Meghna’s ‘HÄSSLICH’ Turns Rage Into Rhythm on Her Fierce Debut Anthem
Pop provocateur Meghna crashes through the noise with ‘HÄSSLICH’ – a defiant, high-voltage anthem laced with glitchy trap beats, Berlin techno flair, and simmering rage. Serving as the lead single from her upcoming debut EP A WORLD FULL OF IDIOTS (out August 22), the track doesn’t ask for space—it takes it. Drawing from a harrowing week in Berlin and fuelled by every sideways glance, slur, and punch thrown her way, Meghna transforms fury into fuel. With smoky vocals and unapologetic swagger, ‘HÄSSLICH’ is more than a song—it’s a battle cry for anyone who’s ever been underestimated and dared to fight back louder.
TEMPER: You’ve mentioned that rage and self-awareness tie this EP together – was there anything you learnt about yourself while creating this body of work?
MEGHNA: Smashing out this EP was such a therapeutic process for me. I feel like I tapped into parts of my psyche that I had never addressed, or had suppressed throughout the years. I learnt so many things about myself. I discovered that I get disproportionately angry at things, and it manifests in my words and behaviour without me even realising. I’d like to think that I’m generally in control of my emotions, but being angry is the only time I don’t have full control over myself – and I think most people can relate to that. To relinquish control is frightening, but also in a way, a huge relief. I’ve learnt to funnel my anger through songwriting – anger about social issues, personal occurrences, injustice, you name it. So in a nutshell, this EP has allowed me to process my emotions in a more productive way.
T: Sonically, ‘HÄSSLICH’ blends glitchy trap beats, Berlin club energy, and subtle Indian influences. How do you go about weaving multiple influences and cultural backgrounds into your sound?
M: I think it happens organically; because I listen to such a weird and wonderful variety of tunes, the mishmash of sounds definitely rubs off on me. I listen to world music like k-pop, music from India (heavily influenced by my family), hip-hop, dance, hyperpop, house, rock, film scores, etc. Living in Berlin was such a privilege that definitely introduced me to the world of techno, which I had not been exposed to before. It all fuses together and I utilise elements of each genre in the studio, consciously and subconsciously.
T: You’re a multidisciplinary creative – a musician, a law student, a model, and an actor! Do you find that these worlds overlap, or do they offer you different forms of expression?
M: They definitely overlap! My studies in law definitely inform my songwriting. When I learn about human rights issues in class, I get upset and frustrated. To soothe these initial emotions, I write lyrics about them.
Modelling definitely helps me with my style and with practicing being camera-ready, as does the acting. I think both of those definitely helped me in acting out my emotions in the music videos for the EP. My facial expressions are probably a little more convincing than before haha.
I’m finding that a lot of my law skills are helping with the organisational stuff in the arts. I’m definitely better at time management now, and making sure I don’t lose the kajillions of files I hoard on my computer (I have a real problem with deleting stuff haha).