Shillong singer Meba Ofilia’s verses on ‘Done Talking’, her second song (featuring rapper Big Ri) which was released this July, is getting rave reviews.
According to a report published in Vogue, ‘Done Talking’ has not only ramped up over 220,000 views on YouTube but most recently won Big Ri and Ofilia the Best Indian Act award at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards. The win, came for Ofilia after edging out fellow nominees such as Monica Dogra, Raja Kumari, Skyharbor and Divine.
In an interview with Vogue, the twenty-something Ofilia talks about the track, performing as a featured artist with Shillong’s top hip hop group Khasi Bloodz, and what’s next for her.
“There was this one time when Big Ri came up to me and said, ‘Let’s do a song together’. We just agreed and we never had any plans to put it on VH1 or do anything. We didn’t even have a video in mind. We just wanted to do a song together, a collaboration,” Ofilia commented describing the efforts that went into “Done Talking’
According to Vogue report, the singer from Shillong first met Khasi Bloodz in 2014 through Lamonte Pakyntein. He was a former member of Khasi Bloodz and he produced ‘Done Talking’.
“We did our first single together, which was ‘Don’t Stop.’ Years passed and we evolved and grew as individuals. They waited for me to grow as an artist and we decided to do a song together,” Ofilia said.
Brought up on a heavy mix of ’90s pop, Ofilia’s love for hip-hop and R&B music grew through her discovery of African-American gospel music. “I grew up listening to Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion and the likes,” the singer told ‘Around the Corner’ .
“Later, as I discovered gospel, I started singing in church. Eventually, it led me to discover artists such as Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys and Tori Kelly, and they continue to be my main influences,” she said.