af-Saperra is getting personal. On his third project, *She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not…*, the British Punjabi singer is channeling his powerful Indian classical vocals into an intimate tale of heartbreak and loss. “This project comes from a very honest place since I started work on it in a state of grief after losing someone in my life,” he tells Apple Music. “It moves through all the stages of loss, with the first half being ‘she loves me’ and the second being ‘she loves me not.’” Coming to prominence with the viral popularity of his 2020 debut single, “Glassy Riddim,” which blended soaring Punjabi vocals with a thumping hip-hop backing, Saperra has since touched on everything from grime to Sufi qawwali music and Bollywood melodies in his genre-crossing work. Across the seven tracks of *She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not…*, he presents his most expansive sound yet, spanning the guitar-laced R&B of “Heer” to the hand-clapping communal qawwali of “Nazara” and indie-rock guitars of “Dardan Da Shehar.” “I’m showcasing my classical vocal training to create a new tapestry of sound,” he says. “It’s maintaining the oral tradition of folklore and classical production with a fresh perspective that’s all me.” Read on for his in-depth thoughts on the EP, track by track. **“Heer”** “One of the most tragic love stories in Punjabi folklore is the tale of Heer Ranjha. On my previous *5 Deadly Venomz* project I told the story of Ranjha, and this track is a companion piece, giving the woman’s perspective on the fatal tale. The track is a collaboration with the producer Ikky, who worked on Karan Aujla’s genre-defining *Making Memories* album, and he brought a beautifully polished sound and warm R&B vibe to my Punjabi lyrics and earthy vocal texture—it’s a perfect combination.” **“Still Charming” (with JSK)** “My name Saperra means ‘snake charmer’ and this tune plays on that idea with me charming someone through the lyrics of the song. Musically, it’s giving the punters what they want in its head-nodding vibe, blending Punjabi lyricism and chillout R&B with a sample of the Punjabi shehnai flute and a heavy, commanding bassline. The hook is infectious and it was written with the heavyweight Punjabi songwriter Rav Hanjra, who has worked with Diljit Dosanjh previously.” **“Nazara”** “I’ve been a massive fan of Sufi music and qawwali for my whole life. I was listening to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as a kid because I was so drawn to his raucous, live sound. ‘Nazara’ captures that raw, energetic approach to 20th-century qawwali music with its high tempo, demanding chorus, and rich tapestry of melody and rhythm. It’s a classic South Asian sound with the harmonium, vocals, and a chorus of men belting it out in a high octave.” **“Suraj Vi Sharabi Lagda”** “I’m more susceptible to composition than lyrics, and this instrumental halfway through the EP perfectly brings you into the sad, melancholic atmosphere that permeates the second half of the record. We were lucky to have the shehnai master Ustad Saghir Ali Khan gracing us with his playing on the wind instrument to create an unsettling and deeply emotional feeling.” **“Tappeh”** “People have always called me a folk singer but I’ve never actually made folk music. On ‘Tappeh,’ I’m using the traditional Punjabi style of singing that goes by the same name, sending an homage to the ’90s romantic songs by singers like Shaukat Ali. The track is an ode to the complexities of love, and musically, it flirts with nostalgia and traditional elements of the dholak and tabla, as well as a beautiful performance on the bansuri flute by Baqir Abbas.” **“Dardan Da Shehar” (with Taj Aulakh)** “I grew up listening to hip-hop and Punjabi folk but also Hindi Bollywood soundtracks. ‘Dardan Da Shehar’ touches on the melodrama of the records released by Bollywood playback singers and combines it with an indie rock sound. It’s an unusual blend but I think it really works, largely thanks to the production of Taj Aulakh, who I also worked with on *5 Deadly Venomz*. He’s a very exciting, young British producer to watch out for.” **“Jhaleya” (with Ustaad Dildar Hussain)** “This was the first track to be made when I was in the depths of my heartbreak in March 2024. I woke up to break my fast during Ramadan and it came to me, capturing the intensity of everything I was feeling at the time. We have the legendary Ustaad Dildar Hussain on the tabla, who used to play with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and who is in semi-retirement at the moment but thankfully blessed us with this performance because he loved the song. This is my legacy piece, a timeless track that ends the emotional rollercoaster of the project.”
More than a decade into the Latin rap game, Puerto Rico’s own Joyce Santana rightfully perseveres. Having endured wave upon wave and dodged fad after fad, his very presence at this stage in his career makes him a rare artist in a fickle music industry. Judging by the quality and potency of *Nada Personal*, with its sleek yet streetwise sound and an impressive guest list featuring Álvaro Diaz and Yandel, the Rimas Entertainment signee clearly has what it takes to last. From the hometown-honoring opener “El Gigante de Carolina” to the rugged send-off of the title track, he centers himself as a rapper with an undeniably lyrical craft. Even relatively lighter fare like “Tu Ciudvd,” a provocative plea to an elusive part-time lover, benefits from his overall approach, raising the pressure along with the tempo on its back half. As has been the case throughout his discography, he remains a stellar collaborator, whether with Feid on the thumping “Ferxxoko” or with Tainy on the maximalist “Omerta.”
