Independent artist, producer, songwriter, and creative director Noush!, the stage name of Anoushka Sivasankar, recently released her new single and music video, Snakes and Ladders, on 3^rd July, 2026. Blending Latin pop, dance, and contemporary pop influences, the release introduces audiences to a multifaceted artist whose work extends beyond music into storytelling, visual world building, performance, and creative direction.

At the heart of Noush!'s artistic identity is her role as a producer. Rather than building songs piece by piece, she often hears them almost in their entirety before beginning the production process. The arrangements, harmonies, textures, dynamics, and emotional arc take shape in her imagination first before being translated into the studio. This instinctive and highly visual approach has become one of the defining characteristics of her work.

Her music lives within Noush! FM - the creative universe surrounding her work. Inspired by the idea of a radio station, Noush! FM isn't defined by one genre or one sound. Instead, every release is a different station, exploring new moods, stories, languages, and musical influences while remaining part of the same world. Its philosophy is simple: it’s music for you to make yours. The tagline, "Come tune in, you might find your station," reflects that belief.

Snakes and Ladders explores a theme that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. Inspired by the idea that "it takes two to tango," the song examines the boundaries of responsibility within relationships. While we are accountable for our own actions, we cannot take responsibility for someone else's choices or free will. Through the metaphor of the classic board game, the song reflects on navigating conflict, recognising where responsibility ends, and learning to let go of burdens that were never ours to carry.

Drawing inspiration from cinematic storytelling, Latin rhythms, and the emotional scale of Bollywood music, Snakes and Ladders combines groove driven percussion, rich harmonies, dynamic vocals, and contemporary production. The result is a track that feels equally at home on a dance floor as it does during moments of reflection.

Produced by Noush! and Ramon Ibrahim, with mixing and mastering by Hersh Desai at Island City Studios in Mumbai, the single is accompanied by a visually ambitious music video inspired by the heightened drama of classic telenovelas and Indian television storytelling. The release also marks Noush!'s emergence as a performer, actor, and dancer. With a background in musical theatre, acting has always been a part of her creative expression, while dance is set to become a core element of her artistic identity moving forward.

Much of Snakes and Ladders was conceived and developed from Noush!'s bedroom studio in Mumbai, reflecting the power of independent creativity and artistic vision. More than just a song, the project represents a complete creative universe where music, visuals, movement, and storytelling come together as one cohesive experience.

As the first release under her new artistic identity, Snakes and Ladders introduces an artist with a singular vision and a multidisciplinary approach to creativity. Through infectious melodies, cinematic production, and immersive storytelling, the release offers a compelling introduction to a creative journey that is only just beginning.   

The Mumbai-based singer, songwriter, and producer music is shaped by the stories she wants to tell and the emotions she hopes to evoke. Drawing from pop, R&B, soul, jazz, cinematic, experimental, and global influences, she creates songs that prioritise feeling over genre.

Entirely self-taught, Noush! moves freely between worlds that rarely meet, from Indian classical and Western classical to pop, R&B, and jazz, treating her voice as an instrument without fixed boundaries. Having grown up across India, she developed a broad musical vocabulary early on, and her work reflects that fluency in a sound that resists easy categorisation.

What defines her most is that she builds it all herself. Noush! writes, composes, produces, and arranges her own work. Her creative vision runs through every layer, from vocal production to the visual world. Across these projects, Noush! builds immersive spaces wheresound and visuals meet.

She often describes her artistic journey as curating a gallery, where each song is a different room, painted in its own colour, shaped by its own mood, and speaking its own truth. The result is work that feels deeply personal while staying open for listeners to find their own meaning within it.

At its core, Noush!'s work is an invitation into shared emotion and storytelling, encouraging listeners to see themselves in the worlds she creates. It's music for you to make yours.

Snakes and Ladders is available on all major streaming platforms.

Audio Credits:

Performed by Noush!

Written and Composed by Anoushka Sivasankar (Noush!)

Produced by Noush! and Ramon Ibrahim

Mixed and Mastered by Hersh Desai at Island City Studios, Mumbai

Vocals Recorded by Hersh Desai at Island City Studios, Mumbai

Video Credits:

Concept: Noush!

Director: Aditi Sivaraman

Creative Director: Noush!

DOP: Paul Varghese

Choreographer: Chinmayee and Rohit Choudhary

Producer: Savio Gerhart

Stylist: Noush!

Makeup: Karan C

Hair: Dinkle Gosrani

Set Design: Somal Kothari and Lipi Garg

Cast (in order of appearance):

Noush!

Karanvir Bhatia

Chinmayee

Sujata Sehgal

Kiran More

Kayan Dadyburjor

Dancers:

Varshika Uchil

Durva Aparna

Ruchika Jain

Aasma Khamkar

Artwork Credits:

Photographer: Vivek Bhaya

Designer: Anoushka Sivasankar (Noush!)

Noush! Logo designed by Mehek Malhotra (Giggling Monkey Studios)

Snakes and Ladders Logo designed by Mehek Malhotra (Giggling Monkey Studios)

Cereal Box designed by Anoushka Sivasankar (Noush!)

Location: Mother Nature Studios, Malad