Erotika Dabra’s new single ‘I Wonder (For Me)” is not a song. It’s a proclamation. A continuation of the grief and rage of February’s “I Wonder (For You)”, “For Me” is the finale of a two-part thesis on the process of recovering. Where the first song is a lament for the harm, the second is a statement of strength and healing. This is a track about survival and a step towards growth. While it builds on an undercurrent of alt-electronic elements, it manages to be soft and fierce all at once. The listener can feel the pain, but even more so they can hear the power of choosing yourself.
It moves at a pace, deliberate and slow, each beat hitting like a stamp. Erotika’s voice is afforded space to be its own, to rest and settle in. The production is sparse, but somehow makes room for a thick current of emotion to close in around the listener. Lyrics-wise, it’s a letter to oneself, a reclamation that isn’t about forgetfulness but relearning how to live in the body again. There’s a distinct cadence to it, almost a throb, reminding the listener that they’re here, that they survived. Erotika sings with a voice that doesn’t need to shout to be heard. It’s calm and present and bold. That alone is its own act of resistance.
“I Wonder (For Me)” is not just a track. It’s part of a larger initiative by Erotika Dabra to bring attention to domestic violence and what happens afterwards. Through a collective-focused campaign around the release, from reclaiming a community park to a performance incorporating pole, burlesque, and cabaret, Erotika is not only making art but carving out space and putting themselves on display. This is not music, this is movement. And for anyone who’s had to stitch themselves back together, “I Wonder (For Me)” might feel like someone has finally given voice to that experience.
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