Prolific poet, performer and #1 New York Times bestselling author Rupi Kaur is venturing into the realm of music amidst her extensive world tour with the release of her debut poetry single “broken english.” In partnership with Canadian indie label Snakes x Ladders, the release gives audiences an opportunity to experience Kaur’s poetry in auditory form, scored to music previously only experienced at her live shows. The 4:57 minute piece, which Kaur dedicated to her immigrant parents, embodies Kaur overcoming her own identity struggle with renewed pride for her heritage. The beloved poem is set to a berceuse melody allowing listeners to connect to the piece as Kaur intended for the poem to be read both lyrically and rhythmically.

 “I think there’s something so special about listening to a poem in the voice of the poet who wrote it. The rhythm, diction, and emotion behind each sentence becomes a symphony for the ears and cognizance for the soul. I’m so excited to release my first audio track with ‘broken english’ as it’s closest to my heart – it’s a love letter to my parents and immigrants everywhere. No matter where I go, this poem seems to resonate universally and has taught me that we are all so much more alike than we think. Starting with ‘broken english’, I hope to continue making poetry more and more accessible to listeners everywhere,” Kaur says.

Snakes x Ladders label founder Tarun Nayar (performing under the artist name Modern Biology and formerly of Canadian band Delhi 2 Dublin) has been workshopping various musical ideas with Rupi Kaur for over 5 years. He says “From the very first time I saw Rupi live in Vancouver in 2016, I was struck by her unique use of music in her live performance. It was unlike anything I had seen – so emotional, so visceral. I’m really excited that we’ll be bringing some of these seminal poems – and hopefully some new ones as well – to audiences around the globe. For the first time listeners will be able to stream Rupi’s recordings, share them with friends, and create their own work using them as sounds on Tiktok and Instagram.”

Explaining the use of music in her previous and current tours and how that has evolved over time Kaur says, “Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of producing original music for my spoken word poetry. My poetry has always felt musical to me and I edit my poetry out loud for this purpose. I want the words to feel like they’re dancing off the stage. In my first performances, only some of the poems had original music tracks because I didn’t have the resources for it until 2017. They were created in collaboration with my friends who were up-and-coming producers. I’d record the tracks at home in my closet and my friends would make tracks in their bedrooms. All of my performances since then have included music.  

I think music takes my spoken word performances to the next level. It allows me to emphasize certain lines, create dramatic effects, and set the tone for the emotions throughout the piece. Music enhances the stories I’m trying to tell and encourages the feelings I hope to convey.”