Jeanne Merchant has released one of her most personal works to date. Her new single, Photosensitive, is out now and carries a quiet emotional weight that lingers long after the song ends.
Written, composed, and sung by Jeanne herself, Photosensitive is produced by Anshuman Sharma, a rising name in India’s electronic music scene. Together, they create a sound that feels cinematic, intimate, and deeply human.
At its core, Photosensitive is about grief — not the loud kind, but the silent ache that remains when love is cut short by forces beyond choice or control. Jeanne says the song was inspired by a podcast discussing the emotional and material losses caused by war. Stories from regions such as Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, and other conflict zones stayed with her, particularly the pain of losing loved ones without closure.
Those thoughts gradually transformed into a story of two people separated by war and distance, holding on only through memory. From there, the lyrics came naturally, followed by the melody. “It’s about love that didn’t get the chance to finish its journey,” Jeanne explains. “Not because it failed, but because the world intervened.”
The song moves through dreamlike images — shadows, fading light, and distorted memories — reflecting how the mind protects itself after loss. Time bends, reality blurs, and imagination fills the gaps left behind. The repeated line, “Shut the curtain to the light,” captures someone choosing to remain in darkness, not out of weakness, but because stepping into the light feels impossible.
Musically, Photosensitive blends future-bass and progressive electronic sounds with raw emotion. Jeanne had a clear vision for the track’s atmosphere from the start, and Anshuman’s production helps bring that vision to life. The sound builds gradually, wrapping the listener in hypnotic textures before reaching an emotional release that feels both heavy and healing.
Known widely as one of India’s most respected vocal coaches, Jeanne has trained singers across age groups for over a decade. Her global vocal studio has shaped voices heard in Bollywood and beyond. Yet, Photosensitive reveals a more introspective side of her artistry — one rooted in vulnerability, storytelling, and restraint.
Jeanne says teaching has only strengthened her own music. Demonstrating techniques, breaking down songs, and guiding students through vocal practice continually sharpens her creative instincts. “When you share knowledge, you grow,” she says. Studying other artists and their work often sparks ideas that find their way into her own songwriting.
Looking ahead, Jeanne plans to continue releasing new music throughout 2026 while expanding her vocal coaching work. Her studio is currently full, with a growing waiting list that reflects her influence as both an artist and mentor.
With Photosensitive, Jeanne Merchant offers more than just a song. She creates a quiet space to sit with loss, love, and the strange comfort of memory — a reminder that even when everything is taken away, love still leaves a mark that time cannot erase.
