Top Indian Songs of the week 16th June 2024

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 16th June 2024

1.  Main Deewana Hua

Singer - Sanam Marvi 

Music & Lyrics - Imran Khan

Music Arranged by Samarpit Golani 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Ghazal Fusion

Mood: Pathos

I have already featured a song from the album 'Song Craft Season 1', and that had the brilliant Pratibha Singh Baghel. Here we have another terrific Sanam Marvi, who is exhilarating at the top of her voice. The melody sounds like there are influences of Raag Khamaj. Imran Khan makes the delightful and impressive tune and he also writes the lyrics. Abhilash Phukan is playing the guitars and Akashdeep Gogoi is the bassist, along with drums by Lindsay Demello. Sanam's vocals have been recorded in Lahore, thanks to engineer Sonu Aali at the Rahill Mirza Studios. 

Along with the guitars, we can also hear the ethnic strings like the Rabab, Tar and Strokes by Tapas Roy. The chorus segment sounds magnificent thanks to the combined voices of Samarpit Golani, Aswini Shrinivasan, Sneha Singh, Simran Sharma, Sonu Ishteyak Khan and Azmat Khan. The interlude has the Sarangi by Sabir Sultan Khan and the impounding percussions by Arun Solanki with the traditional Dholak played by Ishteyak Khan and Mustak Khan. Sharafat Khan plays the Tabla.

This song is of supreme quality, something that could match up to what we hear in Coke Studio Pakistan, every season. Out of the blue, comes this solo on the Shehnai by Durgesh Bhosle, and that ability to surprise the listener is why I love Samarpit's arrangements. The second verse after the Shehnai sounds like Raag Charukeshi with all the engrossing pathos. The tracks are mixed by Ishit Kuberkar and mastered by Gethin John, with recording engineers Jayakrishnan Nalinkumar, Shashank Sahu and Anupam Sathe

@sanammarvimusic @music.samarpit @imrankmusic @smriti.s16 @ishteyakkhanofficial @dilshhadkhan @music.samarpit @akashdeep_gogoi_music @dmellolindsay @abhilash.phukan.921 @taginstitute @arunpercs @snehaa_sings @aswini96 @simransharmaa_music @ishitk86 @sabirsultankhan @sourabh2108 @mandolintapas @jk_theaudioguy @sharafat.hussain.13 @bhosle.durgesh

2. Socho

Music: Siddharth Pandit

Lyrics: Rev Shergill

Vocals: Rev Shergill, Akanksha Sethi, Pooja Tiwari, Shriya Pareek

Composed & Arranged by Siddharth Pandit

Language: Hindi

Genre: Blues Pop

Mood: Contemplative

Siddharth Pandit making this a habit, and here comes the 4th song from this album, getting featured and reviewed, rightly so! The combination of REV Shergill and Siddharth Pandit has been a hit ever since I heard them first for this movie album called "Yaara". The partnership continues to shine. The Piano and the rhythms are gentle to give the mild Blues colouring to the song's tune. REV SHergill makes his way, matching up to the same energy of the song, singing in a tepid and casual tone in his voice.

I can hear the double bass too in the background and despite such wonderful arrangements and production by Siddharth, this song's writing is so amusing and it catches my attention. "Jeetega kaise woh, jo kabhi haara nahin hai, Tairega kaise woh, joh kabhi dhooba nahin hai", with the notes requiring REV to head into the higher pitch towards the end. This has to be my favourite segment as this line is followed by the chorus of amazing singers saying " Kyun nahi hai". We have amazing vocalists Akanksha Sethi, Shriya Pareek and Pooja Tiwari on backing vocals and if I am not wrong there is also the innovative mouth-trumpet accompanying them and making it interesting. 

The song's lyrics are written by REV Shergill, with Siddharth on composition, arrangements and production. The interlude with the Piano, and the violins in the background is mysterious and suddenly the heavy lead, bass guitars and drums make this song bleed with heavy adrenaline. The harmonies make a comeback with the catchy " Kyun kyun kyun.. kyun nahi hi hi hi hi hain" interjection. Pure Genius is all I can say! The tracks are mixed and mastered by Siddharth. 

@panditjeeee @akankshasethimusic @shaandaarshriya @poojatiwari_official @revshergill 

3. Symmetries

Performed by Frizzell D'souza

Written by Frizzell D'souza

Produced by Aadarsh Subramaniam

Language: English

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

Wasting no time, the keys, guitars, rhythms, bass and harmonies all head from 0 to 100 in less than 2 seconds and that makes this song very fulfilling from the beginning. Frizzell D'souza has always been one of few indie musicians who I adore and she never misses either her singing or her songwriting. This peppy and exuberant pop single reminds me of John Mayer's "Your Body is a Wonderland" when it comes to the melody. The guitars are played by Frizzell, with electric guitars by Aadrash and bass by Surya Kalyanaraman. 

I love the chorus segment, not just musically, but also the lyrics and production when we arrive here. The fabulous vocal harmonies add so much gravity to the word "symmetry", by appearing in either of Frizzel's singing "This symmetry". Aadarsh Subramanian is all aces as he handles the arrangements and production with wonderful style and perfection. The way the rhythms generate a thump as she sings " Tell me how to stop" is engaging and throughout the song Frizzel and Aadarsh excel, giving us oodles of creativity to cherish. Kappa Original continues to shine in India as a source and distributor for great original music. 

The ability to sing with such precision and execute the falsetto with heartwarming goodness is a highlight of the song. Bass guitars and Keys become such important additions to the song's sound design and they elevate it when others take a back seat. Nikhil Vasudev plays the percussion, and Joel Rozario does the backing vocal production which simply stole my heart. The recording engineers are Krishna Rao and Akash Shivakumar. The mixing and mastering is done by Vivek Thomas. 

@frizzell.dsouza @aadarsh_s @surya.k_music @vivekthomasproductions @owl_joel_son @akashshivakumar @mkrishnarao @kappaoriginalsofficial @_prarthanashetty @ashleyberty @sandhya.surendran 

4. Munnottu Munnottu

Singer: Aloshi Adams

Lyric: Anand Madhusoodanan

Music Composed, Arranged and Produced by Anand Madhusoodanan

Additional Production: Nevil George

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Pop

Mood: Contemplative

It starts like a carrol in the church with the accompanying vocalists on an angelic chorus comprising of Mithun Jayaraj, Aswin Vijayan, Bharath Sajikumar, Amal C Ajith, Sony Mohan, Swetha Ashok, Aavani Malhar, Punya Pradeep and Jhanvi Byju. Aloshi Adams takes over as the lead vocalist and he has this tone that just knocks you down as a listener. The Alt-Pop nature of the song is something that we can cherish. The intervention of the saxophone solo by Josy Allapuzha in the interlude is like a breath of fresh air, and the nicety of that breeze continues with the Veena follow-up by Manoj Ananthapuri. 

I am taken back to the amazing period of Pop music of the 1990s when I hear the overall sound design and production of this song. Kudos to Anand Madhusoodhanan for composing the tune, and handling all the arrangements and production with such finesse. Nevil George comes on board for the additional output on musical production. You can hear the stunning electric guitars feebly in the background all through, and that is Liboy Praisly, and he also plays the acoustic guitars. The words are so inspiring and here too it is the sole contribution of Anand. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Shiyad Kabeer and Amal Mithu is the recording engineer at M Lounge Cochin. 

@aloshiadams @anandsspace @visheshammovie @thinkmusicmalayalam @chinnuchandni @malavika_vn @liboypraisly @amal_mithu @janvi_byju @aavani_malhar @swethaashokofficial @nevil_music 

5. Ratiyaan

Performed by Sanjeeta Bhattacharya

Written by Sanjeeta Bhattacharya

Produced by Karan Pandav

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop fusion

Mood: Romantic

Sanjeeta Bhattacharya is one of our finest vocalists and I have heard her perform live in a few instances. I must admit that she sings like is inside a recording studio, all the time! I have huge expectations from her whenever she releases her indie projects and this is probably the best I have heard from her in 2024. She gets this saucy and sensual pop fusion single a launch from the get-go with her compelling vocals. The melody written by her is straightforward, especially in the verse, but when it gets to the chorus segment the semi-classical Tumri-styled notes.

It is not just the melody and her bewildering voice and delivery, the song has some stunning production by Karan Pandav, without which it would be an incomplete project. The guitars, Keys and rhythms are on point and give us an engaging and upbeat sound design. Sanjeeta gets her delivery to a pitch-perfect spot with the classical-esque ghamakas, as well as in the attitude she displays in Western Pop. The tracks are mixed by Karan and mastered by Jett Galindo. 

@sanjeeta11 @karanpandav @jettgalindo @studio.workingrl @kajalsood @thestudio_wg 

6. Un Peru Enna

Composed & Performed by Teejay & Geethiyaa 

Music produced, Arranged & Written by TeeJay 

Singers - TeeJay Arunasalam & Geethiyaa Varman

Language: Tamil

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

Teejay is a phenomenal talent, considering he acts and performs well in front of the screen and more importantly he also writes and performs music. A year or so back I did feature his independent music and this time has back with something even better. I could go as far as saying that this is one of those songs that brought a smile to my face and made me feel alive. The song's lovable melody is composed by Teejay Arunasalam and Geethiyaa Varman. The latter seems to be another precociously talented individual as she performs the vocals, co-writes the melody and also plays the Veena solo in the song. 

It all begins with a Hotel California-esque acoustic guitar intro by Keba Jeremiah and the strings section in the background. Teejay's unique tone is like a lover amidst vulnerability and longing. My body and heart start swaying when he sings "acchaccho" and the additional vocals of Elfe Choir make it a soothing lullaby. The faint bass guitars by Keba add that stylish component but wait for the moment of magic on the Veena by Geethiya in the interlude. 

Ashwin Raja does all the additional music production and he's the man behind the Keys, Synths and rhythms. I feel the beauty of the Kanjira along with the harmonies in the background. The outro is mesmerising with the lead and backing vocalists coming together and singing the title line, and Keba finishes it off just like he started on the acoustic guitar. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Balu Thankachan at 20db Sound Studios 

@teejayarunasalam @geethiya @kebajer @ashwin.raaja @arun_uniq @20dbsoundstudios

7. Tu Aaram Hai

Composed, written and Sung by Neha Karode

Music producer: Gibson George

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

Neha Karode is quite talented as a performer and singer, but she is also quite equipped as a composer. Originality and creativity are two distinct plusses for this singer/songwriter and she exhibits these further in his single. The flowy Pianos make a great start and the tingling feeling of happiness and positivity stems from that. Rightly so, Neha too writes and sings "Tu aa ..aa.. aaraam hai", giving us a feeling of tranquillity and peace, through her delivery. Gibson George constructs the beautiful arrangements and the incoming strings section in the background gels well with the lead vocals and Pianos.

The melody is well written by Neha and kudos to her for always envisioning something out-of-the-box. I used this phrase because, take a listen when the chorus segment ends with the words " Tu paas ho, to hi lage, jeena yeh aasan hai", have an unpredictable set of notes, especially the last 4 words. She piles up the creativity multi-fold with the lines that follow. Gibson helps the cause by taking it up a notch on the synths. Soon enough the song turns mysterious from being a simple romantic song. The recording engineer is Mrinal Kanto Das, Rupjit Das is the mixing engineer at Playhead Studio and Gethin John is the mastering engineer. 

@nehakarode_music @meregaaneh @gibsonbha @rupjit_playheadstudio @jasraj_manga @shivangaze

8. Barsai Badaria

Artist: Sona Mohapatra feat. Purbayan Chatterjee 

Lyricist: Mirabai 

Music Composer, Producer: Ram Sampath 

Music arranged by: Ram Sampath & Sanjoy Das 

Language: Rajasthani

Genre: Folk Fusion

Mood: Happy

This talented and lovely couple of Sona Mohapatra and Ram Sampath keep making stirring and soulful music. If Ram waves some magic with notes and instrumental arrangements, Sona compliments that with her soaring vocals. This is one of the best songs coming from them in the last year or so and was convinced within the first minute of hearing this single that it would be featured among the country's best music of the week. The genius Purbayan Chatterjee makes life feel like a series of blissful moments thanks to that solo on the Sitar in the intro.

Sona takes over and her delivery is of someone who is experienced at the art of playback singing, giving every syllable and note the right expression. The accompanying strokes and Mandolin by Tapas Roy give that folkish and rural flavour. Be ready to be dazzled even more by the scintillating pace at which Purbayan plays the Sitar in the interlude. Sanjoy Das is the usual suspect on the guitars and gets a load of his talent in the second interlude. Sanjoy also makes the arrangements with Ram. I believe there is some influence of Raag Megh Malhar, the equivalent of Madyamavathi in Carnatic, in the melody. Nitish Ranadive is on percussion and the tracks are mixed and mastered by Nitesh Bish and Amey Wadibhasme at OmGrown Music, Mumbai. The recording engineer is Yash Divecha and Vrashal Chavan is the Music Supervisor. 

@sonamohapatra @purbayanch @ramsampathofficial @sanjoygtr @mandolintapas @vrashal @thewanderingcloud @omgrownindia @percnitish 

9. Main Musafir

Composed and produced by Joel Jossy

Singer- Aditya Rao

Lyrics - Sujeet Anahata Thakur

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock Fusion

Mood: Energetic

You are at the threshold of Indian Rock fusion music, and the electric guitar intro by Joel Jossy grabs our fingers and takes us inside the temple of rock music. It is all heavy-duty right from the start. We have Richard Orpheus Campbell on drums, bassist Joshua Rajan and all the backing vocalists Aditya Neela, GP Hira, Joshua Rajan, and Anna Daniel combining beautifully. The solo flute by Chinmay Bane makes a whiff past us and this feels like the brand of music we are used to hearing from 'Pineapple Express'. 

Everything comes to a standstill except the vocals and the line "Na koi fikhar hai, chal pada dis disha, uss disha mein hi ghar hai", is enthralling. Sujeet Anahata Thakur is the lyricist and it all sounds pulverising to hear in Aditya Rao's lead vocals. The marching band drums-style along with a classical-sounding vocal delivery is intriguing. Kudos to Joel for composing the melody, playing some solid guitars and producing the song effectively. The outro is another sensational segment with the guitars, flute and drums coming together. The recording engineer is Chinmay, with Joel on mixing and mastering at Joel's Music Lab. 

@joel_jossy @zariyaa.hun @adityara0 @richardorpheuscampbell @im_joshua_rajan @adityaneelaofficial @gphira @dlktc_anna @joelsmusiclab @horusmusicindia @supreme.ahire @chinmay_bane 

10. Pirakilaro

Music Composed, Produced and Arranged by: Midhun Mukundan

Lyrics: Shibu Chakravarthy

Vocals: Kapil Kapilan

Backing vocals: 

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Light Music/Pop

Mood: Romantic

This is back to basic Mollywood territory where a fantastic melody is composed and then a supreme talent comes on and delivers the vocals making it a worthy song out and out. Midhun Mukundan gives us a delectable tune to hear on a loop as he composes, arranges and produces the song. The magnificent Kapil Kapilan is the lead vocalist and he performs this one like a walk in the park. Shibu Chakravarthy is the lyricist. 

Sumesh Parameswar romanticizes the setting with his guitars and all the keyboard programming by Gopu Krishnan, makes for an entertaining sound. The mild harmonies by Aavani Malhar and Sony Mohan are another added attraction that goes "thaaaara thaaraa". Sreerag S and Josy Alappuzha make a solid entry in the interlude with the flute and Midhun writes the melody for this so well, with the initial notes sounding so different. Then they lead back to the song's anupallavi notes. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Hriday Goswami at X-Noise Studios, Guwahati, and recording is done by Akshay at My Studio, Cochin and Akhil at Akhil's Audiobook

@midhunmuku @pavicaretaker @gopukrish_in @hridaygoswami @pranavastudios @josy_alappuzha @parameswarsumesh @aavani_malhar @sonymohanp @flutesreerag @karraseshasai @saregamamalayalam 

11. Bhool Jao

Composition, Lyrics, Vocals, Instruments: Nishant Mittal

Language: Hindi

Genre: Alt-Rock

Mood: Pathos

This guy is a Jack of many trades, and he also does some masterly work in the art of music. This like most of his songs is a solo project with Nishant Mittal writing the lyrics, composing the melody, playing all the live instruments and performing the lead vocals. I love the song's energy with the guitars and bass and the thumping drums, giving the song a flavour of Alternative rock music. 

His singing has this tone of vulnerability as "Ab yeh dil khud se kahe".. The silence and pause in the instruments is valid just as he says "Bhool Jao un sapno ko", with only the acoustic guitar as an accompaniment. The music will resonate with many who have had dreams, pain and suffering. The writing of the melody and the arrangements feel like catharsis. The solo act on the electric guitar justifies this analysis according to me. Darksidemusic led by Jatin Pandey handles the musical production, recording, mixing and mastering of the tracks. It feels like "All for love" 

@nishantmittal2410

12. 6 A.M.

Performed by Jaden Maskie

Written by Emmanuel de Noronha, Jaden Maskie

Produced by Jaden Maskie, Emmanuel de Noronha

Language: English

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

The brand of music from Jaden Maskie is something that I love, amidst all the huff and puff of today. It is not complex, but it combines modern tastes and relevance with some attractive songwriting. Jaden is consistent that way and here too he co-writes the song with another young talented artist Emmanuel de Noronha, and the duo produced the song. The symphony of guitars and keys is doing everything they successfully can to mend the broken heart that Jaden is singing about. 

I love the part when the rhythms get introduced, right at the start of the chorus segment making the heart feel light and fluffy. The lead vocals along with the harmonies are just way too soothing. Jaden alters between the sopranos and falsettos quite seamlessly in this well-executed vocal performance. I can imagine how anyone in love will want to play this song on loop, all the time. 

@jadenmaskie @zazasgram @ethanmaskie @firstwav @farmhouse.music @emmanueldenoronha 

13. Mana Mana

Song Composer: Vasuki Vaibhav

Male Singer: Siddhartha Belmannu

Female Singer: Ananya Bhat 

Lyrics: Yogaraj Bhat 

Language: Kannada

Genre: Light Music/ Pop

Mood: Romantic

It has been such a long time since I featured any music from Vasuki Vaibhav, and I can only breathe a sigh of relief. He showed great potential back in 2019 and 2020, but this gap has made me feel slightly restless. I hope this is the start of something new and amazing for Vasuki. The melody is enriching and he loads that up with some upbeat pop-styled production. The lead singers for this one are A-listers viz. Ananya Bhat and Siddhartha Belamannu and deliver this with grace and proficiency. 

I love it when Siddhartha sings " Shuruvaayite ninagu" in the higher register. The keyboard programming by Hriday Goswami and Jeevan Roy makes it fun and peppy. The lyrics are penned by Yograj Bhat. We can hear Vasuki on the backing vocals at the chorus segment. Tony Das decorates the interludes with the acoustic guitars, and then a short and sweet verse showcases both Ananya and Siddhartha in prime form. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Hriday at X-Noise Studio, Guwahati, with assistant engineers Shiva Kumar, Karthik & Nilotpal at Pranava Studios and Karmayogi Studios on recording duties. 

@vasuki_vaibhav_ @siddhartha_belamannu @ananya_bhat_official @officialjiostudios @saregama_kannada @yogarajbhatofficial @nobinpaul @hridaygoswami @tonyjdas

14. Elli Hode Nee 

Song: Elli Hode Nee

Singer: Pancham Jeeva

Lyrics: Vikas Pampapathi

Music: Judah Sandhy

Language: Kannada

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Pathos

This is a wonderful combination of vocalist and composer as Pancham Jeeva and Judah Sandhy combine as powerhouses of Sandalwood cinema music. The song is composed by Judah and he also produces the music and handles all the arrangements. Vikas Pampapathi pens the lyrics and through Pancham's voice as the vehicle, the whole song gets a meaningful representation. The Piano playing gently in the background, and Pancham sings it with a tinge of sadness. 

The Keys and synths are powerful agents in the background and the combination creates an impactful sound texture. Rahul Rajan is the sound engineer at Akash Studio. The stanza is simple and short but nothing takes away from the impact the song creates overall. Pancham sings with such an emotional investment in the song making it something to relate to. The electric guitar and high-pitched backing vocals in the background make for a good outro. 

@panchamjeeva_official @jhankarmusic @vikas_pampapathi @judahsandhy