Top Indian Songs of the week 10th December 2023

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 10th December 2023. 

1. Snehaardramaay

Performed by Satish Raghunathan, Shahabaz Aman

Written by B.K. Harinarayanan, Satish Raghunathan

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Orchestral Melody

I wish such songs got more recognition instead of the dreary, uninventive dance and party songs that keep getting released. Satish Raghunathan, take a bow for this beauty. He has composed, arranged and programmed for the song. The voice of Shahbaz Aman is as pristine as a natural wonder created by God and the coming together of his vocals and Satish's melody and production is divine. BK Harinarayanan is the lyricist. The lines " priyamezhumoraal ariyuvaanaay pakarukee madhuram" send tears down my cheek for the sheer quality of writing, composition and singing. 

The strings and brass sections are grand like the score in Symphony Orchestra, and one can give an ovation to Budapest Art Orchestra. and even though the song's Pallavi and Anupallavi are melodious by themselves, the arrangements make it heavenly. The Mild Piano and then the Horns join in, but the interlude becomes even more appealing with the bass guitars by Keith Peters and the strings section. The stanza is beautifully composed and performed. Sai Shravanam is the mix/master engineer. 

@satish.composer @shahabazaman5 @vaisakh_ravi @saishravanam @harinarayanan.b.k @keithpeters_bassman @pazhanjan_pranayam 

2. Soubhagyam

Lyrics - Vinayak Sasikumar

Composed, arranged, and programmed by PS Jayhari

Singer - Sithara Krishnakumar

Can I put this singer's abilities on paper and describe them using the right words? Brilliance, maybe one word but some of the work she comes up with is beyond description. Just last week I featured a Tamil song called " Mohabbat -Love with Pride" by Sithara Krishnakumar and her act Project Malabaricus. If that was some reverberating Rock, this divine melody. It only shows what a blessed vocalist and a talented performer she is, being able to shift 180 degrees and perform with the same ease.

PS Jayhari has been a consistent composer and he once again weaves new magic based on Classical Carnatic influences in this touching melody. Sandeep Mohan plays the guitars and Jayhari and Sithara take us into a world of peace and oblivion. I believe there are traces of Khamas Ragam in this song. The chorus segment along with the Piano and strings section works in tandem to great effect. The interlude with the Piano and the rhythms and Sithara aalap is just another magnetic section. 

All one can do is, surrender to the rich melody and emphatic production of this song, enhanced by this genius Sithara. The male vocalists on Libin Scaria, Suroor Musthafa and Milan Joy. Nishanth BT at Nhq, Sanjay Sukumaran at Sonic Island are the recording engineers. The tracks are mixed by Abin Paul and mastered by Gethin John, Mastering World, UK. 

@psjayhari @vinayaksasikumar @imbammovie @sitharakrishnakumar @mixwithabin @libin_zakharia @suroormusthafa @milanjoy_

3. Meri Kahaani Tu

Music composition, production & arrangement - Rishi Kumar

Vocals - Devanand SP & Ashi Singh!

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

Rishi Kumar seems to be a supremely talented musician, because how else can I compliment a 16-year-old prodigy? This is not the first time I have featured him, his compositions "Raah De" a couple of months ago and "Dil Ho Tum" earlier this year. There is magic in his scores and to do this consistently is a sign of some precocious talent.

I like how Rishi from Chennai keeps using various vocalists to deliver his sings, and that too gives me great hope for the future, because not only is he willing to experiment with voices and styles for his songs, but he also believes in offering opportunities for vocalists to showcase their talents. Here we have Devanand SP and Ashi Singh. The song is fast and peppy and the pop genre gets to you and alters the mood. Devanand has a ravishing voice and it sounds fresh too. 

The Piano and acoustic guitars set the tone and make it quite interesting along with the fantastic rhythms which get both Western and Indian styles on board. The interlude is a phenomenal piece with the Veena solo by Ranjani Mahesh. This is where Rishi has a beautiful and creative vision. Just like the Sitar solo in "Raah De", he brings about some fine live instrumentals into the song. 

Ashi Singh makes her entry after the interlude and, if there was a way to check the temperature, it would have set the mercury rising like lava in a volcano. She sizzles with her vocal tone and delivery. Anshul Mathur writes the beautiful words. The use of the strings and keys in the background along with a few vocal layers, all add impressively. The Veena interventions keep coming and this is where I felt a tinge of Mohana Ragam. Vivek Thomas is the mix/master engineer. 

 @Dev_zart @ashiarav @veenaranjanimahesh @vivekthomasproductions @rishikumarmusic @anshulommatthur 

4. Khabar

Writer, Composer, Producer: Keshuv Huria

Singers: Akanksha Bhandari, Keshuv Huria

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Ballad/Pop

Over the last 2 years or so I have realised one thing, only a handful of indie musicians strive to create original consistently good music at every given chance. They have an uncompromising attitude towards quality and music's future is bright if it is in these safe hands. Keshuv Huria a product of KMMC is without any doubt one of those few musicians I talked about and I can only wish him luck and prosperity in the coming years. This is a fine song that stays away from the crowd of music releases in its melody, production and vocals as well.

Akanksha Bhandari makes you feel like you heading into a slow trance with those haunting vocals. The tempo of the song adds to this effect and we have only a mild piano and a strings section programmed into the background. A layer of vocals also seeps in behind the lead vocals and Keshuv handles the arrangements, programming and production. The pathos in the song keeps touching all the right nerves. The interlude is mild yet present with the gentle Piano and Keys. 

We get to hear Keshuv's enchanting voice towards the end and he delicately adds to the sadness. Reena Gilbert is the mix/ master engineer and Harshul Khadse is the recording engineer. 

@keshuv_huria @akankshabmusic @firstwav @reena.gilbert @meghnabhalla @abhiruchimusic @akash_rgb @rahulshah.wav @raghavmeattle @representmgmt 

5. Darmiyaan

Sung, Composed and Produced by: Hriday Gattani

Lyrics: Shivangi Tewari

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

AR Rahman's impact on Indian music traverses far beyond just the songs he has composed. Some amazing musicians have grown under his tutelage and Hriday Gattani is one such jewel on ARR's crown. Keba Jeremiah's guitars lay the framework in the intro, in this Hriday composition. He is a talented and al all-round musician who can sing exceedingly well too and also produce a song to the fullest. 

He has been featured several times and we can add this to his list of single hits To me the slide guitar stands out and adds that unique sound to a song, something that we don't find a lot in Indian songs traditionally. Darshan Doshi is the drummer and Ralph Menezes is the bassist. Hriday is a terrific performer and he is gifted with a good set of trained vocals and that is the reason he can keep the listener interested and impressed for the entirety of the Sthayi and Antara. He can repeat lines, by adding so many variations, and improvisations and thus removes any kind of ennui for the listener. 

Just past the 1st minute, we get a portion with just the drums and acoustic guitars and here the tone reminded me of Phil Collins' 'Take Me Home'. Shivangi Tewari writes the lyrics. The song fills us with a high and Hriday's singing keeps getting better with lines like " Raaston se bhari zindagi" adding some fancy ghamakas towards the end of the phrase. Adhithya Sivakumar is the mix/master engineer. As we head towards the outro, the fabulous instrumentalists have a field day with some great intertwining of guitars and drums. 

@hridaygattani @darshandoshiofficial @kebajer @ralphmenezes @shivangi_tewari @adhithya.sivakumar 

6. Itni Si Baat

Song: Itni Si Baat

Singers: Shreya Ghoshal & Sonu Nigam

Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Lyrics: Gulzar

Genre: Retro Bollywood

The excellent composers of the previous decade like Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Amit Trivedi seem to be finding some of their lost sheen when it comes to retro-tune compositions. The former has composed songs for the new Bollywood album 'Sam Bahadur' and more than all the patriotic numbers I loved this. They get every element right from the tune, the playback singers, instrumental arrangements etc. 

Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal have ensured their delivery suits the style of 1970s and credit to them. Gulzar's lyrics also are perfectly in line what the messaging and tone of words used back then. The live instrumental players adorn the interlude section with Mohan Goyal, Jitendra Thakur, Dharmendra Javda, Sanjeev Rao, Jitendra Javda & Abhijit Mazumdar playing the strings, and the captivating brass section comprising Rahul Naik, Blasco Monsorate, Harsh Bhavsar, Walter Dias & Zameeruddin Shaikh. 

The percussions are by Anupam Deghatak. The interludes are well written by the composer trio and the beautiful section where Sonu sings "khwaabon pe chelne ki aadat bana lo" is creatively done just before another stanza begins. Full marks to the vocalists who presented us with the 70's vibe and the whole team for the execution. 

@shankarehsaanloy @meghnagulzar @sonunigamofficial @bhavani.iyer @rsvpmovies @shreyaghoshal @harshbhavsarsaxophone @walt.diaz.11.06 

7. Sang Tere

Lyrics and composition: Vasuda Sharma 

Sung by : Vasuda Sharma and Rupin Suchak 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

A bright and talented musician, Vasuda Sharma's compositions are pure delight. After an appearance with 'Sharma and The Besharams in the weekly charts a couple of weeks ago, she is going solo here with lyrics and composition but gets her partner Rupin Suchak to sing in the lead role along with her.

The melody is heartwarming and when the two sing in unison, it feels naturally coherent maybe because they are a real-life couple. Rahul Hariharan plays the mild drums along with an impactful Upright Bass by Diego Lannaccone. The stunning acoustic guitars are played Sankarshan Kini and Joel Sakkari and it feels like listening to the classical guitar. 

The interlude is rich with the drums and upright bass mirroring each other in tempo and strokes and the subtle Accordion by Armando Rizzo adds romanticism to the mix. Francesco Renna at Blue Garret Studios, Italy is the recording engineer and Adhithya Sivakumar is the mix/master engineer. 

@vasudasharma @rahulonthedrums @adhithya.sivakumar @songnestlabel @bluegarretstudio @rupinsuchak @herschel61_le 

8. Something More

Lyrics, Music, Vocals: Ashish Joseph

Production: Alvin Presley 

Language: English

Genre: Alt-Pop

When the song ended, I kept wanting something more, and that is how much it positively affected me. Ashish Joseph reached out to me on Instagram and shared his new single with me. He has written the lyrics, and melody and performed the vocals in this upbeat single. Ashish lets the flowing acoustic guitars accompany him right through, but it is Alvin Presley's solid production that elevates the song even further. 

Ashish's vocals are par excellence and they could compete on a global level based on what they are releasing worldwide. Conrad Simmons is the bassist and we have the emphatic drums by Vinay Ramakrishnan. There are segments where Ashish exudes immense confidence as a vocalist and part of the reason could be the vocal coaching of Mahesh Ragunandhan. The song does remind me of "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree

The keyboard programming is terrific on this one with Alvin just getting a strings section, and Organ Piano effect into the scheme of things. Vivek Thomas is the mix/ master engineer, with Shawn Jacob on acoustic mastering. Vaishnavi Mishra is the recording engineer at Audiokraft. 

@vivekthomasproductions @vtp_studios @shawnj.wav

@insta_n00b_conna @vinayrk @maheshmusic @rewirethevoice

@audiokraftstudio @_vaishnavi.mishra_ @tase.india @jonnytitus @mervintthomas @thejosepfaj @sheb_tm @_vaishnavi.mishra_ @alvinpresley

9. Anti Hero

Written & Performed by: RANJ X CLIFR

Produced by: RANJ X CLIFR

Language: English

Genre: Alt Hip-Hop

I just featured Clifr the producer for a mindblowing Tamil single that was a fresh take on an old gem called "Amoodhamooru". I am yet to recover from that brilliance and here we have another stunner written, composed and produced by RANJ and Clifr. RANJ is an A-grade performed and here it starts with a big bang, that of the Cello hitting every living cell in my body hard and fine. 

The writing is top-notch as she says "Don't give me flowers, I'm the garden" and rapping by RANJ is exhilarating. The backing vocal harmonies add a lot of bite along with a few sounds of the strings. She goes on and makes an impact like "Nayak nahi, khalnayak hoon main" as she raps "Maybe I'm the anti-hero in my story, Gatekeepin the glory, ashamed of the old me". 

The backing vocals become intense like we are in an Operatic performance and then we also get a bit of the strong Piano. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Vivek Thomas with assistance by Sibin Wilson. 

@ranjaniramadoss @clifr_ @ranjxclifr @azadirecords @vivekthomasproductions @bhvana_isawari_ 

10. Chilu Chilu Chilanka

Music: BijiBal

Lyrics: Santhosh Varma

Singer: Sangeetha Sreekanth

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Light Music

We have 3 Malayalam songs this week, and that is a sign of the depth of talent the music industry boasts of, in Kerala. Bijibal is a renowned composer who deserves respect and love for the quality of music he delivers every single time. Sangeetha Sreekanth is a singer I am featuring in these weekly charts for the first time and she seems to be someone to keep an ear out for. Santhosh Verma is the lyricist. 

The song has traces of Keeravani Ragam and maybe Simmendhramadhyamam Ragam according to me. The solo violin steals the show in the interlude, and after the rhythms and keys provide the support for Sangeetha to shine. She sings flawlessly and when she reaches the higher vocal registers, it sends the heart soaring. The second interlude has the flute solo with a strings section in the background. 

@bijibal 

11. Kya Humne Socha Tha

Singer - OAFF, Nikhil D'souza, Tulsi Kumar

Composer - Oaff

Music Producer - Oaff

Lyricist - Medha Sahi

Language: Hindi

Genre: Electronic Pop

OAFF is having a great time composing and producing music for some of the new content in Bollywood and it has been a dream run along with Savera Music since 'Gehraiyaan'. Here OAFF composes and produces for 'Starfish' the movie album and he continues with her expertise in the electronic pop genre.

The vocalists here are stalwarts, Nikhil D'Souza and Tulsi Kumar. Nikhil has been a revelation with his captivating voice that fits perfectly in the indie space as well as Bollywood albums like these. He mostly traverses in the falsetto zone and that sounds spectacular. OAFF gets some interesting elements like the Piano, strings section and heavy rhythms. Tulsi joins late on vocal leads. Another talented indie artist, Medha Sahi pens the touching Hindi words for the song. Prathamesh Dudhane is the mix/master engineer. 

@oaffmusic @nikhilmusic @tulsikumar_16 @medhasahi @prathmeshdudhane

12. Manada Mele Banna

Performed by Judah Sandhy, Pancham Jeeva

Written by Judah Sandhy, Pramod Maravanthe

Language: Kannada

Genre: Light Music

There are bigwigs in the Kannada music industry like Charan Raj, Arjun Janya and Ajaneesh Loknath, but never underestimate the talent and consistency of Judah Sandhy. Here he shows exactly why he is a force to reckon with a beautiful earworm of a melody. 

The heavy keys and rhythms start things giving a modern touch, and Pancham Jeeva sings like a dream, uttering the notes and lyrics with such fluidity. Pramod Maravanthe wrote the lyrics while Judah composed the melody and did the song's production. The flute solo by Butto is pure magic in the interlude and there is not a soul that will fall in love with that segment. 

This is one wholesome and enjoyable song that could be a great fit for a party as well as an uplifting melody. Pancham explores the higher vocal registers in the song with such ease. 

@judahsandhy @panchamjeeva_official @pramod_maravanthe_lyricist

13. Naamiravil

Composer/Songwriter: Gowry Lekshmi 

Singers: Gowry Lekshmi, Sooraj Santhosh 

Music production : GanHitsThings

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Electronic Pop

Gowry Lekshmi is the OG when it comes to Indie music, especially in the South and such immense talent gives me goosebumps every time she releases a single. This single written and composed by Gowry has some terrific talent in collaboration. She is accompanied by Sooraj Santhosh who also happens to be one of my favorite vocalists in India. 

The way Gowry fuses electronic pop with a semi-classical and light music-styled melody is pure class. The keys and synths are heavy and Joe Johnson handles the programming on Rhodes. Sooraj begins his lines and immediately serenades us. The heart soars with the chorus segment, and the keys, rhythms and bass guitars glorify the background. RANJ makes a second appearance in the week, with a backing vocal performance in the song.

As we get past the 2nd minute we have a wonderful bridge section with some strings section and heavier rhythms in the background and the two lead vocalists singing in unison. The Malayalam music industry is dominated by Mollywood and their love for slow and soft melodies, but Gowry is a trendsetter for creating her path and style. Ganesh Venkataramani is the man behind the solid musical production of this song, so kudos to him for the vision, and arrangements. Another mammoth of a musician, Rex Vijayan is the mix/master engineer. 

@gowrylekshmih @soorajsanthosh @ranjaniramadoss @ganhitsthings @rex_vijayan @i_joelmathew @_aasha_narayan_

14. Dil Yeh Nadaan

Composed and performed by Kamakshi Khanna, Somanshu, Kanishk Seth

Lyrics by Somanshu, Kamakshi Khanna, Yashwardhan Goswami

Produced by Somanshu

Additional Production by Kanishk Seth

Language: Hindi

Genre: Electronic Pop/Lo-fi

I have been a huge fan of Kamakshi Khanna and all her indie singles in the English space. Yet nothing comes close to the beauty, elegance and poise that she exhibits in this song where every minute ghamaka is stunning, showcasing all her training. I am already sold with her initial lines. 

After this, we have Kanishk Seth on vocals as well. The song gets a barrage of lo-fi elements with production mainly done by SOmanshu and all the additional production by Kanishk. The song is composed by the trio of Kamakshi, Somanshu and Kanishk. I love the old message is re-written into these beautiful lines " logon ko hain kehte rehna, humne suni kahaan". Kamakshi, Somanshu and Yashwardhan Goswami wrote the lyrics. The flute by Adwait Kashikar and the Piano are good layers and interventions in the song. 

@iamsomanshu @seth_kanishk @kamakshikhannamusic @pixlpxl @natashamahtani 

 15. Nahin Bhoolna

Composer, Producer, Singer: Debarpito Saha

Lyrics: Pinky Poonawala

Language: Hindi

Genre: Electronic Pop

I have known Debarpito Saha, the producer for his outstanding work with Vishal Bhardwaj and his musical compositions. It is nice to feature his solo project here in the indie space as he writes the melody, performs the vocals and produces the song. I can sense some traces of Raag Hamsadhwani in the melody, especially in the guitar riffs, and it keeps me elated listening to the tune. 

The guitars playing mildly, are subtle but get beautifully interlaid with the bass guitars and Keys. The chorus segment gets heavy with these forces conjoining including the vocal harmonies. Pinky Poonawala is the lyricist, and we have Alok Punkani as the recording, mixing and mastering engineer. The song is beautifully executed with Bollywood-styled vocals and melody and a modern electronic pop production. 

@debarpito @alokpunjani @pinkypoonawala @theislanders.studio208 @ahmareenanjum