The music is striking, the lyrics sensual --

Breathe / Let it swirl / I’m getting high / On the scent of my girl

. When Mumbai-based musician Pragya Pallavi, who refers to herself as genderfluid artist, sings Lingering Wine, she puts a lot of emotion into this song about same-sex love – its joys and sorrows, struggles and successes. It's a topic that mainstream music and films are fidgety about.

Lingering Wine is slated to be released on February 12, two days ahead of Valentine’s Day. The song is part of the album ‘Queerism’, the first LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, intersexual, asexual)-themed album to be released in India by an Indian queer artist. It is set in the backdrop of picturesque

, and features actor

and Pragya as a lesbian couple. Co-written and directed by Deepa Vasudevan, queer activist and founder of Kerala-based NGO for sexual minorities Sahayatrika, the album has a crew comprising mostly women and trans-persons.

Neethu Shaji wields the camera

The nine-track album’s lyrics, in English and Hindi-English, talk about the struggles of queer people, celebrate decriminalization of Section 377 and address issues such as millennial feminism, social justice, global warming and suicide prevention. Pointing out that LGBTQIA persons face continuous struggles, Pragya explains, "There are struggles of coming out, being accepted and the inner struggle of wondering how people will react. Once you come out, you might lose a lot of people, sometimes you get a lot of support and sometimes you get a lot of hatred. There is the pressure of family, friends, near and dear ones. There is struggle when you have a relationship with someone, the struggles of living together, finding a place, facing uncomfortable questions and a lot more". Pragya is a trained Hindustani vocalist and percussionist.

“The song that talks about suicide prevention is close to my heart. I have lost one of the most important people in my life. It is very painful, and this song is dedicated to that person. I really think that people should start talking about these issues very seriously. I’m really glad I’m trying to start talking about these pivotal subjects through my music," says Pragya.

The second song of the album will be released on Women’s Day and is about women empowerment. "We wanted to talk about subjects that rarely get featured in mainstream music. Because pop music and pop culture have so much potential to reach people, we wanted to occupy that space and talk about the issues and experiences that are important to us. We did not just write about queer issues; there is a song about the

floods and global warming, and some songs about social justice and equality,” says Deepa.

Terming the first single as a love song, Pragya said that the video was made in a retro style featuring two women in deep love. "I feel that this song is my first step towards changing the mindset of society. I don’t say that it will completely revamp it, but it will definitely create ripples. And people will start feeling more free and confident about their non-stereotypical relationships,” says Pragya.

Expressing happiness about the recent Bollywood movie Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga, which deals with same-sex love, Pragya says that more TV shows and movies should break out from their stereotypical portrayal of LGBTQIA characters.

“Our album is not meant to be an all-encompassing representation of lesbian or queer experience. It is an artistic expression rooted in someone’s personal experiences and beliefs. There is struggle, a fighting spirit and also a lot of celebration and joy. I guess all of these things are part of the lesbian/queer experience the album seeks to express,” said Deepa. The album’s crew include producer DJ Lolly, makeup artist and stylist Ananya and Pranna and DOP Neethu Shaji.