Manpreet Kundi’s second solo-written single “no one” has a dark, ominous start. Drums beats fill up the silence; its beats foreboding, reminding one of the moments in movies when a character is in danger.
As quickly as the beats come, they leave four seconds in, leading way to Kundi’s beautiful, deep vocals. Her voice is full of melancholy as she sings about loving someone who’s in a relationship with someone else. “no one” in Kundi’s words “conveys the frustration [she] felt when the timing wouldn't align for [herself] and someone [she] was hopelessly in love with” and when she was finally able to be with that person she “thought [she] could make them feel the way they used to.” Throughout the song, Kundi’s lyrics are full of desire, hope, and knowing deep down that the relationship isn’t going to work, though not wanting to admit it. The drum beats later pick up and continue throughout the song, echoing in the background, warning us of the incoming end: a successful relationship will not come.
Right in line with the subject of the song, Kundi’s first lyrics, sung right after the beginning drums, are “no one is going to love you the way that i was gonna love you.” They echo the loneliness of an unreciprocated love and how you always feel that you know what’s best for that person. The structure of that line is reused when Kundi later sings “cause i know you the way that i do,” adding to the poeticness of the song and the feeling that you know what’s best for the one you love. In addition, Kundi’s pauses in singing as if she’s sifting through her thoughts, causing the listener to do so as well and ponder over the deepness of Kundi’s song and situation.
Not only do the drum beats aid in setting the tone, but so do the piano and strings that seamlessly craft a feeling of sadness and longing. The piano and strings perfectly complement Kundi’s beautiful and emotionally charged vocals. Anyone can picture someone sitting at their piano, wistfully pouring out all their angst and frustration over love and relationships, making it the perfect backbone and starting place for “no one” to have been created. Kundi ends her song with a crescendo. The drum and strings weave together a perfect final loud outcry of frustration and sadness, then giving way to the piano as Kundi seemingly finally accepts the fact of the inevitable end of the relationship.
If you like Lana del Rey, you will definitely fall in love with the heartache of Manpreet Kundi’s “no one.”
Manpreet Kundi is a South Asian UK based singer songwriter releasing her second single. Originally pursuing and receiving a degree in physics, music has always been a part of Kundi’s life and eventually she couldn’t stay away, changing careers. Kundi loves to write heart wrenching sad songs, mainly from her piano, adding more layers afterwards. She writes that her songs are for the listener to “romanticise and cry to.” Kundi has an upcoming EP that listeners should definitely look out for. Her song “no one” falls into the genre of indie pop.
Written by Anne Friedman
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