Singer Malvika Sheth reflects on realising how chasing virality made her work feel hollow

Malvika Sheth. Pic/By Special Arrangement

It's all a dopamine hit - the views racking up, the likes increasing constantly. But soon singer and songwriter Malvika Sheth realised that she didn't want to build a career on numbers. Instead, her music had to be built on the solid foundation of being true to oneself and lasting art. She believes her latest EP, Online/IRL, reflects just that. In a chat with mid-day, Sheth speaks about an inward shift as she goes from chasing visibility to prioritising authenticity and longevity.

Excerpts from the interview.

Performers chase visibility in the social media age. In contrast, when did it feel like an obligation to you?
It wasn't a single moment; it crept in gradually. Optimising for performance became instinctive, and I began thinking about what would work rather than what felt honest. At the same time, there was hollowness. My morning journaling practice made me confront how much I was diluting my emotional truth for metrics.

What was the emotional starting point of creating Online/IRL?
It began with a question: am I living to be seen, or am I actually living? I was building visibility, momentum, and creative output; but internally, I felt misaligned. The EP became a way to examine that tension. The message isn't anti-technology or anti-ambition; it's about intentionality. Social media is powerful, but it shouldn't define identity. At its core, the project is about reclaiming authorship.

Views and comments are an artiste's currency today. Was it tough stepping away from validation by numbers?
It was uncomfortable. There's a withdrawal from constant dopamine - likes, reach, comments. I had to redefine success beyond numbers and labels, towards depth and longevity. I didn't abandon ambition; I refined it.

Did growing up in the US influence your creative identity?
Growing up Indian-American meant constantly navigating dual worlds. At home in Los Angeles, there was classical dance, ritual, and Hindi music; outside, global pop and internet culture. I don't see identity as fragmented, but layered.

With your shift towards making music that feels honest, what does authorship mean to you now?
It means creating from alignment, not applause. Joy and experimentation are central again. I've stopped chasing labels, and focused on the work. With Online/IRL, that meant trusting instincts and resisting the urge to dilute the narrative for trends.

Five
Number of songs in the EP

Which song in the album are you the proudest of?

I'm proud of ‘Spiralling' because it's the most emotionally honest. It was the hardest for me to record, and put out, because it represents the stage of burnout and the breaking point before the final rise to confidence.