"these songs are very fun and slightly seductive"
Malvika Sheth is entering a new chapter of her career with her debut album, December, Baby, and its first single ‘Ear Candy’.
The Los Angeles-based artist blends cinematic groove-pop, fashion and emotional storytelling to create music that extends beyond sound into a complete creative experience.
Released as the opening chapter of a wider narrative, ‘Ear Candy’ introduces listeners to a world built around confidence, attraction and self-discovery, while exploring the complexities beneath its playful exterior.
Rather than presenting individual tracks as separate moments, Malvika has crafted her debut album as a connected story where each release reveals another part of an evolving emotional journey.
Malvika Sheth talks to DESIblitz about the inspiration behind December, Baby, the influences shaping her artistic identity and how ‘Ear Candy’ sets the foundation for the story she wants to tell.
Creating a Story beyond Individual Songs
For Malvika Sheth, her debut album December, Baby is built around the idea that personal growth is not a single defining moment, but a collection of experiences that gradually reshape how someone sees themselves and the world around them.
She is introducing the project through a series of releases, with each song representing a different chapter of the same emotional journey.
Rather than creating standalone tracks, Malvika approached the album as a cinematic narrative where every moment changes the meaning of what came before.
Malvika says: “I’m extremely analytical and a bit of an overthinker so I’ve never really experienced life as isolated moments. Everything tends to connect into one emotional thread for me.
“When I started writing these songs, I realised I wasn’t making individual tracks. I needed to document a change in how I moved through the world.
“Don’t get me wrong, these songs are very fun and slightly seductive, but that’s just the surface.
“Underneath is the idea that real growth doesn’t happen all at once. It has momentum, setbacks, and eventually a moment where something quietly shifts.
“Honestly, I was writing about a change in perspective. This unfolded through different dynamics, events, and experiences in the recent past; mostly fun & lighthearted stuff, but nonetheless things that changed me immensely.
“I wanted the project to feel cinematic because that’s how life feels to me. Every experience changes the meaning of the next one. By the end, you’re looking back at the beginning way differently than when you started.”
That idea of change is central to December, Baby, which explores the contrast between constant movement and the search for stillness.
Throughout her career, Malvika has built a reputation across fashion, performance and digital content, but the album became an opportunity to examine what happens when ambition slows down.
She continues: “For a long time, I confused movement with success.
“I was always building something, creating something or chasing the next opportunity.
“From the outside it probably looked like ambition, and in many ways it was, but I also think movement had quietly become my comfort zone.
“Fashion weeks, brand deals, dance, piano, acting, livestreaming, and then I added music. Funny enough, I think that’s when I was forced to slow down.
“Around the same time, I started reconnecting with the idea of Shiv and Shakti. I was thinking back to some of my Bharatanatyam pieces. The way I understand it, Shakti represents movement, expression and creative energy, while Shiva represents stillness, grounding and awareness.
“I realised I’d spent most of my life living in one energy.
“The beautiful thing is that the philosophy isn’t saying one is better than the other. It’s about balance. That became the emotional foundation of the project, and it changed the way I thought about creativity, relationships and even success.
“I used to joke that I was ‘in my masculine’ because I was constantly chasing the next career milestone; I was always in ‘go go go’ mode.
“But reflecting back, I don’t know if that’s quite accurate; I think a more fitting framework is looking at myself through the Shiv-Shakti lens.”
Building a Visual World through Fashion and Culture
The storytelling behind December, Baby extends beyond the music itself.
For Malvika, the album’s visuals, styling and production choices are part of the same narrative, helping communicate the emotional changes taking place throughout the project.
She elaborates: “I’ve always been drawn to artists who build complete worlds around their work, not just musicians, but filmmakers, photographers and fashion houses where every creative decision feels connected.
“Marilyn Monroe was a huge inspiration, not just aesthetically but because of the balance she represented. She could be incredibly glamorous while still feeling deeply human. There was a softness underneath all that confidence that I found really beautiful. Even Audrey Hepburn, for that matter.
“I also spent a lot of time watching runway shows, especially Jonathan Anderson’s recent Dior presentations.
“What fascinated me wasn’t only the fashion, but the way the soundtrack, lighting and pacing created emotion before anyone even walked. I think about that constantly when I’m building a visual era.
“Also, the hair tells part of the story. It begins warmer and more copper during ‘Ear Candy’ because emotionally that’s where the character is… living fully in movement and fire.
“As the story progresses and she becomes more grounded, the visuals gradually soften too. The hair changes with her.
“Every creative decision follows the emotional arc rather than existing separately from it.”
That attention to emotional detail also shapes how Malvika approaches her cultural influences.
As someone who grew up between Los Angeles and India, both experiences naturally exist within her artistry.
“I don’t really feel like I have to choose between those worlds anymore. Nor do I want to.
“I grew up between both cultures, so both places have shaped who I am. But over the past couple of years, India has become much more than my heritage; it feels like a place I get to come home to.
“There’s something really meaningful about telling this story and building this next phase of my career from India outward.
“Musically, adding Indian influences is important but I’ll never force it.
“Sometimes when I’m working on songs with my collaborators, I’ll lightly reference a specific Bharatanatyam piece for a mood or motif we might be able to draw inspiration from.
“So it’s really specific and personal yet also a balance between intentional and organic. And I do love encouraging my collaborators to play and experiment as well.
“Also, South Asian storytelling has always made room for devotion, longing and really big emotion, and I naturally carry that into my writing.
“At the same time, I grew up listening to R&B, pop, hip-hop, and rap music; definitely super LA girl. I’m very inspired by the 2000s-2010s era.
“So none of it feels like fusion to me. It just feels honest. Me.”
Her upbringing continues to influence how she approaches songwriting, with visuals and music often developing together rather than separately.
Malvika Sheth reflects: “Growing up between cultures taught me that identity isn’t something you choose one side of. You learn to hold all of it at once.
“California taught me independence, creative freedom, visual scale and a willingness to experiment. India gave me a completely different relationship with storytelling and also the warmth of community.
“There’s such a deep respect for emotion, music and cinema that I think naturally found its way into how I write.
“I don’t really separate music from visuals or visuals from character. Everything starts together.
“Even when I’m writing, I’m already imagining colours, textures, camera movement, styling, the emotional vibe of a scene. I’m all over Pinterest.
“Like I said, I’ve always loved artists who create complete worlds rather than individual songs and that’s probably how my brain naturally works.”
Ear Candy presenting Confidence and Vulnerability
The album’s first single is ‘Ear Candy’, a track that presents itself with confidence, playfulness and a sense of attraction.
However, beneath its energetic surface, Malvika uses the song to explore a more personal tension: the difference between being noticed and being truly understood.
On the creation process, Malvika recalls: “Ear Candy actually started with the title.
“I keep a running note on my phone where I save interesting phrases or song titles whenever they come to me.
“I’m really excited about the way I’ve translated fun terms into titles and song themes for this era. Not to say too much, but some of them are super inspired by colloquial language you’ll hear in Mumbai.
“Every morning I also do Morning Pages (a practice from The Artist’s Way), which is three pages of completely unfiltered journaling. Most of my lyrics come directly from those pages, or from little things I hear in conversation that stay with me.
“So usually the title comes first. The lyrics explain why. And then I map the song somewhere in the whole arc.”
While the track carries a flirtatious energy, Malvika wanted listeners to look beyond the immediate impression.
She reveals: “By the time I wrote Ear Candy, I realised it wasn’t really about flirting, even though it is a flirty song. I’ve never been a ‘flirt’, but I was someone who knew exactly how to create attention yet hadn’t quite learned how to let anyone get close.
“That earlier version of me… She’s magnetic, playful and completely comfortable being desired or in the spotlight.
“But underneath all of that is someone who’s still figuring out the difference between attracting people and allowing herself to be truly seen for who she really is.
“That became the starting point for everything that followed.”
That contrast between confidence and vulnerability became an important foundation for the album.
For Malvika, tension and duality are recurring themes, shaped by both her upbringing and the way she understands relationships, ambition and creativity.
“For a long time I believed intensity was the highest form of connection. Big feelings, big chemistry, big moments. Very Bollywood and dramatic.
“Looking back, I realised I’d become very good at creating excitement, but excitement and intimacy aren’t the same thing at all.
“That was probably one of the biggest lessons I learned while making this track.
“Ear Candy introduces someone who’s completely comfortable creating momentum. She knows how to attract people. She knows how to hold a room.
“But underneath all of that is someone who’s never really had to sit still long enough to ask herself what she’s actually looking for.
“That’s why I wanted to begin there.
“The rest of the project slowly asks what happens when someone who’s always known how to create intensity starts becoming curious about peace, longevity, rest, honesty, and stability instead.”
A Sound through Movement, Emotion & Heritage
Although ‘Ear Candy’ introduces the album’s themes lyrically, its production plays an equally important role in establishing the atmosphere.
Malvika Sheth approached the track by making sure the music itself reflected the character’s emotional state, combining movement and unpredictability with moments of intimacy.
She states: “From the beginning, I wanted it to feel addictive and all over the place.
“When creating this track, we made sure the production was constantly moving; deep bass, punchy drums, little ear-catching moments, subtle Indian textures… everything keeps pushing the song forward.
“At the same time, I wanted the vocal to feel incredibly close, almost conversational. Like someone’s letting you in on a thought they haven’t quite admitted to themselves yet.
“I think that’s the contrast that defines the song.
“On the surface, it’s playful and confident.
“Underneath, it’s introducing questions that the character doesn’t even realise she’s asking yet.
“I’ve always loved songs where the production tells part of the story too.
“Sometimes the emotional arc isn’t only in the lyrics… it’s in the way something feels.
“Fashion show soundtracks actually taught me a lot about that. They create emotion before anyone has even spoken, and I wanted the production to do something similar.”
That approach reflects the wider ambition behind December, Baby.
For Malvika, the album is a reflection of personal change and the different versions of herself that existed throughout that journey.
She teases: “I don’t want to explain too much yet because ‘Ear Candy’ is really just the first chapter.
“The album is the most psychologically honest picture I’ve made of myself, which is why I’m releasing it on my birthday.”
“If I could leave people with a few clues, I’d say to think about Shiv and Shakti, softness and strength, and a girl learning how to hold both.
“Oh and a lot of quirks, surprises, twists and turns. Everything else, I’d rather let the music reveal.”
Through December, Baby, Malvika Sheth is creating more than a debut album; she is building an immersive artistic world shaped by personal reflection, cultural influences and emotional growth.
With ‘Ear Candy’ introducing the project’s themes of confidence, vulnerability and transformation, the track establishes the foundation for a story that will continue unfolding through each release.
As Malvika Sheth combines music, fashion and visual storytelling, the upcoming album reflects her journey towards embracing both movement and stillness, strength and softness.
