On her new song “Exchange,” co-written and co-produced by Oscar and Grammy winner D’Mile, India Shawn’s imagination runs wild.

“Exchange’s” production is tangled in exotic percussion, a steady guitar line, and a tranquil piano. Each piece merges seamlessly with her sensuous murmurs of give-and-take in a romance fraught with bumps and bruises.

Yet, what makes their love worth fighting through is the bedroom sighs they supply one another after the dust settles.

“Exchange / I said it feels good inside when we trade / It feels good when we trade pleasure / For pleasure / That’s all I want, give me pleasure,” she sings.

Shawn described to Rated R&B that “Exchange” is “by far the sexist song” she’s ever written.

She added, “It’s about love, pleasure, and reciprocity. As I evolve in my career and womanhood, it’s becoming increasingly to show up as my whole self, sexy and sensually included.” 

Shawn packaged the new song with a soft, luscious video where she puts her femininity on showcase.

“Exchange” is the first song from Shawn this year. In late 2021, she shared the EP Before We Go. The seven-track project released on Epic Records included the singles “Not Too Deep” featuring 6LACK and “Movin’ On” with Anderson .Paak.

D’Mile had a heavy hand in Before We Go. “There’s a level of friendship and trust that allows for a healthy creative environment,” Shawn told Rated R&B about their teamwork on that EP.

“I think that mutual trust and friendship really resonate. You can hear that in the music. It’s feel-good energy. It’s positive energy.”

Shawn still working on her debut album, which is slated to arrive this year. In the meantime, she is gearing up for a set at Lollapalooza in Chicago later this summer.