Sheherazaad details debut album, Khudgarzi

The album follows Sheherazaad‘s 2024 EP Qasr. “Andhera” — which translates to “darkness” — arrives as the first preview, described as a “Bolly-goth” pop hymn.

Speaking about the track, Sheherazaad explains: "I wrote ‘Andhera’ after I'd met the love of my life, where for some reason, romantic gloom and obscurity was still bleeding out of me. The song was largely composed in an ex's coat closet as I tried to keep my volume down. It became a frilly goth anthem, with eyeliner running down its cheeks, where the beloved is essentially just the colour black."

Khudgarzi was written following a broken engagement, carrying the jumbled emotions of rage, guilt, and grief. It was recorded between Brooklyn, London and the San Francisco Bay Area, with some parts arriving from Istanbul, Islamabad and Trivandrum. The album’s title translates to “Selfishness” in English, which serves as a core concept within the work. "Selfishness became a kind of silent prayer," Sheherazaad says. "A portal into a haunted universe of anxieties and desires. I was made to fear a 'selfish' kind of woman – embracing her felt like stepping into a forbidden forest I'd been running away from."

The collection of songs also introduces an expanded sound from Sheherazaad, building on folk, dark-pop textures and Hindustani, Turkish, Arabic and Carnatic instrumentation with recordings of weather sounds, breath, and echoes. It also features contributions from over thirty musicians, including Ria Modak, Sarathy Korwar and Qasim Naqvi.

Khudgarzi artwork

Khudgarzi tracklist

"Qatil (Murderess)"
"Pakeezah (Pure One)"
"Registaan (Desert)"
"Gulukara (Songstress)"
"Mard (Man)"
"Haqeeqat (Reality)"
"Andhera (Darkness)"
"Zeher (Poison)"
"Kohinoor (Diamond)"
"Haqeeqat || (Reality ||)"