a “real place”, something she has thought about or experienced. This is evident in ‘Broke My Slumber’. ‘99’ is about turning low moments into a song and making money from it. The hook goes: “When my tears touch the ground, they turn into gold. If money buys me happiness, I will monetise my sadness.” ‘Seats are reserved’ is about being picky about people in her life, while ‘Bloody rings’ digs into harsh self-criticism.</p>.<p>Rudy loves performing live as much as being in the studio. “At concerts, I get to play different versions of my songs. And now that I have a band, the energy is higher,” she says.</p>
<p>American rock legends Linkin Park are set to perform at Lollapalooza India 2026 in Mumbai this January, as is 22-year-old R&B singer-songwriter Rudy from Bengaluru. “It’s crazy! I always wanted to play there,” she says, still thrilled about the news.</p><p>Her love for English music took root when she was in Class 5. Her older brother introduced her to artistes like Linkin Park. Soon, she was listening to Adele, Katy Perry, and Sia and emulating their vocals. The turning point came with Canadian musician Daniel Caesar, whose lyrics and production opened the door to R&B and hip-hop. </p><p>“R&B felt more versatile and creative to me. There are so many sounds within the genre. I love variety,” she recalls. That love for creative range also draws her to Tyler, the Creator. “He is a great rapper, he directs his own videos, and even has a fashion line. That’s the kind of artiste I aspire to be,” she explains.</p><p>Before English music captured her attention, Rudy spent nearly a decade training in Karnatik music. But she does not plan to blend the two. “I am a purist,” she says.</p><p>She has released two EPs, and says her sound has grown each time. “In the beginning, I knew nothing about production or the technical side of making music. It was all about resourcefulness. I made my first EP, ‘Entropy’, on a friend’s iPad with a mangled pair of earphones,” she shares. It features ‘Funny’, the first song she wrote at 16 and recorded a year later. On her next EP, ‘Broke My Slumber’, she had the expert company of producer Kalmi, now known for Hanumankind’s global hit ‘Big Dawgs’.</p>.<p>They teamed up again last month to release the single ‘Love & Limerence’. Rudy has a soft spot for words that sound “nice”, a habit she owes to her English tuition teacher. She came across the word limerence through a reel. “It’s like an obsession with a person, but it’s hard to tell whether you like them or the potential you have imagined for them,” she explains.</p>.<p>She says her songwriting comes from a “real place”, something she has thought about or experienced. This is evident in ‘Broke My Slumber’. ‘99’ is about turning low moments into a song and making money from it. The hook goes: “When my tears touch the ground, they turn into gold. If money buys me happiness, I will monetise my sadness.” ‘Seats are reserved’ is about being picky about people in her life, while ‘Bloody rings’ digs into harsh self-criticism.</p>.<p>Rudy loves performing live as much as being in the studio. “At concerts, I get to play different versions of my songs. And now that I have a band, the energy is higher,” she says.</p>