Top Indian Songs of the week 1st December 2024

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 1st December 2024

1. Khaamakha

Music Composer: Siddharth Pandit

Lyrics: Alok Ranjan Srivastava

Singer: Nikhita Gandhi

Music Arranged & Produced by: Siddharth Pandit

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

He is one of the top 3 musicians for me in 2024! Siddharth Pandit take a bow! After a mindblowing album "Azaad Sangeet Season 3" ( I rated it 4.75/5). Now he has a single in the new web series "Bandish Bandits 2", and isn't it just another display of brilliance? Siddharth prides himself on writing beautiful melodies and impressive arrangements, especially when it comes to vocal harmonies. He is the composer, arranger and producer in terrific form, I salute you brother! 

The Piano plays gently and one of our finest Pop vocalists, Nikhita Gandhi slays it here as the lead. Aastha Mehta is the backing vocalist singing the title "Khaamakha" with such poise and vibrancy. Siddharth's partner in crime Alok Ranjan Srivastava writes words of passion and agony and when it is delivered with Nikihita's tone, the message hits you sharp and deep. The keyboard programming is terrific and gives such an enjoyable Pop single. 

The best segment is when Nikhita sings the chorus segment in the high pitch, and I feel like my soul just got wings to fly. The chord progression is just ahead of the curve and If you think you can predict what is about to come next, think again! Siddharth bamboozles you every step and every note of the way. He is also the mixing and mastering engineer. The music supervisor is Akashdeep Sengupta.

@panditjeee @nikhitagandhiofficial @hashtag.jazbaat @akashdeep.sengupta @musical_swaroop @aastha.mehta

2. Ghar Aa Maahi

Composer - Ana Rehman

Lyrics - Shubham Shirule

Singers - Nikhita Gandhi, digV

Music Supervisor - Akashdeep Sengupta

Music Arranged and produced by - Gibson George 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop fusion 

Mood: Energetic

We have the second installation of "Bandish Bandits" and the various musicians involved here inspire young talents that if they work with hard work, commitment and consistency, great opportunities will come knocking. Dilshad Khan's Sarangi intro sets the stage for a semi-classical fusion track and digV strikes you hard with his tantalising voice. His ability to enthral the listener combines beautifully with the strength in the technical aspects of his singing. Ana Rehman shines with this composition and her innate talent is obvious to anyone who has been tracking indie music.

Shubham Shirule pens the lyrics and the dynamic Gibson George does the arrangements and produces the song. The fantastic sound design, and the interplay of all live instrumentals and programming, is all thanks to Gibson, and at the helm is Akashdeep Sengupta as the music supervisor. The synths and keys have a huge impact on what we hear, and when we get the energetic drums and digV's swaras, the fusion of two varied musical styles is eclectic. A great pick of lead vocalists, and if digV is authentic and classical, Nikhita Gandhi is westernised, confident and stylish in her delivery. That is what the web series is all about, isn't it?

We have some talented live instrumentalists glorifying the song even more like Veljon Noronha on guitars and Shubham Shirule on the flute. After Nikhita's electronic pop lines, we get a classical segment on the Tabla by Ishteyak Khan, Bass Tabla by Chinmay Deore and flute by Shubham. The shift between Western pop and Indian classical music is swift and breathtaking. Shubham, Ana, and Ishteyak are the backing vocalists. digV's aalap feels magical and Nikhita's improvisation "Waiting for you" is a battle of wits. There are traces of Raag Bhimpalasi that I hear in the melody. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Pranav Gupta and the sound engineers are Palak Mohan and Aniruddh Anantha. 

@digvijaysinghpariyarofficial @nikhitagandhiofficial @shubhamshirule @ana_rehman @akashdeep.sengupta @callme_uzumaki @samindha.wangoo @juhii.g @shreya__chaudhry @chinmaydeoreofficial @ishteyakkhanofficial @veljon6noronha @gibsonbha @aniruddhanantha @palakmohanmusic 

3. Hold on 

Composed, arranged and produced by Joel Jossy

Singer- Sonna Rele 

Language: English

Genre: Pop fusion

Mood: Inspiring

Joel Jossy plays the guitar riffs and he gets a grip on your attention as soon as the flute solo by Sachin Tayade plays in the intro. I was taken aback when Sonna Rele made her vocal entry because I was expecting a light music/pop number in a regional language by some known vocalist. The shift to a Westernised pop with such lavish and stlyish vocals stung me hard like a bee, in the most memorable way. 

How is Sonna able to bring about such grace, and technical ability on display? As she sings " Closer each day, don't go hiding away" the vibrato is immaculate and makes her a note-worthy singer for me. It gets better and more resounding with the lines " Your hope is taking you there". Can you also hear a classical-sounding aalap in the background? This is performed by Akansha Tripathi. I will also congratulate Joel Jossy for writing a fantastic melody that shows his skills as a songwriter. The song becomes one uplifting experience with such effective vocals and production. The song is composed, arranged and produced by Joel. 

The interlude is so soothing with the confluence of the Tabla, Flute and electric guitars. Joshua Rajan is the bassist and Latesh Parab is the percussionist. There is space for everyone to breathe and excel here like the guitar solo, the mild strings section in the background etc. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Vivek Thomas and the recording engineer is Chinmay Bane. 

@joel_jossy @sonnarele @im_joshua_rajan @sachin_tayade140 @lateshparabmusic @akankshatripathi22 @chinmay_bane @vivekthomasproductions @joelsmusiclab @horusmusic @horusmusicindia 

4. Little White Door

Composition, Lyrics, Vocal Arrangement, Vocals: Zeba Tommy

Music Production: Sunil George

Language: English

Genre: Pop

Mood: Inspiring

Zeba Tommy comes on and with some beautiful vocals torments the listener. I felt like this was Celine Dion-esque in tone and quality, and I hope Zeba accepts this compliment. She is ravishing and anyone listening could take up this song as a challenge to recreate and practice for vocal mastery. She has written the melody and the lyrics for this Romantic Pop single. Ananthu O.A can be heard playing the acoustic guitar and Bevan Correya is on electric guitars.

She sizzles with that gentle vibrato as she sings the title line " Little white Door". The wide vocal range too is given a full exploration by Zeba when she sings "I've gotta find a way and break past these four walls and my bedroom floor". There is great purpose and conviction when she sings like a woman wanting to break free from her shackles. Kindly pay attention to the line " I've gotta fly" and the vibrato on the last word makes me fantasise about the joys and thrills of flying itself. Zeba shows that she is multifaceted, as she goes onto do the vocal arrangements of the song also, other than being a singer/songwriter. 

I am touched and feel the eagerness of a young girl as she sings " Who knows what lies behind this little white door. Mama I've got to know". Kudos to the writing. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Reniel K Reji. Sunil George must be appreciated for his fabulous work on the soundscape and music production of this single. 

@zeba.tommy @elsa_illustrations @rishik.jar @siddhi_mahajankatti @sunil_geo88 @the_voodoo_child_ @renilekreji @oananthua 

5. Waiting On

Written and Composed by Raghav Meattle and Mali

Produced and Mixed by Aria Nanji

Language: English

Genre: Alt-pop

Mood: Romantic

Maalavika Manoj a.k.a. Mali had a fantastic 2023, and two of her singles were among the top 10 Indie songs of 2023 according to me. If I had to pick a few Indian musicians in the indie space to represent our nation in a global competition, Mali would make her way into the esteemed list with no qualms. She collaborates with another master Raghav Meattle in writing and composing this gentle soft rock single. 

Sharad Rao plays the acoustic guitar that kind of tugs your heart and fights closely for attention with the beautiful voice of Mali as she sings "Will we ever live to tell the tale?". There is sadness and longing in the lyrics and the message gets delivered with Raghav's vocal tone and the strings section in the background. Kudos to Luke Moller on strings and Aria Nanji for producing this track with such attention to detail and painting this canvas with many colours. " All I see, are just pictures of you and me, in a frame on a wall, while I sit down and wait for your call". Feel the pain as the Violin and Cello strike hard. 

When the pre-chorus segment repeats the second time, I love two things viz. the mild drums by Jehangir Jehangir and Mali singing with a lag behind Raghav's lines but with altered words. Raghav sings "All I see" and Mali follows up with "Can't you see" and they might be minor details, but creative and praise-worthy. Adil Kurwa is the bassist. The outro is excellently written with the chord progression and lyrics leaving a lasting impact as they sing "counting down the hours". The tracks are mixed by Aria and mastered by Ashyar Balsara. The recording engineers are Aria Nanji, Hersh Desai and Smith Nisar. 

@raghavmeattle @maalavikamanoj @ariananji @thejjsticks @a_diilla @radrao.g @lukefiddle @ashyarbalsara @heeyaatikku @reejakkkk @firstwav @thejjsticks @hersh.desai.9 @smith.wav

6. Sunsets

Lyrics: Sruthi Vj

Composed by Sruthi Vj & Richard Andrew

Produced by Richard Andrew at Streamphony

Arrangement and Programming: Aadarsh Subramaniam

Language: English

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

I am featuring Sruthi Vj after a considerable gap here and it is nice to see her release an EP "Better Love", with better music than most of what I heard in the country in the previous week. Sruthi has written the lyrics, that make us feel like we are witnessing a spectacular sunset in front of our eyes. She co-writes the melody with Richard Andrew, who also handles the music production. My expectations rise as I see Richard's name in the credits. 

Richard is known to be a strong mentor and producer to many of the bright, young and talented singer/songwriters in the nation. The Keys, guitars and bass guitars are elements that provide whatever decorative support is needed to enhance the soundscape. The melody seemed smooth and fine and the particular point where I was impressed was when the chord progression shifted into something I least expected. "Stay, longer .. not just longer, I want you for more, Stay forever" is beautifully written and delivered with such finesse that I am captivated. 

Sruthi's tone, and delivery make this one of the finest vocal performances of November that I have heard across the nation. The bassist is Avik Lahiri, Joshua Ashish plays the electric guitars and Jaimee Dudley is the drummer. Joshua Pereira is the keyboardist. A lion's share of all the terrific sounds goes to Aadarsh Subramanian who handles programming and arrangements. The singing and production collectively feel like a tribute to the iconic Pop music of the 1990s. The harmonies and piano in the outro are a mesmerising end to this beautiful track. 

@sruthi.vj @richard.andrew.dudley @streamphony @aadarsh_s @joshuaashishh @jaimeedudley @the_joshua_pereira @avik_lahiri_bassy @horusmusicindia

7. Roothe Piya

Composer: Ashish Zachariah

Singer, Writer: Aditi Raj

Producer, Studio Personnel, Mixer, Mastering Engineer: Ashish Zachariah

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop Ballad

Mood: Calming

A pair of musicians who create that instant spurt in me when I see their names in the credits are Ashish Zachariah and Aditi Raj. She writes and sings while Ashish composes and produces this single and we are all blessed as listeners when music sounds so good. The gentle pluck of the rhythm guitars and the Ukule rides along with Aditi's pleasing vocals. There is also a lead acoustic guitar playing a melody in the background in the verse and when we get to the refrain segment, I am teary thanks to the melody and the vocal delivery. 

Ashish is a champion producer and you will feel it from the layers of instrumental arrangements during the second verse. Amidst the guitars and keys, we also have an accordion and vocal harmonies as part of the arrangements. The bridge section is nicely written and when she sings "Na janoon kaise", we feel how a simple tune can bring about awe when all elements come together in a perfect blend. Abhijit Sood plays the gentle drums. Ashish is the mixing and mastering engineer, and Rohan Solomon in the recording engineer. The whistle we hear towards the end is done quite effectively by Anant Rathore.

@maaramaari @aditiraj @firstwav @rohansolomon @synergyaudiopro @h.verma49 @arya_nj @anant_rathore25 @akshaysammi @reejakkkkk @soothermusic @rahulbansal.rb

8. Laajawaab

Performed by Anand Bhaskar Collective

Written by Anand Bhaskar, Anand Bhaskar Collective

Produced by Hrishi Giridhar

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock

Mood: Energetic

These guys form a fine band and if you see their live performances, you will feel some diabolical energy through your veins. Here comes a fabulous rock single and like its title it is truly 'Lajawaab'. Get a load of the incoming electric guitar riffs and drums and try maintaining sanity when you listen to the intro. We have Hrishi Giridhar on guitars, Shishir exploding on drums, Neelkanth Patel as the bassist and Anand Bhaskar on lead vocals. 

The way he sings "Lo Dekh lo, hum aa gaye", feels like Anand is announcing the arrival of the Anand Bhaskar Collective to the crowd. Anand Bhaskar has penned the lyrics, and we have Hrishi producing the single. The writing is terrific and with Anand's delivery, the message is transported into our minds with great conviction. The humming that follows the verse, and as we head into the chorus segment with the line ending " hum hai laajawaab" is the most rejuvenating piece in the whole song. 

The electric guitar riffs are straightforward and are the necessary condition for a rock song. In one interlude towards the end, we have Hrishi sizzling on the electric guitar and the collective singing by the band members makes this track a sure shot cure to lethargy and boredom in your day. 

@ajayjayanthi @hrishigiridhar @thesingingbassist @bhaskarville @shishirtao @garvsawlani @sharkandink @vedikachauhan @anandbhaskarcollective

9. Hausle

Composer, Arranger and Producer: Noel Toms

Lyricist: Sanket Thombare

Vocals: Noel Toms

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop Ballad

Mood: Pathos

Featuring a new artist here on my website and when I discovered this song, I was sure that I would want to review it. Noel Toms goes into solo mode, almost, as he writes the melody, performs the lead vocals, arranges and produces this single. The guitar riffs are raw, yet they cook up a feeling of love when you listen to the intro. A mild string section is programmed into the mix in the background and Noel's humming is like a soothing lullaby. 

The singing in the high pitch is intense and leaves a mark with a hint of sadness as he sings " raaste ye kaise lagne lage hain, hausle yeh thode gisne lage hain", weaving a very hummable melody. The chorus segment sees a more gentle delivery with a drop in pitch and the Piano and strings section provides some enjoyable cushion to the ears. The melody feels like carrying a tinge of Raag Hamsadhwani. 

I appreciate Noel for getting down to the basics and writing a very heartwarming melody with notes that touch the heart. The part where we get the humming and the Piano playing the same notes in the background is calming. The extended Piano-based interlude is a highlight reel in this song and the way it ends with some unexpected chord progression, before the outro,  also is praiseworthy. Sanket Thambre is the lyricist penning those touching words. 

@noel_toms_official @sanket.80t @35_hertz_ @wavbee

10. Mujhko Sataana

Singers- Reena Gilbert @rahulpandeylive

Composed and Produced - Reena Gilbert

Lyrics- Reena Gilbert, Neha Thakur Warule

Language: Hindi

Genre: Electronic Pop

Mood: Romantic

You need only one hearing to decide the fate of a song! This one is performed, composed and produced by the super-talented Reena Gilbert. She is a source of inspiration to many young female musicians and engineers. This peppy electronic pop single feels like a tribute to the great pop music of the early 2000s that we grew up listening to. The keyboards and rhythm programming are foot-tapping good. Reena and Neha Thakur Warule are the lyricists and I love the Hindi and English crossover. 

The melody is filled with so much goodness and when Reena sings "mujhko sataana, why you do me like that" I feel like playing that over and over again thanks to the beautiful set of notes written here. Rahul Pandey joins as the male vocalist and he brings his style to the verse with all those pop improvisations. Jeremy Lobo is fabulous on lead guitars giving some character and crunch to the arrangements. The tracks are mixed by Reena Gilbert and mastered by Gethin John. 

@reena.gilbert @rahulpandeylive @_neha_t @jermy.03 

@hafod_mastering

11. Deewaana Deewaana

Performed by Anuj Danait, Daivik, Nikhil Pandey, Shivam Sengupta

Written by Anuj Danait, Nikhil Pandey, Shivam Sengupta

Produced by Shivam Sengupta, Anuj Danait, Shivam-Anuj

Language: Hindi

Genre: Disco/Swing

Mood: Dance

I am looking forward to this album "Yeh Khali Khali Aankhein 2". Anuj Danait and Shivam Sengupta are a talented duo and after a good job in Season 1, the expectations are rising. This is such a fun song that would make you swing and put those dancing shoes on right away. The quality of the melody and production reminds me of some of the works of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in the peak. It feels like Disco or Swing music with some wonderful harmony arrangements, guitars, Keys and drums. 

Nikhil Pandey is the lyricist and the the vocalists are Shivam and Anuj. The harmonies work quite well, just like a creative rap section and some electric guitar arrangements in the background. The bass guitars and bass drums are terrific in the verse and the falsetto singing is another praise-worthy element. 

@anujdanait @sidharth_sengupta @shivaminsanegupta @shvamanujofficial @

12. Laage Re

Performed by Adarsh Rao

Written by Adarsh Rao, Rishav Gandhar Lodh

Produced by Adarsh Rao, Rahul Vishwa

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Romantic

Adarsh Rao sings this Pop single and there are traces of "When You Say Nothing at All" when the guitar riffs play in the intro. The lyrics are penned by Rishav Gandhar Lodh and the melody is written by Adarsh. I like the soft and touching tone in Adarsh's voice, and one can feel the love when he sings "Tu jo muskuraye, roshan karde jag sara". The chorus segment is one of the highlights with a very hummable melody and the faint electric guitar in the background, goes well with Adarsh's soothing voice. 

The Piano notes flow around gently but the Sitar intervention is a beautiful element added to the arrangements in the interlude. I did sense some Raag Yaman or maybe some Hamsadhwani here. Rahul Vishwa and Adarsh shine as producers of the song, with their noteworthy arrangements, programming and production. This song will make you smile as you listen to it along with a sundowner 

@adarshrrao @somya_vasudeva_rao @troskmusic @rahulvishwamusic @musicbyadarshrao