In this short EP lasting 12 minutes, Sanjana systematically jams together an account of unrequited short-lived romance and personal growth in just 4 tracks. Maybe a crush, or infatuation—who knows how someone falls in love? Sanjana captures this exciting and also bleak romance in 144 pixels.
This airy pop/indie compilation of tracks comprises catchy hooks about falling in love, snapping snares, soulful vocals, glammy visuals, themes, and aesthetics, sometimes even touching the threshold of hyperpop. Based in Mumbai, Coimbatore-born Sanjana Devaranjan compiles her track as The Beginning (Daariya), The Middle (Dil), The End (Deewani), and The Mend (Tu).
End to the beginning
When does one know something is ending? At the beginning? The opener ‘Daariya’s’ flows like a river, and in its course, Sanjana unfurls the petal of her love and the pollen of love is transferred. ‘Daariya’ sounds like an account of the artist where she reflects back on her romantic escape and of holding together those fleeting moments of love’s ecstatic beginning. The almost poignant vocals are plastered with a very upbeat tune and hooks that sometimes play on the head out of nowhere.
‘Dil’ is the naive sound of love from the artist’s perspective, capturing the turmoil of being away, of being deluded by the scent of a loved one, of being consumed by the beauty of falling in love.
The (m)end
‘Deewani’ and ‘Tu’ are the pictures of loss and growth. Being futile in the rosyness and promises of love, the artist lays like a crushed glass candy; the sweetness in the melody is still there, but with an air of smirkness and an attempt at rap-esque vocalization, she lets bygone be bygone. Tu is where she mends all the wounds, growth being the priority. Like a flower growing out of concrete pavement, Sanjana Devaranjan, inspired by the unwavering quality of nature, picks up all the pieces of herself.
Love in 144p is altogether a look at the bright side of stages of love, where the artist focuses more on the visual aesthetics. Sonically and lyrically, it is up to the standard of pop feelings, but the theme, though not heavy, lingers around general experiences.
