Top Indian Songs of the week 17th 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. You aint coming Back

Written and composed by Anoushka

Orchestral Production: Sparsh Verma

Language: English

Genre: Indie Pop/Orchestral 

Just a few weeks ago Anoushka delivered a splendid single 'Anomalies' and I was mighty impressed. This time she has taken things up a few notches and gave us probably one of the best vocal performances of 2023 by an Indian artist. I called her up and congratulated Anoushka on this chart-topping single, the kind of song that will and should put India Indie music on a global scale. 

Sparsh Verma plays the Piano and things start mildly with just her stunning voice pulling us like a string. There are moments when I am reminded of Mariah Carey at her peak delivering a world-beating performance like her famous "Hero". There is tremendous skill and confidence and her execution is flawless whatever the vocal register. Sparsh backs up with his effective production especially the orchestral elements like the rousing strings and horns in the background. 

Anoushka takes a masterclass here on effective vibrato and some young students of music must try and emulate this performance for vocal practice. Like she says " It is such a shame " that such artists don't get the popular reach of some others who have abysmally low musical talent. I urge readers here to kindly listen to this single and bestow all your love on this outstanding musician. Anoushka has written the lyrics and melody for this. Harsh Kamarkar is the recording engineer are Island City Studios, Mumbai

@anoushka_sivasankar @sparshvermamusic_ @theghatak @spitbawl @soppyfriends

2. Usire

Composed, Produced & Arranged by: Charanraj M R 

Singer: Sanjith Hegde

Lyrics: Dhananjay Ranjan

Music Programmed by: Charanraj M R & Gautham Hebbar 

Language: Kannada

Genre: Synth Pop

It is an unstoppable year for Charan Raj and his team because according to my database of 2023 music, he might well be the best composer of the year for creating two mammoth albums 'Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side A' and 'Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side B'. This is the 3rd song in the sequel to be featured and one of my favourite playback singers Sanjith Hegde gives a ravishing performance in this song. Dhananjay Ranjan's lyrics are very effective in conveying the mind of the protagonist. 

The Keys, Synths and rhythms are very 90s synth-pop styled and there is so much to cherish in this. The programming is handled by Charan and Gautham Hebbar with the overall arrangements and production by the former. I am taken into a zone of trance when Sanjith sings "Kelu Kelu Usire" and the synths just pile onto the lovable pain of music. The interlude comes up and I promise you, this would be the best piece you would have heard coming out of India this year. The strings section is heavenly thanks to the arrangements by Narayan Sharma and the execution by Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra & Cochin Strings. 

The stanza is all about the immense skill and performance of Sanjith and how he successfully hypnotises us with his voice. Sunil Sylvester plays the guitars and the combined effect of the electric guitar solo in the outro with the sound of the train and the synths and rhythms leaves us gasping for breath. Venkatesh G Bhat is the music supervisor, Aniket Mohanty and Kashyap Rammohan are the recording engineers at 2bq Studios. Sujith Sreedhar as always is the man on mixing and mastering for Charan Raj. 

@charanraj27185 @narayan_sharma227 @venkateshmusic_ @sanjithhegde @gauthamhebbar @sunil.sylvester @sujithsreedhar 

3. Darav Darav

Song composed, arranged, produced & mixed by AV Prafullachandra

Singers - Jayesh Khare & Master Avan 

Lyrics - Vaibhav Deshmukh 

Language: Marathi

Genre: Filmi Pop

There are two things I want to say here at the outset. First of all, I am thrilled to be featuring Jayesh Khare, the young boy, as the lead vocalist here for the second time this year in my weekly charts. Jayesh has profound talent and I cannot wait to track his career in the music field, as someday he is going to be a star performer. I hope the great minds around him handle this talented kid with care and advise him well. 

Secondly, the Marathi music industry is blessed to have composers like Ajay-Atul and AV Prafullachandra (AVP) and after a beautiful composition by the former called 'Gau Nako Kisna' earlier in 2023, with Jayesh in the lead, AVP brought the singer on board. This is such a healthy environment where true talent is celebrated all around with musicians learning from each other. AVP has composed, arranged and produced this beautiful melody and the lead vocalists are Jayesh and Master Avan. Vaibhav Deshmukh is a lyricist with the witty words.  

AVP is a visionary, and there are many of his songs, that not many composers in the country would be even able to fathom and reproduce. The keys and rhythms are mild and never the focus away from the kids' vocals. ID Rao dominates the multiple layers of interludes on the wind section. The stanza is melodious and it demands so much from Jayesh, but the youngster just excels at both ends of the vocal register. 

The second half of the stanza is performed so well that any established singer in India will be proud of it, with all those ghamakas and the alaap towards the end. Rahul Sharma and Samir Dharap are the recording engineers at Studio 504, Mumbai. AVP does the mixing of the tracks and Shadab Rayeen is the mastering engineer at Newedge Studios, Mumbai

@avprafullachandra @nagraj_manjule @jayesh_khare_official @zeemarathiofficial @vaibhavdeshmukhpoetry @idrao_official @samirdharap9 @shadabrayeen

4. The Fruit

Performed by Michael Dias, Shakthisree Gopalan

Written by Michael Dias

Produced by Michael Dias

Language: English

Genre: Indie Pop

He has been a revelation in 2023, Michael Dias has released a fantastic album "Show Me What's Real", and he has shown us the real, talented version of himself. I have featured two very different yet spectacular songs called " Chai Song" and "I Will Let You Go" already this year and here comes the 3rd single that I am reviewing here in my weeklies.  

Much like the rest of the songs, Michael has written the lyrics, and melody and produced the song as well, but this gem is special because it features another swashbuckling vocalist in Shkathisree Gopalan. The acoustic guitar, electric guitar and Piano by Alok Merwin collectively form this beautiful base on which Michael stands tall and sings with such finesse. Then comes Shakthisree and with her serenading voice she sings "We fell into place, perfectly into each other" and the bass/baritone vocals are steaming adding to the romanticism. 

I have been a huge fan of her playback singing in Tamil movies, but this song allows her to showcase the deeper strengths of Shakthisree as a vocalist. The melody is excellently written with some very chorus and post-chorus segments. I particularly fell in love with the bridge segment "All I ask is you hold me, all I want is you hold me, all I need you hold me", enunciated by terrific guitars, bass by Carl Fernandes and drums by David Joseph. Michael and Shakthisree shine together vocally. Toby Joseph is the mix/master engineer. The cover artwork is by Rebecca Dias

@michaelknowstorock @shakthisreegopalan @alok_merwin @carlthebass @davidthejoseph @tobsgarage 

5. Jaan Denge Tumhe

Singer - Laqshay Kapoor

Music - Mukund Suryawanshi

Lyrics - Saaveri Verma

Music Arrangement and Produced - AM.AN

Language: Hindi

Genre: Light Music

During Durga Pooja celebrations and I was hopping from one Pandal to the next, I came across Pritam Da in one of the Andheri West Pandals and he was kind enough to have a conversation for a few minutes. When I was talking about his music and Jam8 originals in 2022, the one name that was mentioned was Mukund Suryavanshi among more than a handful of composers involved in that project. 

It tells you what a talented rising star he is, and I loved his song "Yaad" from last year. This one too is such a pristine melody and Laqshay Kapoor elevates the tune with his heartfelt singing. I love the title line " Tum dil maang lo, jaan denge tumhe", accompanied by Ishan Das and his bass guitars. Tejas Vinchurkar plays the delightful notes written for the interlude and it sticks to my head. The notes in the stanza are not run-of-the-mill, and you will find this out when Laqshay sings "tumko hona yakeen to kabhi aazmaan na mujhe pyar mein", the line is unpredictable in its trajectory. 

Saaveri Verma pens the beautiful words. The composition is uplifted thanks to AM.AN's overall programming, arrangements and production. The recording engineers are Mohsin Raza and Nishant Pritam Das with AM.AN as the mix/master engineer. SHRAE is the mix assistant. 

@mukundsuryawanshii @tseries.official @laqshaykapoor @am.an_music @thesaaveriverma @bombay_kalakaar @ishandas_666 @tejas.flute

6. Kuch

Singer / Composer - Jazim Sharma 

Poet - Nida Fazli 

Music Producer - Mir Desai 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Semi-Classical 

The one name that is at the top of my mind when I think of Tumri/Ghazal or semi-classical is Jazim Sharma. His relentless effort to create new work in this space must be appreciated and his song composed and performed by Jazim is exemplary in that regard. Nida Fazli's words are being turned into a delectable melody that has traces of Raag Pilu. Paras Nath'sflute interventions keep coming and adding such warmth to the song.

We are blown away by Jazim's vocals and the whole impact of the song would not be possible without all the fantastic arrangements, programming and overall production by Mir Desai. The interlude on the flute solo by Paras is cathartic, to say the least. Though the stanza is short, the song continues to be a haunting melody. Mir has had an outstanding year producing various songs and many have been featured by me and the way he gets Western elements like the guitars and keys fused into this classical piece is worthy of praise. 

Bhaskar Sarma is the champion mix/master engineer at Euphony Studio responsible for getting all these tracks into one final package. Nishant P. Dass is the recording engineer. 

@jazimsharma @kkstinaa @euphony_studio @parasnathflute @bhaskarsarma01 @mirdesai16 

 7. Malki Re

Singer:- Salim Merchant & Parth Bharat Thakkar

Music:- Parth Bharat Thakkar

Lyrics:- Niren Bhatt

Language: Gujarati

Parth Bharat Thakkar is one fine composer who is responsible for getting Gujarati film music some much-needed attention. Thank God we have him, and just like last year's Gujarati album "Lakiro" he does quite well in "Hurry Om Hurry". This is my favourite song in the album and it is sung by Salim Merchant with lyrics by Niren Bhatt.  

The strong acoustic guitars by Muheet Bharti provide some refreshing layers, and he also takes it up a notch with some elegant arrangements and production. The trumpets in the background along with the upbeat rhythms work well. The chorus segment with the humming and the title line is a lovely portion. I love the qawwali style interlude with the Harmonium and chorus, giving it an AR Rahman flavour. Salim delivers a stylish vocal performance and it is nice to hear. The violin solo by Jitendra Jawda, trumpet interventions and all the bassline support make the song sound complete. Parth handles all the additional production. 

@salimmerchant @parthmusic @nirenbhatt @muheet_bharti 

8. Hai Khuda

Singer: Vishal Mishra

Composed, Arranged & Produced by: Vishal Mishra

Lyrics: Vishal Mishra & Kaushal Kishore

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock

Many have spoken well about this movie, and I have yet to check the background score. However, the album has some decent songs, with this being my favourite. Vishal Mishra time and again has proven that he is a rare gem in modern-day Bollywood music. This song is composed, arranged and produced by Vishal and it works brilliantly for all the above reasons and most importantly his vocals. 

The drums are as emphatic as they should be in a rock single, but the energy and experience are elevated thanks to Kalyan Baruah's electric guitars along with the stylish bass guitars by Gaurav Vaswani. When we get to the chorus segment Vishal's vocals are aided by additional singers viz. Kumar Gaurav Singh, Akash Ojha & Bixal. The guitar solo just past the 1.15-minute mark is excellently written and executed with gusto. 

The song feels like a touching ballad piece during the stanza thanks to the sensibilities exhibited by Vishal. Bixal does all the additional production and he along with Trihangku Lahkar, and Kumar engage in music assistance. The song's lyrics are penned by Vishal and Kaushal Kishore thereby helping the listener understand the feelings of the lead character. Trihangku is the recording engineer @ VM Studio, Vishal does the mixing/mastering with Bixal being the mix assistant. 

@vishalmishraofficial @mekaushalkishore @kumargauravsing @kalyanbaruah @gauravvaswaniofficial @bixal__purplehaze @trihangkulahkar

9. Behind The Veil

Performed by Nemophilis

Written by Kshitij Kumar Choudhary

Language: English

Genre: Rock

This rock band from Pune delivers a worthy album called 'Iceberg' but after listening to it, one song stuck in my mind the longest. They have been featured a couple of times and if they keep getting better like this, there is no stopping them. The guitar interludes by Kshitij Kumar Choudhary just past the 2.30-minute mark are engrossing. Kshitij is the frontman and other than writing the lyrics and the melody he performs the lead vocals with incredible zest. 

Saurabh Lodha is the bassist oozing with style and the adrenaline comes from Akarsh Singh's drums. The composition, arrangements and overall production by Saurabh leave us in shatters and deeply invested. The guitars and drums dominate like an instrumental stand-off showcasing their prowess in this interlude towards the end. 

@__riff_life__ @akarshsinghofficial @kshitij.is.here @theofficialnemophilis 

10. Bhed Abheda

Composed and performed by Inayat

Music Produced, Arranged and programmed by Ritik Mehta

Written by Ritik Mehta & Tanay Shah

Vocals by Abhishek Venkitakrishnan

Language: English

This 3-set band focuses on something very interesting, making experimental folk music and presenting it with some exciting story-telling. This is their debut album and I found at least 3 interesting songs (days as they are calling it). The lead vocals that come and touch our hearts belong to Abhishek Venkitakrishnan but not before the stunning guitars by Ritik Mehta make riffs and ripples. He is also the man behind the creative arrangements, programming and production 

The mild drums are played by Kanishk Ajmera and he keeps altering the intensity, especially before the English lines come over "We have been here before, years and years ago". The backing vocalists make this sound pleasant on the harmonies and the vocalists are Ritik Mehta, Rene Chaurasia, Sharanya Ghosh, Timothy Thampy, Nathan Thampy, Parth Gadhvi, Tarana Tanna, Kanishk Ajmera and Tanay Shah. 

Jordan Machado plays the enchanting bass guitars and they taunt and haunt us like hymns and chants. The pause that the drummer and guitarists create is magical and we get swaras being sung by Abhishek. The way the classical Indian, folk and the Alt-Rock styles fuse is memerising. I am not sure but maybe there is some Raag Jog, Desh and Bhairav too in the mix. Ritik Mehta & Sachin Nair are the recording engineers, with Sachin also the mix/master engineer. Sujal Verma assists Sachin.

@inayatmusic @ritikmehtaa @tanayshah2420 @abhishek_venkitakrishnan @renee.chaurasia @sharanya.sings @timothythampy @nathanthampy @parthgadhvi @taranatanna @kanishk.ajmera @beatsanofficial @sujalmixes @pencilandframes @butterfingerbass

11. Duniya Ke Dar Se

Poetry: Ajay Sahaab

Composer: Rajesh Singh

Singer: Pratibha Singh Baghel

Producer/Arranger: Paras Nath

Language: Hindi

Genre: Tumri/Ghazal

One of my favourite Ragas is Bhageshree and I have always been a slave of its melody. That is precisely the effect this song has on me right from the start. Here we have this new EP with Paras Nath being the producer and arranger and featuring the magical vocals of Pratibha Singh Baghel. It is a match made in heaven and each of these songs is in the Thumri/ghazal style with the poetry of AJay Sahab and the composition by Rajesh Singh. 

Momin Khan's subtle but suave Sarangi plays in the interlude and in the background we have the Violin and Viola played by Jitendra Hansraj Javda, and Dharmendra Javda. Abhishek Borkar joins with the Sarod and the guitars, bass and Keys by Sanjay Jaipurwale add the necessary westernised style. Paras Nath plays mild FLute cameos but he is more importantly involved in the creating and conducting of the strings section. Darren Heelis is the mix/master engineer. 

@musicroomlive @ajaysahaab @parasnathflute @iampratibhasingh @sufiscore @sarodabhishek @mominkhanofficial @its.sanjayjsaipurwale @swarasonic_official @darrenheelis

12. Like I Do

Written, composed and sung by Tarini 

Produced by Joseph Nichols, Lexington Bowler and Tarini

Language: English

Genre: Indie Pop

The song is part of a debut EP 'From These Cracks A Flower Grew' by this Chennai-based singer-songwriter called Tarini. I love the overall tone of the songs and liked more than 1, this however was my pick of the songs. Tarini has composed the melody, written the lyrics and sung the lead vocals, enthralling us all the way. 

The acoustic guitars by Tarini are mild, but become an important hub in the wheel. The vocals of Tarini are beautiful and layered and she also experiments without any inhibition. Tarini uses her wide vocal range to great effect and also brings in a wide variety of intricate vibrato in the lines. This could easily be one of the best vocal performances that I have heard since October 2023. 

The song picks up in its energy as the rhythms and percussion make their point and the lines go "Don't you worry darling, your best days are yet to come". The vocal harmonies are well arranged as well and the team of Joseph Nichols, Lexington Bowler and Tarini deserve credit for the efficient production. Tarini shows her abilities as she sings the line "Life can seem so unfair" and the improvisations she brings after uttering the last word are exemplary. Lexington is also the recording, mixing and mastering engineer. 

@tarini_08 @krimsonavenuestudios @lexinva @josephnicholsmusic 

13. Southern Belle

Written and Composed by David Britto

Produced, Piano and Backing Vocals by Brent Tauro

Vocals by rinaldo

Additional Production and Acoustic Guitar by Siddharth Basrur

Language: English

Genre: Indie Pop

rinaldo's vocals are heartwarming and he is accompanied by Siddharth Basrur's acoustic guitar strumming all along. The song grows on you and it has to be one of David Britto's best yet according to me. I loved it so much that I immediately communicated with David, that this song was so personal and subtle and even though I have loved his peppy synth-pp creations, this one takes a special place in my heart. This is a song written and composed by David. 

Brent Tauro plays the Piano and starts creating a gravitating impact on your senses and he has also produced the song along with providing backing vocals. The chorus segment "Learning to love yourself" has to be the highlight moment for me. The Piano is not just a repetitive accompaniment but the notes are well-written and they follow their path. Siddharth does all the additional production and Jason D'Souza is the mix/master engineer. Just past the 2.15-minute mark, there is a solid and long interlude on the Piano with Brent truly shining, almost making me feel like Elton John is on the job. 

@siddharthbasrur @brenttauromusic @rinalduh @jasonmixesaudio @dave_arrows

14. Preet

Composed by: Lost Stories, Shamprad Bhamre, Rupali Moghe

Associated Performer, Singer, Writer: Rupali Moghe

Produced by: Lost Stories

Language: Hindi/Traditional

Genre: Folk/Electronic Pop

The DJ/Producer duo of Prayag Mehta and Rishab Joshi blend great Indian folk music with modern and creative styles like electronic pop and Lo-fi and what we get is a great concoction. This is one perfect example of the brand of music that they create and I believe there is Raag Hamsadhwani all around. 

Rupali Moghe is a wonderful vocalist and she performs this with tremendous style. Rupali has written the lyrics and composed the melody along with Prayag, Rishab and Shamprad Bhamre. The fast-paced rhythms make this an interesting song, especially with that flute intervening at the right instances. The duo have produced and also done the mixing and mastering of the tracks. 

@loststories @rupali_music @prayagmehta @shampradbhamre

15. Kalleyan

Vocals - AKASA, Taaruk Raina

Composer – AKASA

Lyrics - AKASA, Taaruk Raina

Producer - Edu Monteiro (Redmojo)

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Electronic Pop

To round up this week's list of amazing songs we have two talented stars AKASA and Taaruk Raina collaborating for a fun single. Both these musicians have had a very good year making some fine music and hopefully, 2024 will be even better. AKASA composed the melody while she and Taaruk wrote the lyrics and performed the lead vocals. 

It is however Edu Monteiro's production that stands out and makes it tantalising and upbeat. The guitar riffs, bass, keys and rhythms are working quite well in tandem, but both the lead vocalists keep us engaged with a worthy performance. Taaruk especially excels in the higher vocal registers. 

@akasasing @sonymusicindia @taarukraina @edumonteiromusic