Top Indian Songs of the week 1st September 2024

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

1. Kaahe Karat

Composition: Traditional, Anirudh Varma Collective

Piano/Keys/Production: Anirudh Varma

Hindustani Classical Vocals: Prateek Narsimha

Language: Traditional

Genre: Classical Fusion

Mood: Relaxing

I trust Anirudh Varma and his band of amazing musicians to come up with something like this. This is a traditional composition but Anirudh takes up the project of giving it a flavour of arrangements and production spread across the Indian classical and Western music spectrum. Prateek Narsimha is the lead performer we hear in the sthayi singing the classical vocals. Apparently, there are influences of Raag Jhinjhoti, belonging to the Khamaj Thaat. 

We have a star-studded array of instrumentalists shining together like Madhur Chaudhary on bass, Suyash Gabriel on drums, Shrikant Biswakarma on guitars, Soumitra Thakur on the Sitar, Rohan Prasanna on Sarod, Saptak Sharma on Tabla and Varun Rajashekharan on Ghatam. Anirudh plays the Piano, handles all the keyboard programming and sizzles with the music production of this record. Prateek continues to serenade us with his angelic delivery and I can think of no better way than this song to spend my twilight and retire into the night.

The amazing backing vocalists are Suhavi Kalsi, Basudhara Roy Munshi, Santur Kundu, Aman Varun and Rachit Bose. Kindly check out this song released under the Sounchk 2 banner by the indomitable brothers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant. What would the state of Indian music be today without all these amazingly gifted and committed musicians? We get a super solo on the electric guitar by Shrikant followed by the Sitar, Sarod and Piano in unison. The tracks are mixed by Anirudh, and mastered by Shawn Hatfield at Audible Oddities, USA. The recording engineers are Jonty Indra at Blacksheep Studios, New Delhi, Nikul Vaidh at Treehouse Studio, Ahmedabad. Enjoy the outro and be spellbound.

@anirudhvarmaofficial @hollyland.india @suyashgabriel @narsimhaprateek @strings_of_karma @basskarmadhur @vroonr @rohanprasanna @soumitra_thakur @saptak_sharma @suhavikasi @aamibangali @santur_kundu @a_man_varun @rachit_bose @merchant_records @salimsulaimanmusic @guitarded.jon @blacksheep.records

2. Makane

Vocals by Sooraj Santhosh

Lyrics by B.K. Harinarayanan

Composition by Parvatish Pradeep

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Alt-Rock

Mood: Relaxing

This wonderful melody is from 'Vaazha', not to be confused with the album "Vaazhai" by Santhosh Narayanan. Parvatish Pradeep is the composer, for this and he sparkles all along with the melody written with such poise. one playback singer who I have loved to listen to in the last 5 years or so is Sooraj Santhosh and he serenades us with with his voice here. The Keys and guitars make way for that soothing lullaby in the intro. You can hear the piano, acoustic guitar and the rising intensity of the strings section and it feels like a crescendo with Sooraj's singing.

The arrangements deserve great appreciation as Parvatish brings in so many elements to haunt us, like the amazing male-female harmonies in the interlude. I featured Parvatish in a couple of Indie songs last year and my favourite was "Raahein", so he has always been quite prolific as a composer/producer. I am reminded of Sushin Shyam's "Ottamuri Vakkumayi" from 'Romancham', when I hear 'Makane' from the melody as well as tone and production standpoint. The solo violin is played by the talented Sravan Krishnakumar. The chorus singers' lines in unison is uplifting and the music production of this song leaves no stone unturned. The composition too is elaborate with the well-written stanza. BK Harinarayanan is the lyricist.

@soorajsanthosh @parvatish @mixwithabin @sravan.krishnakumar @thinkmusicmalayalam

3. Stronger

Producer: Adamya

Composition, Arrangements: JAHNVI & Adamya

Lyricist, Vocalist: JAHNVI

Language: English

Genre: Rock

Mood: Energetic

I came across this song when a musician posted great reviews and recommended it. I wasted no time and soon enough I was banging my head and tapping my feet to this slick production. JAHNVI writes the melody along with Adamya with the latter on music production. The melody in bits and pieces reminds me of "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac

Adamya goes solo on this project playing all the live instruments we hear. He generates some astounding energy and mesmerism on electric guitars and drums giving the song the rock flavours. Adamya also is giving it some funk on bass and the tempo and rhythms through the shaker an drums. I love the writing as she sings " I wouldn't be anymore stronger for you". I was stunned when I heard the subsequent lines of the verse that go " Met you out there, thought you're are my everything". JANHVI sings like a dream that never leaves your head much after you have woken up.

The melody continues to wiggle through and she expresses herself through the pain, agony and rage in her voice and we get segments that we just wouldn't expect like "I found you, you found me" This is also a masterclass in vocals and production, sound design. Kudos to Adamya who has mixed, recorded, mastered and created the sound design. We get a bonus in the outro with electric guitar and drums converging and enthralling us.   

@jahnvi_4444 @adamyabajaj @rockchi__

4. Ghanan

Singer - Shreya Jain, Sanah Moidutty

Composer - Shreya Jain

Lyricist - Shreya Jain, Vignesh Ramakrishna

Produced by -Nakul Chugh

Language: Hindi/Tamil

Genre: Pop

Mood: Energetic

Shreya Jain is brimming with talent, as this young singer-songwriter releases excellent records one after another. Her EP is coming up very soon and ahead of that I am featuring this fantastic pop single that carries some elements of Indian classical music in its melody. We don't have just one but two amazing vocalists on board here as Shreya and Sanah Moidutty knock it out of the park.

Shreya composed the tune and penned the Hindi lyrics, while Vignesh Ramakrishna wrote the Tamil lines. The melody carries such warmth and the verse and the chorus has Shreya and Sanah exchanging lines. The chorus segment gets you all pumped up and ready to dance. The rhythms are impeccable along with some groovy keys and synths. Kudos to Nakul Chugh on production. The interlude has Choir singers performing the title line on humming with a slight twist. We have Samarth Swarup, Priyansh Srivastava, Shriya Pareek, Subhechha Mohanty, Nakul Chugh and Shreya Jain on the choir section.

The next verse takes a breather from the high energy and rhythms and Shreya tantalises you with that grace and poise singing " Ab jo ye ghata chaayi dekho hai chaon laayi" and when it comes to Sanah it is about her blistering vibrato singing " Nee Nee nillamale". Once again well done Shreya for weaving such a beauty in the melody as I keep hearing that chorus line "Ghanana ghanana gire Badra Chanana Chanan thirke dhara". The tracks are mixed and mastered by Hanish Taneja. The super-talented choreographer, Anusha Viswanathan, behind Sai Abhyyankar's hits "Katchi Sera" and "Aasa Kooda" is on duty here and she does a fine job.

@shreyajainmusic @sanah_moidutty @vigneshramakrishnalyricist @nakulchughh @mixedbyhanish @anu_viswa @samarthswarup @priyanshhhsrivastava @shaandaarshriya @subhechhamusic

5. Naina

Sung, written and composed by Durba Banerjee

Produced By: Krishh Datta

Language: Hindi

Genre: Metal-Rock fusion

Mood: Contemplative

The prelude starts and I know there is Raag Puriya DHanashree here. I'm already haunted even before Durba Banerjee begins her vocals. She has composed, written and performed the lead vocals and you will be captivated and cast a spell upon within a minute. Sushc is the beauty of Raag and Durba's vocal prowess and magnetism too. We get a metal-rock treatment to the song and there are the powerful drums and electric guitar intervention to help the cause.

It is Krish Datta's mastery of production that creates this wonderful and enigmatic aura. The bass and Indian percussion sounds also give the song a rock fusion texture. Durba continues to conquer your heart with her perfect delivery that is loaded with a bit of mystery and pathos. Krish is also the mixing and mastering engineer, and the label is none other than Merchant Records. Can we thank Salim and Sulaiman enough for the music they help produced and distribute?

@surbasings @krishhdatta @salimsulaimanmusic @merchant_records

6. Bombay Rains

Written, sung and composed by Heeya Tikku

Piano played and produced by Gaurav Arora

Additional Production by Animesh Panigrahi

Language: English

Genre: Pop/Ballad

Mood: Romantic

What a time to be listening to this song and writing its review! It is the monsoon season. Heeya Tikku writes and sings about 'Bombay Rains, August Skies', which is a feeling that can only be experienced and cannot be worded. The sound of the Piano is vital and plays a huge role in setting the tone of the song. It is just Heeya's voice and the Piano, and when I hear the song and the lyrics the image I get is that of an episode in Friends when Chandler and Joey move to different apartments and they both stare into a rainy night from the window as Eric Carmen's "All BY Myself" plays in the background.

Kudos to Gaurav Arora for playing the Piano and producing this record. I love the part where Heeya opens up and sings in the higher vocal register " I am coming home tonight, after endless sleepless nights" and the harmonies help in enhancing the impact of love and loneliness. The additional production is by Animesh Panigrahi. Heeya's tone and Gaurav's mastery of the Piano steal the show. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Harry Arora and Vaibhav Ahuja. The enchanting video is shot by Ritik Mehta, Kriti Edwankar and Sakhie Bahadure at Pencils & Frames Productions.

@heeyaatikku @gaurav.gamak @animesh_wav @harrythisside @vaibhavahujates @shivanisingss @ritikmehtaa @sakhiebahadure @pencilsandframes @kritiiewankar

7. Brave

Performed by Vaani Bhasin

Written by Vaani Bhasin

Produced by Tallz

Language: English

Genre: Synth Pop

Mood: Energetic

I put her on the 'Spotlight' a few months ago, as Vaani Bhasin released her next single called 'Brave' and this is her finest yet. This ravishing pop single lifted my spirits on a dull evening amidst the gloomy weather as I walked back home. I fell in love with the humming by the chorus singers and Vaani writes a simple but very effective and hummable melody. Tallz(Karan Jhaveri) is making his second appearance in this week's list and here is the music producer.

The melody has a wonderful chord progression as the pre-chorus gives me even more warmth now "Oh I hope when I come back home, I feel The way I felt". From there on we get a pause and things come to a standstill, but what follows just pushes me up and makes me levitate. It is the most affable segment of the song as we hear Vaani sing with such an expansive style and emoting the lines to perfection. "But we keep on trying, and keep on fighting, And I don't feel so brave" is breathtaking to hear especially with Tallz's rhythm programming that gives a couple of thumps in the end.

The writing and performance are such a natural expression of vulnerability as she accepts that she just doesn't feel brave anymore. If I have to pick an equivalent I can only think of Celine Dion, in the song's tone, style and delivery and this is meant to be a compliment to Vaani. At the end of this track, I feel confident that Vaani would emerge brave and spirited to make even more brilliant music. The mixing and mastering are done by Trosk with Hanson Tagde on videography.

@tallz.music @vaanibhasin @hanson_tadge @troskmusic

8. Phone Call

Singer / Composer: Abhishek Soni

Lyrics: Abhishek Soni & Ranmal Jain

Music Producer & Arrangements - Dawffice Musicworks By AS

Language: Hindi

Genre: Electronic Pop

Mood: Romantic

The prelude is a strong strumming of the guitar in an emphatic riff, and then we are taken into the intro, with Abhishek Soni's endearing voice of a lover. He perfectly depicts the tone, and attitude of a guy asking his lover to answer the phone. The energy is insane thanks to the rhythm programming and singing. In the interlude we get some poetry by Ranmal Jain, who has written the lyrics along with Abhishek.

The highlight is the electrifying solo on the Zitar by Daanish, and it possesses you like a spirit. All I can do is stand up and give an ovation. The melody here feels like Raag Shanmukhapriya. The song oozes style and Abhishek is on point in the higher notes in the stanza. Rutvij Joshi is the mix/master engineer. The excellent music production credits go to Dawffice Musicworks By AS.

@abhisheksonimusic @ranmaljainpoetry @dawffice @therutvij @danish___sitar @malhar_entertainment

9. Flow

Composer, lyricist, singer: Zaee

Music Producers: Zaee, Siddharth Talwar

Language: English

Genre: Alt-Pop

Mood: Hypnotic

I am listening to Zaee for the very first time, and damn am I impressed? This young singer-songwriter can be a source of inspiration to many who want to take that plunge into music. She has written the melody, penned the lyrics and performed this with incredible gumption. I was blown away when she started singing "Flow... " followed by her rising vocal vibrato. Zaee along with Siddharth Talwar have produced this record and the arrangements on the Piano and the strings section are immaculate.

None of this would matter if the melody was weak, and that is where Zaee must be appreciated for writing something that sticks to your mind like glue on paper. The keys, rhythms and strings are a constant presence and the harmonies are arranged to help elevate the beauty of the record. Zaeee's hypnotic vocal tone feels exhilarating to hear on top of all the arrangements. Siddharth is the recording and mixing engineer and Zain Calcuttawala is on mastering duties.

@zaeelophone @tidals_music @bullibainbridge

@aslimusicglobal @kjpahji

10. Barse Naina Re

Music by - Tallz (Karan Jhaveri), Buddhaa M

Lyrics- Anant

Singer - Kavita Seth & Shahid Mallya

Backing Vocals - Vaibhavi Doshi

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Pathos

'Gyaarah Gyaarah' is a new web series remade from a fantastic Korean series called 'Signal' on Netflix. I am quite certain that the quality of this remake, from acting to writing would fall short of the original. The Korean series also had some amazing music like "The Boy Park" and "Finding the Trail" by Kim Jun Seok, and "I Will Forget You" by Jeon Cha Sik, so it was going to be difficult to match up even musically to the original. When I heard the album, this track alone stood out.

The music is composed by Tallz (Karan Jhaveri) and Buddhaa M, and it carries a nice melancholic undertone. I love the vocalists chosen for the job because Kavita Sethi ji and Shahid Mallya have distinctive tones, and are masters at delivering a song with the perfectly intended emotions.

The keys and solo violin arrangements add to the pathos. It is something that must be appreciated, the way a melody is written here without being a run-of-the-mill tune. The chorus segment is haunting as Shahid and Kavita ji sing "Bheeh Bheege Barse Nain Re". Siddhant Madhvani plays the acoustic and electric guitars and the song's musical production credits go to Tallz. Vaibhavi Doshi effectively joins the bandwagon as the backing vocalist. The lyrics are penned by Anant and the mixing and mastering is by Rawr Music Entertainment.

@tallzmusic @pujabanerji @shahidmallya @vaibhavi.music @rawrmusicentertainment @sethkavita @anantmt @buddhaa__m @siddhanthmadhvani