Top Indian Songs of the week 1st October 2023

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 1st October 2023. 

Here is the SPOTIFY Playlist of the Top songs of the week

1. Kangal Edho

Music: Dhibu Ninan Thomas

Lyrics: Yugabharathi

Singers: Pradeep Kumar, Karthika Vaidyanathan

Arranged by Kalyani Nair

Language: Tamil

Genre: Light Music

When a batsman comes to the crease, sometimes the very first ball he strikes or defends with the middle of the bat, tells a lot about his/her form and what lies in store for the innings. The opening humming by female vocalists tells that kind of a story here. Behold some brilliance as we listen to the song, as we have one of the most talented and consistent composers in South Cinema if not India itself viz. Dhibu Ninan Thomas. 

Karthika Vaidyanathan blazes through with a brilliant vocal performance and her sensational vocal control is evident in the ghamaka on the words "edho" and "thaane" in the opening lines. Shruthiraj plays the Ganjira if I am not wrong, and it is pure Heaven when the Piano by Dhibu starts playing.

Just when I was surrendering myself to the pristine beauty of the tune, Pradeep Kumar struck me harder with that glorious voice. How brilliant is the line " Oru aayiram vaanavilla un poovizhi kaatuthadi", from lyrical, musical and vocal execution perspectives? We are only 50 seconds into the song and it is more melodious, and classy than most albums released in 2023. Once the Anu Pallavi is done, we get to hear Karthika singing the Pallavi again, but this time Dhibu fires up the Synths. 

The flute solo by Kamalakar adds to the serenity, but mildly reminds me of AR Rahman's "Radha Kaise na Jale". Behind the Synths and flute, we also hear that faint Clarinet by Nadhan. There are segments here that remind us of Suddha Dhanyasi Ragam, like the interlude and the stanza. When it begins takes us back to the Ilaiyaraja super hit song "Pottu Vacha Malliga Mottu". The second half of the stanza strikes you with its innate beauty, such is the poise with which Dhibu has written the notes, Kudos to Karthika for singing "Ennennavo unkitta sollida thonuthada" like a dream. Kalyani Nair is in charge of the amazing arrangements. 

Naveen Napier makes the song stylish with his bass guitars and the strings section by Budapest Scoring Orchestra adds vitality, especially in the outro. We have Peter Illenyi conducting the orchestra and Balasubramanian G on Orchestra Co-ordination. Mani Ratnam, Dennis and Avinash Sathish are the recording engineers, Balu Thankachan on mixing and Shadab Rayeen on mastering. 

@dhibuninanthomas @pradeep_kumar1123 @karthikavaidyanathan @yughabharathi @kalyaninair86 @bala_musician 

2. Anthem of Love Mouli

Music Composer: Govind Vasantha

Lyricist: Ananth Sriram

Singer: Anish Krishnan

Language: Telugu

Genre: Country/Rock

This feels like spectacular country rock music as we drive down the Mid-West USA on a Cadillac, surrounded by desert sands. Govind Vasantha composes this stunning piece of music that sounds fresh to the Indian audience at least. Anish Krishnan puts on a show with his vocals, singing with great character. He is the lead vocalist of the band Thaikkudam Bridge. 

The style and exuberance that Anish brings on vocally are matched with some reverberating slide guitars. We also get an electric guitar solo in the interlude and some transcendental solo on the slide guitar just before the stanza. Anish explores the high pitch with amazing ease and the humming "thara thum tha thara thum thera" is to die for, and it only gets better with the Kids' chorus singing it towards the end. Rajan KS has mixed and mastered the tracks and Govind is also the sound engineer for this. 

 @anishkrishnan89 @anantha.sriram

3. Adiga Adiga

Singer: Srinivas

Lyrics: Chaitanya Prasad

Music: Chaitan Bharadwaj

Language: Telugu

Genre: Light Music

This is one of the most unexpected returns to mainstream playback singing, and I was pleasantly surprised to see singer Srinivas perform this Telugu light music song composed by Chaitan Bharadwaj. The song has a beautiful tune with the Pallavi and Anupallavi already making a heartwarming impression. The acoustic guitars and the strings section make for a good combination.

The flute solo with the acoustic guitars is one unforgettable interlude, and in fact, it is this segment that captivated me the most, reminding me of the great works of composer AR Rahman. There were moments in the stanza that I felt like I was listening to SPB. The Piano and the vocal harmonies add beauty to an already resplendent song. Chaitan deserves a huge round of applause for his enticing arrangements, on top of a very melodious tune. 

@chaitanbharadwaj @srinivas_singer 

4. Irulil

Composed and arranged by Sidharth Sudheer

Lyrics: Sidharth Sudheer

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Ballad/Pop

The Kappa Originals are back and after a terrific song featuring Arya Dhayal, we have another talented singer Sidharth Sudheer here. SidVoc as calls himself has also composed, arranged, written and sung this tantalising slow number. It grows on you like a wonderfully cooked dish that steadily makes its way across our taste buds. The strokes of the guitar tempt and tease at the very start, and the Cello by Albin Jose piques our interest simultaneously. Sidharth also plays the classical guitar in the song here. 

His voice shows a bit of a tremble, sending shivers down our spine. The Violins by Nibu Mathew and Anil Antony Allukal, along with the haunting sound of the Viola by Subin Kumar, all of whom belong to Arioso Quintet. The Keys by Stephen C. Mathison, drums by Floyd Libera and bass guitar by Joe Vinod John start accompanying it to give it a melancholic pop facet. 

The dominance of the Violins and Violas is the highlight in making this one unforgettable song. Soon the tempo is about to pick up with Sidharth about to break away from his shackles. The electric guitars by Sabarish Menon join along with Sid's high-pitched humming. Niranjan Menon is the mix/master engineer 

@sidvoc @niranjanmenonn @kappaoriginalsofficial @ariosoquintet @albinjose.in @anilantonyalukkal @_nibumathew @subin_vln @sabarishsyn29 @stevoredemption @floyd_libera @

5. Oh Na Madhu

Composer: Achu Rajamani

Singers: Karthik, Yamini Ghantasala 

Lyricist: Srikanth Nagothi

Programmed & additional vocals by: Achu Rajamani

Language: Telugu

Genre: Pop

I am eagerly waiting for the release of this interesting love story called "Month of Madhu". Songs in India have always been a great way to pique audience interest and this song had a major contribution in making me curious. Achu Rajamani is a talented composer and he has been featured by me in both Tamil and Telugu music before. This song has elements that make it stick to the head.

Karthik is the male lead vocalist and he takes us back to the 2000s when he was at his peak level singing almost every other song in Tamil playback. Bruce Jude Lee's guitars are stunning from the get-go, making it a fast-paced love song. The electric guitars and Keys keep accompanying adding many layers, all of which work well together. The title line with Karthik singing " Oh na Madhu" and Achu on backing vocals is a treat to the ears, especially the second time with a mild ghamaka on the phrase "Oh Na Madhu". 

Srikanth Nagothi is the lyricist for the song, and he pens the beautiful title phrase. We hear the Kazoo in the interlude and Achu does all the arrangements and programming in the song. Yamini Ghantasala is the female lead who starts singing additionally after the interlude. The song feels like Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's 'Mitwa'. Tanushree is the vocal and music supervisor, and we have Hariharan and Balaji as recording engineers. Balaji is also the mix and master engineer. 

@achurajamani @yamini_ghantasala @karthikmusicexp @srikanth_nagothi @naveenchandra212

6. Breakfast Over Bae

Artist: Srushti Tawade

Lyrics: Srushti Tawade, Bill Maybury, Nikita Mehta

Music Producer : Riz Shain

Composed by : Srushti Tawade, Bill Maybury, Nikita Mehta, Riz Shain

Language: Hindi/English

Genre: Alt Hip-Hop

She released a thumping album, did Srushti Tawade the rapper. After featuring her in Bhoomi 2023 's opening song called Dangal which had both Srushti and Cyli Khare as lead vocalists, she made it to the weekly lists twice in a row. In fact in this new album called "Breadcrumbs" I loved the song 'Breakfast over Bae' and '808' as well. 

The Piano hits hard and feels like we are about to enter the space of an EMINEM hip-hop treat. Srushti begins to move ahead with rampage thanks to her bombastic vocals, with Riz Shain programming and producing this excellent track. The melody is composed by Srushti Tawade, Bill Maybury, Nikita Mehta and Riz Shain. 

The singing is phenomenal as she alters between a cool delivery and one that mocks. I love the lyrics and the title that gives importance to self-love and self-respect and we have Srushti, Bill and Nikita penning the words. My favourite segment is when she sings " You'll never win over Blueberry cake", which is musically beautiful like a musical theatre piece and the words convey so much meaning. 

She continues with "Your kisses were the first thing that I wanted every morning, Now I'd rather get my kicks from coffee cause you're boring". Kudos! Hanish Taneja is the mix/master engineer. Srushti keeps getting better as the song progresses and the vocal performance keeps up with the production right through. 

The other song I love is '808' with a solid beginning featuring a Mumbai Local Train Platform announcement. It brings a smile to the face of anyone who has travelled in Mumbai on the Local Trains. Srushti delivers a fabulous performance with some rapping that is among the best I have heard in India in 2023. Great writing is essential for any son, especially in this genre and she comes out tops. 

@warnermusicindia @bluprint.inc @mixedbyhanish @rizshainnn @nikitaathewild @billmaybs @abhijaymusic @charanmusic @musicalsaurabh @alansampson @priyanshi_srivastava27 @sasta_acid @iam_adp 

7. Aadhe Waadhe

Composed by: Shreya Jain

Lyrics by: Shreya Jain and Raghav Kaushik

Produced by - Shreya Jain and Nakul Chugh

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

Shreya Jain is a talented singer who ensures that she captivates the listener with her vocal calibre. Here she takes it up a few notches with some very emotionally apt and touching vocals. The mild ghamakas are beautiful, and make you nod your head in appreciation. Shreya deserves a lot of credit because she has also composed the song, and co-written the lyrics with the extremely talented indie musician Raghav Kaushik. 

The song excels as a beautiful and fulfilling composition and you will realise it with its long Sthayi and Antara segments. The interlude is a treat with the Sarangi solo by Momin Khan, and the swara delivery by Shreya following up. It feels like Raag Hamsadhwani to me, and let us not forget the remarkable sound design and production thanks to Nakul Chugh. This guy is proving his mettle with every new song release. Hanish Taneja is the mixing engineer. 

@shreyajainmusic @raghav__kaushik @nakulchughh @mominkhanofficial @mixedbyhanish

8. Jeeva

Composed and programmed by Charanraj

Lyrics: Jayant Kaikini

Singers: Siddhant Sundar, Charanraj 

Music Producers: Charanraj & Narayan Sharma

Language: Kannada

Genre: Psychedelic Rock

Charan Raj is riding on a high after the phenomenal album Sapta Sagaradache Ello Side A". This stylish, psychedelic Rock song is composed by Charan and produced by Narayan Sharma and Charan together. Siddhant Sundar is the lead vocalist who makes things feel groovy. It does have a tone that reminds me of AR Rahman's "Oh Bhavre" from the album 'Daud'. Charan Raj also is an accompanying lead vocalist. 

Sunil Sylvester and Keba Jeremiah sizzle with their guitars, giving us an electrifying experience. Narayan Sharma plays the fiddle with such flair and he adds a Middle Eastern flavor. The legendary Jayanth Kaikini is the lyricist. The line "Kaanithe patha bandha nina gaagi" is beautifully sung by Charan, with vocal grunts in the background and the strings section too. The outro with the chorus and the electric guitar leaves a lasting impact. Rohan Harish and Aniketh Mohanty are the recording engineers at 2barQ Studios & Audiokraft Studios. Sujith Sreedhar is the mix/master engineer at 2barQ Studios

@charanraj27185 @narayan_sharma227 @sujithsreedhar @siddhanth.k.s @kebajer @sunil6string

9. Sittharala Sithravathi

Singers: Rahul Sipligunj, Ramya Behara

Lyrics: 'Saraswati Putra' Ramajogayya Sastry 

Music: GV Prakash Kumar

Language: Telugu

Genre: Dance -Pop

The song immediately reminds me of "Bottabomma" which was composed by S Thaman last year especially the lines "Naa rangulabangari sita tilakave" . It has the same dance-pop nature to it with tremendous beats, enjoyable melody and passionate singing. GV Prakash Kumar composes the tune with lead vocalists Rahul Sipligunj and Ramya Behara. The moment we hear the Keys, we are tuned to get up and dance. 

Aswin Satya, Sai Abhyankkar are the Keyboard programmers and the rhythms are by Kalyan. Both Ramya and Rahul deliver the lines with incredible zest. The stanza has some memorable lines like the charming " andhala toofanu nee", with both lead vocalists singing with irresistible charm. Vagu Mazan showcases her potential in the interludes with the Ukulele, Saz and guitars. E Suri, and Jehovahson are the recording engineers and Jehovahson Algar is also the mixing and mastering engineer. 

@gvprakash @sipligunjrahul @ramyabehara @jehovahson

10. Angry

Performed by Paravi

Written by Caroline Pennell, Lauren Aquilina, Marcus Andersson

Produced by Marcus Andersson, Lauren Aquilina

Language: English

Genre: Indie Pop

I am hearing this young Indian-American artist for the very first time, and what a debut album this is. Paravi is a 21-year-old who has majored in Musical Theatre from UCLA and once you hear her perform there will be no qualms left about her potential. She also is trained in Indian Classical music. The self-titled album has two amazing songs, 'Angry' and 'Skeleton' and I would urge all my readers to stream this album right away.

The singing is phenomenal and she displays a wide vocal range I love the line where she explodes and sings " Why is everybody not angry". The songs are written by Caroline Pennell, Lauren Aquilina and Marcus Andersson with the solid production of Marcus and Lauren. The heavy guitar strumming and vocal harmonies add some blistering flavour. The moment I cherished the most was when the pre-chorus segment began again and we had Indian percussions (maybe the Mridangam) in the background. I lost to her and I feel the anger that Paravi Das wants us to express. 

Skeleton is another wonderful song in the album that takes a more pleasant and sober approach to delivering the message. The song has some fantastic rhythm and key programming. The chorus/refrain segments in both the segments stand out. I feel the energy when she sings " calling out my name, out my name". Wait for the unexpected twist past the 2.30-minute mark as a Hip-Hop segment comes and satisfies the soul, I hand it to you Paravi, you are more than just flesh and bone!

@paravi @laurenauilina @

11. Ho Ghumshuda

Music - Beyond Horizon 

Lyrics - Ravi Rajput

Vocals & keys - Apoorv Kumar

Language: Hindi

Genre: Alt-Rock

The band Beyond Horizon released a new album called " Sab Theek Hai ". This is my pick from the album, and during many moments, I was reminded of one of my favourite Indian bands "Western Ghats". Apoorv Kumar is the frontman of the Indore-based 4-piece band. Subhanshu Gupta strums the eloquent guitars, with incredible pace. The energy emanates thanks to the drums played by Shaleen Vyas. The riff on the classical guitar just after the title phrase is sung is one of the highlights and it almost sounds like a Ukulele.

The vocals fill the room with romanticism, and we have Arpit Joshi on bass guitars and Dhruv Sharma on additional drums. The bridge section feels like a 90's Bollywood love song and the surprise element in the deviation was enchanting. The song is well-produced with nice arrangements. The tracks are mixed by Shatarchi Hundet and mastered by Apoorv Kumar

@beyondhorizon.band

@apoorv_beyondhorizon @shubhanshu_beyondhorizon @mveedrums

12. Maathella Haage Ide

Singer: Armaan Malik,

Lyrics: Jayant Kaikini 

Music: Arjun Janya   

Language: Kannada

Genre: Ballad/ Light Music

This mild and gentle ballad starts off like a stream of water, but soon gains strength and rage and flows like a river. Armaan Malik goes to prove that he has taken over the nation as one of our prime playback singers, across many languages. Kiran's flute plays in the background along with the emphatic strings section. David Selma who has been a long-time associate of Arjun Janya has programmed the Keys and also arranged the strings section.  

We have the Sunshine Orchestra playing the strings section, and the interlude is laden with some goodness, from bass and acoustic guitars by David Selvam. The stanza is rich in composition and that is what we have come to expect from Arjun Janya over the years. The backing vocalists are Shenbagaraj, Narayanan, Sowmya and Hema. David is also the mix/master engineer. 

@davidselvam_official @arjun_janya_musician @armaanmalik @shenbagarajg