Singer-songwriter Rodoshi Isfar Fatemi is preparing to carve out a distinct space for pop music in Bangladesh, with her latest song, ‘Arektu’, connecting with listeners through its intimate expression of love and longing.
Released on her YouTube channel on 28 September, the song has received nearly 70,000 views in two and a half weeks, along with more than 350 comments. Listeners have shared it on social media, with many relating to its plea for a little more love from someone special.
Rodoshi wrote the lyrics and composed the music herself. She began writing the song four to five months ago and completed it within a month.
“The song came from the feeling of wanting a little more love from someone close to me. I wished I could say those words directly, but instead, I expressed my feelings through music. I wondered why we sometimes have to ask for a little more when we feel we deserve that love,” she said.
She also reflected those emotions in the melody, allowing it to rise and fall with the feelings expressed in the lyrics.
Rodoshi credits American pop star Taylor Swift as a major influence on her musical journey.
At 13, she read a newspaper report about Swift writing her own songs. She later heard ‘Love Story’, which inspired her to pursue songwriting and dream of releasing her own albums.
Initially, Rodoshi wrote songs in English and composed them on the guitar. She later developed an interest in writing in Bangla and wrote her first Bangla song, ‘Ei Shohore’, at 17. The track subsequently appeared on her debut EP, ‘Sonali’.
Rodoshi said women in the region are often recognised primarily as singers, while comparatively fewer opportunities and examples exist for women who write and compose their own music. She believes the challenge remains despite gradual changes in the industry.
A pop enthusiast since childhood, she hopes to help build a stronger pop music scene in Bangladesh, where rock has traditionally enjoyed greater prominence.
She draws inspiration from Swift as well as contemporary pop stars Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter. Rodoshi said she welcomes comparisons between her music and Rodrigo’s work, viewing them as a reflection of her pop influences.
She has also recorded a song titled ‘Shihoron’ with Habib Wahid, writing the lyrics herself.
Beyond her solo work, Rodoshi is developing an all-female live band. It took her nearly three months to find suitable women musicians.
She hopes the group will eventually create original music and help expand opportunities for women in instrumental performance and other areas of the industry.
‘Arektu’ is part of Rodoshi’s second album, which is scheduled for release in December. The album, whose title has not yet been announced, will feature around 11 songs, all written by her. She has handled the production, mixing and mastering of four tracks herself and collaborated with other musicians on the remaining songs.
She is also planning a solo concert to mark the album’s release, featuring songs from both her upcoming record and her debut EP. Although she has no immediate plans to pursue playback singing, she remains open to projects that connect with her interests.
Born in Lalmonirhat and raised in Dhaka, Rodoshi is a third-year student in the Music Department at the University of Dhaka. Her father, Sazed Fatemi, is a musician, while her mother, Sultana Parvin, is a yoga instructor.
