Welcome back, r-e-a-d-e-r-s. Definition, please? Today we’re looking at how Indian-Americans came to dominate the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Then we take a look back into Raghav’s fierce comeback with Tesher. Their single “Desperado” just broke 1M+ streams. Lastly, we shine an important light on Pride celebrations through Mayyur Girortra, a couture Indian designer making his mark in the West. Read on and e-n-j-o-y.

— Rosh

Indian-Americans Continue to Dominate the National Spelling Bee

Dev Shah, a 14-year-old from Florida, is the latest winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. His correct spelling of the word “psammophile” secured him the $50,000 first place prize and continued the now decades-long legacy of Indian-Americans holding the championship title.

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“P-S-A-M-M-O-P-H-I-L-E” Watch the moment Dev Shah, an eighth grader from Florida, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee — and $50,000 — by... See more

Quick History
The first South Asian to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee was Balu Natarajan in 1985, a win that inspired Indian-Americans across the country and kickstarted their era of dominance over the competition.

It soon became a source of pride and unity within the South Asian-American community, an extracurricular in the same league as sports or music. This explosion in interest became especially prominent after 1994 when ESPN began to air the Scripps Spelling Bee live. This phenomenon was even the topic of a 2017 Netflix documentary “Spelling the Dream,” which followed four Indian-American finalists on their journey to the Bee.

By the Numbers

• Since 2001, 22 of the past 24 champions have been of South Asian descent.

• Nine out of the 11 finalists this year were of South Asian descent.

• The average champion memorizes and practices spelling 70,000-100,000 words.

• Contestants are all either younger than 16 or in the eighth grade and below.

• The longest word in the spelling bee is 45 letters long (pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis).

The Future
Indian-Americans aren’t just winning the bees – they’re capitalizing on them. Students as young as 11 are landing local sponsorships to compete. Others have set up coaching academies, ​​tutoring centers, software, and study materials especially for young spellers, expanding the spelling bee from a time-honored community tradition to an actual enterprise.

WatchList: Raghav and His Viral Comeback with Tesher

You may remember Raghav’s iconic, soulful voice from nostalgic tracks such as “Angel Eyes” and “Teri Baaton,” both of which are featured on his iconic 2004 album “Storyteller.” The Canadian artist is long beloved for his R&B x Indian fusion sounds that kept the Y2K diaspora dancing.

Nearly two decades after the success of that album, Raghav is making his musical comeback. His latest collaboration with Tesher, “Desperado,” pays homage to classic Hindi cinema but with a more modern twist. The now-viral song samples the 1973 banger “Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko,” with vocals by the classic Indian singer Mohammed Rafi. Listeners of the Hindi, Spanish, and English track can viscerally feel the nostalgia – and it resonated.

In less than two months since its release, “Desperado” has become an organic sensation, crossing 1M+ streams on platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and more. The independently released song also has 170K+ TikToks and 230K+ reels to its name, a proud feat for the artist considering the track had no major record label pushing it.

Raghav and Tesher keep one foot in the past, reminiscing on where they’re from while still looking forward to the new musical realms they have yet to discover. We’re excited to see where Raghav takes us next.

Mayyur Girotra Launched a New Capsule Collection for New York Pride

Mayyur Girotra is back in New York City. The Mumbai-based Indian couture designer owes his recent rise and success, especially in the West, to the exposure he got from headlining the first South Asian New York Fashion Week in September 2022, when a viral campaign by SANYFW creative producers Noopur Luthra, Nikita Meka, and Prarthana Ranjit took over the internet. Following the success of that debut New York show, Girotra’s fanbase doubled practically overnight.

Last week, Girotra unveiled his new luxury pret line – AIKYA (Sanskrit for “Unity”) – with Pride at Google and the Indus Google Network to celebrate the start of Pride New York.

A diverse lineup of models, including Armaan Dode, Anand Chitnis, and Zubair Mohammed, walked the SoHo runway in one-of-a-kind gender-fluid pieces with Indic motifs and rainbow hues, celebrating the South Asian queer community. The influencer-studded event was attended by the likes of Hamel Patel, Anthony Gomes, and SANYFW CEO Shipra Sharma, among others.

This collection dropped at an important time, as India is anticipating a decision from its Supreme Court regarding the legalization of same-sex marriages. Girotra notes, “Regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision, the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights will continue. We must remember that legal recognition is just one aspect of the battle. True acceptance and equality comes from changing hearts and minds, challenging prejudice, and fostering a society that embraces diversity in all its forms.”

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Other Notable News

• HYDR released a new track “TERAY NAAL.”

• Sima Aunty released a new track “Shadi Ki Taiyaree Hai.”

• Nav released a new Spider-Verse track “Calling” in collaboration with Metro Boomin and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, with Swae Lee.

• A three-train collision in Odisha has left at least 275 people dead and 1,200 injured.

• Apple unveiled a major new product: a Vision Pro AR/VR Headset.

Listen to the PopShift Playlist on Spotify.

Writers: Roshni Lalchandani, Nikita Satapathy, Saumya Monga

Editors: Raghu Alla, Roshni Lalchandani