Top Indian Songs of the week 12th January 2025

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 12th January 2025

1. Nee Ariyathoru (2024)

Music Arranged Composed & Produced - Rahul Raj 

Lyrics - Rafeeq Ahamed 

Vocals - Suchith Suresan 

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Inspiring

You can call this a cracker of a song, and for that, I salute Rahul Raj, who has composed the melody, and done all the arrangements and music production for this. Suchith Suresan serenades you with his vocals and Sandeep Mohan's acoustic guitar follows gently in the background. As we come to the title line Rahul allows the wave of strings to affect us, thanks to the brilliant collective called "Arioso Quintet". Subin Kumar Sravan Krishnakumar, Nibu Mathew, Anil Antony, and Albin Jose play the Violins and Violas. Albin is the Cellist as well. 

The interlude is like a dream that you want to keep seeing forever, with the flow of violin solo and the violas and cello in the background, not to forget Sandeep's bass guitars and Rahul's keys and synths. The stanza makes a dramatic shift as we get a heavy electronic pop/synth pop texture to the song. "Kaarmukil niramaarilay" Suchith sings and the notes change so unpredictably with "chaayum ninnalaay", kudos to Rahul and Raafeq Ahamed for writing something like this, both in terms of melody and lyrics. 

The song makes you fly high with the subsequent line " ethoo mookamam smitham" accompanied by Sruthy Sivadas on backing vocals. I feel this one of Rahul Raj's best in the last year or so, and the song offers tremendous potential to uplift the listener's mood. You can do a little headbanging yourself towards the outro as we get a fabulous rhythm production bit by Rahul. The recording engineers are Santom 2barQ, Shiju Ediyatheril & Amal Raj @ Audiogene Sound Studios, Nikhil Kakkochan @ Freddys AVG (Strings) and John Mathews @ Pop Media House. The tracks are mixed and mastered by the ingenious Vivek Thomas at VTP studios with assistance from Sibin Wilson. 

@rahulrajmusic @sharanvenugopal @jojugeorgeactor @surajvenjaramoodu @goodwillentertainment @shelly.n.kumar @thomas__mathew @rafeeq_ahamed_ @shiju_ediyatheril @gibsandeep @sruthy_sivadaas @arioso_string_quartet @vivekthomasproductions @sravan.krishnakumar @albinjose.in

2. Oliyin Mugavari (2024)

Composition, Production, Arrangement & Orchestration: Raghav Hrishikeshan 

Lyrics: Preethi Venkatesan 

Vocals: Sathyaprakash Dharmar, Keerthana Vaidyanathan

Language: Tamil

Genre: Orchestral Ballad

Mood: Soothing

This is a solid composition and an even better production. Raghav Hrishikeshan deserves praise for creating something beautiful, meaningful, and worthy. He handled all the arrangements, orchestration, and production, and that is no mean feat. We hear the Choir Ensemble right at the intro along with the flute solo by Sandeep Vashishta. The peace and tranquillity are undeniable, and within the first 45 seconds, Raghav proves his worth. 

The strings performed by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra Orchestration invite the listener deeper into this maze of orchestral music. Srikant Krishna makes his mark by preparing the score and Balasubramanian G is the Orchestra Coordinator. The melody begins and it is complex in writing, which only talented performers like Sathyaprakash Dharmar and Keerthana Vaidyanathan can deliver with precision and style. The vocalists sweeten the deal even more and we are reminded of songs like "En Iniya Pon Nilave" and "Mandram Vandha" by Maestro Ilaiyaraja. 

Thank you Raghav for writing such a fabulous melody and elevating it with terrific live instrumentals and a Symphony Orchestra. Keerthana performs the opening lines in the baritonish scale with some stunning bassline support and constant Choral and String section support. Keba Jeremiah can be heard playing all the guitars Nylon and STeel-string with the solid Napier Naveen on bass. The line that haunts me with its beauty is " manadhinil thondridum, mayakkamum karaindha pogum ura paniyena vilagidum". Preethi Venkatesan takes you to the world of these protagonists through her amazing lyrics. 

The voices we hear in the Choir Ensemble are Nayza Rose, Rebekah Alexander, Azriela Maben, Nidhi Samuel, Ryan Jacob, Chenjeri, Satvik, Abishek Gnanaraj and Devaraj Gopalakrishnan. As we head to the second interlude I am recalling the beauty, of Maestro Ilaiyaraja's "Oh Butterfly" in the tone and mood. Sandeep gives a Bluesy touch with his saxophone and Kuberan provides some energy through his percussion. The song transforms our mood and the whole team contributes with great efficacy. 

Raghav plays the keys and synths, and all the additional production is by Girish Lakshmanan. The recording engineers are Biju James, Abin Ponnachan at Studio UNO Records, Chennai and Nishant P Das at Euphony Records, Mumbai. Nitin Muralikrishna does the Stereo and Atmos mix and master for this. 

@raghav_hrishi @budapestscoring @kebajer @preethivnkt @napier_naveen @palindromamusic @naren_ajith @dsathyaprakash @nayza_rose @kuberan_drums @satvikchen.music @keerthanavaidyanathan @sandeepvasishta @girish.lakshmanan @abhishek_gnanaraj 

3. Maayaye (2024)

Composed, Arranged and Produced by Ramshanker 

Lyrics - Mahakavi Bharathiyar 

Vocals - Haricharan

Language: Tamil

Genre: Semi-classical

Mood: Soothing

Cool and Savvy is the common link between the great Poet Mahakavi Bharathi and the intro on the Navtar Vishnu R (the inventor of this guitar-like instrument with 9 strings). The melody composed here by Ramshanker gives new life and meaning to the words written by the inspiring Bharathi and just like many of the songs we have heard in Carnatic concerts, this too is a Ragamaliga ( a melody with changing scales). I feel like I have just been thrown the fragrance of Raag Jog on my face with the beautiful intro. 

Keith Peters is the bassist adding some groove and Charu Hariharan plays the high-hat and live percussions, along with the flowy acoustic guitars by Vedanth Bharadwaj. Haricharan gets a song where he proves what this incredible performer is made of, and he delivers a stunning show on vocals adding ghamakas with grace. I love the gentle percussions and the harmonies by Sinduri Vishal, Charu Hariharan and R Sai Krishna Kumar in the background. Did I hear some Raag Madhuvanti? Maybe! Ramshanker tells me that the melody shifts into some Hemavathi as we move into the song. 

Charu does the energetic Konnakol and the interlude with the Navtar is pure bliss. The charanam after the second interlude is an exhibition of the Raag Sahana and finally, the pathos is delivered with some Raag Charukeshi. Ramshanker has created a song worthy of 'maaya' with intricate arrangements and kudos to all the live instrumentalists for following suit. Nehhen R does the music production supervision, with R Sai Krishna Kumar assisting. The recording engineers are AR Subbiah at Paramathma Studio, Vishnu Shankar at Soundtown Studios and Hariharan @ 20db Sound Studios. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Sai Shravanam at Resound India. 

@ramshankers @haricharanmusic @vedanth_bharadwaj @vishnunavtar @keithpeters_bassman @charuhariharan @singersinduri @nehhenr @_vishnu_shankar_ @ar_subbaih @__hari__ @saishravanam 

4. Kurumani (2024)

Singer: Gowry Lekshmi 

Lyricist: Jofi Tharakan 

Music Director: Navneet

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Sem-classical

Mood: Lullaby

The song is haunting thanks to Gowy Lekshmi's vocals and the arrangements, especially the traditional Kerala percussions. Navneet is the composer and producer and Jofi Tharakan is the lyricist. I am reminded of AR Rahman's 'Bombay Theme' because of the melody. The strings section in the background with the drums and percussions like the Cheda and Uduku, takes me to a place far away and tranquil. As we keep hearing the song feels like a mother's lullaby. 

The melody probably has influences have influences of Raag Shivaranjani according to me and hence the notes add to the pathos. The humming and the Keys in the interlude are where the song throws a spell. The stanza that follows stuns even more with the western-styled guitars as she sings "thalarathe" and Gowry is outstanding with the high-pitched vocals. The way Navneet adds the flute solo and the electric guitar is 

mesmerising and inventive. 

@gowrylekshmih @shan_kechery @sivajiguruvayir_official 

5. Sahi Ya Galat (2024)

Written and Performed by Rahul U

Language: Hindi

Genre: Hip-Hop

Mood: Inspiring

This is an amazing Hip-Hop number, because of the energy, the spirit, the writing and the intention. Look at the words " Ye samaj hai nanga" as he defrocks the false pride of this community of Indians. We are a nation that believes in patriarchy even today and no woman is safe. Rahul says " Galti karne pe ab pad na maar" just like an old adage says "Spare the rod, spoil the child". This is why disciplining a child right from the beginning is important, as one advertisement says "Boys never make girls cry" instead of the common saying "Boys don't cry". 

Thank you Rahul for this and even when I play this I feel anger and frustration. The Konnakol and the Indian Cymbals (Manjeera or Taal or Jalra) add Indianness to the song. Kudos to the production for getting the thumping Mridangam on board. "Raksha me aaj wahi stithi saamen aa padi, wo bhi kisina kisiki behen beti maa sahi" are such powerful words. He gets all the relevant truth too out there with names "Kal nirbhaya, aaj khadi abhaya, kal hohi koi aur kab mile nyaay hame". The state of our society is painted in thick bright colours and all I feel as a male is disgust and shame. 

I can go on and on about how much Rahul has worked on making Hip Hop music an important vehicle for representation and messaging because we have an industry that uses this medium for talking about cars, brands, girls and money. Thank you Rahul for this. 

6. Hukka Eli (2024)

Music: KP 

Singer: Naveen Sajju 

Lyrics: Manju Mandavya 

Language: Kannada

Genre: Folk

Mood: Dance

This song was released in the last week of December 2024, and the arrangements, especially the folkish horns and percussion, are an absolute thrill ride. KP is the composer and does all the keyboard programming for this. It is a rich confluence of Indian folk and Western influences. The bass by Naveen Napier and brass section (arrangements by Balu) play fiercely with style, with the percussions and Harmonium (Venkatesan Periyanayagam) on the other end of the spectrum. Manju Mandvya is the lyricist.

Sunny Raj plays the acoustic and electric guitars giving the song a flamboyant style. The overall music production is excellent and scores heavily even more than the melody. The interlude with the brass instruments has a very enjoyable melody followed by the Harmonium. I do love the melody written in the stanza where the song kind of takes a breather from the high energy. Naveen Sajju does a commendable job in delivering the vocals mixing, enthusiasm and emotion well. Maneesha Pandranki handles all the arrangements of the vocal harmonies. 

SP Abhishek is in charge of music supervision, and Mastan Vali is on vocal pitch correction. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Abin Paul and B Manikandan is the musicians co-ordinator. 

@naveensajju @kpmusicofficial @priyankaa_7 @napier_naveen @manju_mandavya_ @maneeshapandranki @spabhishekofficial @mixwithabin

7. Chiriye (2025)

Movie - Rekhachithram 

Music Composed, Arranged and Produced by Mujeeb Majeed 

Lyrics - Suhail Koya 

Singer - Kapil Kapilan 

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Romantic

The movie 'Rekhachithram' is getting fabulous reviews and just like last year 'Kishkindha Kandam' Mujeeb Majeed starts 2025 with a bang. Suhail Koya pens the lyrics and Kapil Kapilan rewards us with a soulful vocal performance. I love the very rural setting in the background sound design thanks to the Dilruba by Arun Suradha and the fantastic mix of Indian percussions like the Taiko, Dhol, Timbale, Duff, Ghata Singari, Ghatam, Khanjira and Darbuka played by Sruthiraj. 

I love the line in the anupallavi that goes "Padaranu niramaayu kothiyithu maramaayu" with the backing vocals of Athira Janakan, Christa Jyothi, Lal Krishna and Bharath Sajikumar, as well as strings performed and arranged by Rithu Vysakh. The melody and tone of the song remind me of "lesa lesa" sung by Anuradha Sriram and composed by Harris Jeyaraj. One just wants to get up and sway to the fabulous notes, vocals and arrangements. I fell in love with the strings and percussions combining beautifully. Anurag Rajeev Nayan plays the Acoustic Guitar, Guitalele, Mandolin, Ukulele, Rabab and Banjo. 

Other than the brilliant work of Mujeeb, we have Gichu Joy who handles all the additional keys and chord arrangements, while Lal Krishna arranges and conducts the backing vocals. The heart swells when the stanza begins and the dominating sound of kanjira in the background keeps giving that mild energy to the song. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Balu Thankachan at 20DB Black, with Paul J Daniel assisting. The recording engineer is Hariharan at 20DB Sound Studios Session.

@mujeeb.majeed @rithuvysakh @cochinstrings @sonic_island_studio @thinkmusicmalayalam @suhailmkoya @kapilkapilanmusic @kavyafilmcompany @anaswara.rajan @athirajanakan @arunsuradhaa @anuragrajeevnayan @christa_jyothi @tsoj_official @lal_music @thebaluthankachan

8. Manamohaka (2024)

Singer: Srilakshmi Belmannu 

Lyricist: Pramod Maravanthe 

Music Composed, Arranged & Produced by - Abhinandan Kashyap 

Language: Kannada

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Romantic

The end of December had some good music releases in South Indian movie albums and this was one of them. Srilakshmi Belamannu gives a solid vocal performance and her vocal tone and style of delivery take us back to the 1980s and 1990s when female playback singers like S. Janaki and KS Chithra were in superlative form. The arrangements are simple with the guitar and piano along with Srilakshmi's vocals. We slowly start feeling the beauty of the flute solo by Samrudh Srinivas and the Violin by Narayan Sharma. 

I am reminded of Maestro Ilaiyaraja's "Naadham En Jeevane" from the album 'Kadhal Oviyam'. Abindandan Kashyap composes, this beautiful melody and the heart swells when we hear the title line, with the additional vocals and the violins. Raghunath Myrusu's Tabla makes entry grandly and the chorus is sweet and beautiful thanks to Deepthi Kashyap, Aishwarya Koundinya, Aisiri and Bhargavi. Pramod Maravanthe writes these amazing lyrics in Kannada. 

The melody gets even more endearing as we progress into the stanza taking me back to "Mandhiram Sonnen" from the album 'Vedham Pudhidu' by Devendran. The recording engineers are Aniket Mohanty and Yashwanth Venkatesh at Audiokraft Studios. The mix/master engineer is Aniket Mohanty at Audiokraft Studios, Bangalore. 

@abhinandan._kashyap @pramod_maravanthe_lyricist @srilakshmi_belamannu @colony_official @aanandaaudio @somerufh_srinivas @aishwaryasureshh_ @deepthi_kashyap @awwwwwwwwwniket