She came back home one night with tears in her eyes and her heart hurting; this breakup was not going to be easy. But when Tamanna Kapur saw her friends giggling on the couch watching John Tucker Must Die, she knew she had to pour her emotions into a song — one filled with revenge. “The movie’s idea of speaking to an ex’s exes and plotting things together felt relatable, though I was not going to do that,” says Tamanna whose musical moniker is T.A.M.

Her latest single, named after the movie, was streamed over 30,000 times on Spotify within the year, a significant achievement for an independent artiste in today’s competitive industry.

Her USP? R&B pop with a touch of Hindustani classical. Each of her songs scream international, but remain rooted in Indian vocal styles. “When I was a child, I listened to a lot of pop. Around the age of 19 or 20, I started listening to R&B pop artistes, including Khalid and SZA, and I fell in love with that sound,” she recalls.

But T.A.M would often ‘lose’ her voice due to strain. Instead of being disheartened, she tried to find a healthier way to hit the high notes. “I listened to Ariana Grande and tried to imitate her vocally. By 2018, I had watched online tutorials and learnt about the different parts of my voice,” she explains.

Eventually, she developed her own unique style, evident in her singles ‘Situationship’ and ‘Sour Candy’. “I loved singing so much that I knew I couldn’t give it up. I express my emotions through song and truly enjoy the storytelling aspect of it.”

She says ‘Situationship’ is about how two people are at different points in their relationship. “This song also came from a space of accepting my flaws. If the other person doesn’t want to be with me or accept all those parts of me, then I’ll walk away peaceably,” she explains.

Indeed, T.A.M is not just making tunes, but weaving purposeful thoughts. “I value honesty, authenticity, and vulnerability in music. Hopefully, my listeners will feel empowered to express what they want to say and feel less alone.”

The artiste, who lived in London for seven years and pursued a master’s degree from the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance there in 2025, reveals that one of her biggest challenges is anxiety.

“There are a lot of risks you take in this competitive industry. Pursuing music full-time is a risk. I try not to focus on aspects such as Instagram followers or numbers. At the end of the day, I just keep singing.”

And she has done well for herself so far, even recording at Abbey Road Studios, home to legendary sessions by The Beatles. “That whole experience was insane. I was lucky,” she says.

The singer, who plans to do a show in Bengaluru soon, reveals, “The big dream is to do a stadium tour. A Grammy would be amazing too. But if you’re too outcome-focused, you’ll never get anywhere.”

Shows and music updates on @t.a.mmusic