Top Indian Songs of the week 23rd April 2023

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 23rd April 2023. 

If you are a musician submit your new music here.

1. Yedha Pongenaa

Music: Mejjo Josseph

Lyrics: Harshavardhan Reddy

Singer: Yazin Nizar

Language: Telugu

Genre: Carnatic Fusion 

This is undoubtedly one of the best male vocal performances of 2023 so far and I can safely bet that it will end up among the top 5 of the year when it ends. Yazin Nizar is a gifted singer with an amazing vocal range, and he uses every ounce of his skill to great effect in most songs. Here he smashes it like 6 sixes of an over speaking in Cricketing terms. 

Mejjo Joseph is the composer and I believe Yazin owes it to the composer for giving him this brilliant opportunity and vice versa as Yazin executes it as well as it is humanly possible. The ghamakas are just impossible to keep up with and this is exemplary for many established singers who think that shouting at the top of their voice is cool. Mejjo brings in some great elements in the Carnatic fusion number with the acoustic guitars by Sandeep Mohan and Thavil, and even a small rap segment in the beginning by Sharon Joseph. 

The rhythm programming along with electric guitars, bass also by Sandeep Mohan and timely vocal harmonies make for some brilliant production. The solo violin by Roopa Revathi enthrals you in the interlude and after that, it is a Yazin show and I never want it to stop. This sounds like a very tough song to execute vocally and kudos to Yazin for that. The landing segment when we get to the end of the stanza is mindblowing with a drop in tempo and re-introduction of the Thavil when he sings " Oohallo Oosullo", and watch out for the mild solo on the violin and the acoustic guitar. Harshavardhan Reddy is the lyricist. The mixing engineer is Shiju Ediyatheril

@mejjojosseph @yazin_nizar @gibsandeep @rooparevathi @shiju_ediyatheril 

2. Floating

Music: Parishrut

Lyrics and Vocal: Nitish

Produced, Arranged, Mixed & Mastered by Parishrut

Language: English

Genre: Alt-Rock

Parishrut and Nitish combine to give us a lasting sense of joy and gratification instead of a floating memory of a good song. This is what fantastic music should sound like and we have the melody composed by Parishrut and words penned by Nitish Singhal. 

The initial synths are terrific and it is impossible to focus anywhere else when Parishrut's extravagant production and arrangements show up. Nitish excels in both his roles, possessing and exhibiting a great tonality in his vocals and writing these splendid lines like "Raining fragments of time, Bring moments that I've seen, Joy and regret it makes me..I don't wanna change it"

The incoming intervention on the electric guitar by Krishanu Hazarika is ecstasy on strings and it elevates the song even when we already hear amazing lines like "bridges broken and made all along the long lost way, floating through my conscience yin and yang its the same, curved line between there's the game". I want to stop writing and stand give this guy an ovation for some glorious writing. The dreamy vocals and the production make this one unforgettable Alt-Rock single that deserves the rank this week. 

The keyboard solo is playful and takes me back to the great age of the 1990s pop and if that is not enough to strike you down the drums and electric guitar solo combine to create pure bliss just before the 4-minute mark. Harshil Singh handles all the exotic artwork and the lyrical video is created by Shyam Sundhar. 

@parishrut_k @nitish_singal_ @krishanu.hazarika @harshilsingh_ @aweshyam 

3. Aya Ladiye

Singers - Akriti Kakar & Romy

Composer - Akriti Kakar

Lyrics - I.P. Singh

Music Arrangement and Production – Rishabh Ravi

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Electronic Pop/Folk Fusion

This is the 3rd and final song in this brilliant EP called 'Big Band Theory S2' and Akriti Kakar as the composer and Rishabh Ravi as the producer have just probably created one of the best collectives this year. This song is sung by Akriti and Romy, and I am thrilled to feature this great man, my mind immediately flies back to the end of 2022 when Romy released his magnificent EP called 'Zariya' from which I had featured 3 fantastic songs.  

Akriti once again sizzles but Romy surges ahead like mercury on a hot sunny day and his Sukhwinder-esque vocals are outstanding. Rishabh Ravi is on top of his game with some stunning Keyboard programming, reminding me of the genius of Salim-Sulaiman. The synth bass is played by Alok Kulkarni and we have Abhishek Dasgupta on the acoustic and electric guitars.

IP Singh pens the lavish Punjabi words and we get a refreshing breather in the interludes with a nice solo on the electric guitar. This song has Raag Bhimpalasi written all over and this classical tune combines brilliantly with rhythms, Indian percussion by Satyajit Jamsandekar and drums by Joshua Vaz. Rupak Thakur, Amey Londhe and Rahul M Sharma are the recording engineers and the song is mixed by Vijay Dalal with Chinmay Mestry assisting. Gethin John has done the mastering 

@akritikakar @joshuavazofficial @rishabh.keys @alokkulkarni78 @abdg_1988 @satyajit_jamsandekar @sound_wala.wav @chinmay.jpg @mandolintapas @safirock @mainhoonromy

4. Jaadu Maaya

Composers: Amit Kilam, Himanshu Joshi, Nikhil Rao, Rahul Ram

Lyrics: Varun Grover

Language: Hindi

Genre: Folk/Rock

This iconic Folk-Rock band from Delhi has been fascinating to Indian music lovers since 1990. Now they are back with a comeback album "Tu Hai" and this ecstatic journey(it is more of a journey than just a song) takes us through different moods and at the end of it, my day turned out to be better after listening to it. 

Himanshu Joshi lends his voice as the frontman, but much before his folkish delivery, we have the stunning acoustic guitars by Nikhil Rao and breezy bass by Rahul Ram. Amit Kilam plays the drums and percussions and the Tabla is played by Tuheen Chakravorty. The guitar notes are nothing short of scintillating and they make your head stand up in awe and disbelief. The vocals are enhanced because of the backing vocal support as well, and during these lines, the Indian percussions add a beautiful local flavour. 

My favourite is when they collect and with passion and conviction sing "yahaan bandhon ne bandhon ki laashon pe sarkar banayi hai". What else can we expect from a genius like Varun Grover who has written inspiring and gut-wrenching lyrics? No substance can give a high as good as music of this nature and quality and the section ( after the 5th minute) with the solo guitar and accompanying drums, and mild bass support is heavenly, to say the least. The closing stages feel like an anthem set to inspire and goad the silent and unnecessarily patient bystander. 

@indianoceanmusic @amitkilam @tuheenchakravorty @dnikhilrao @rahulnram @khujlihaikyakare @vidushak 

5. Nin Koode Njan Illayo

Singers: Gowtham Bharadwaj V, Chinmayi

Lyrics: Manu Manjith

Music: Justin Prabhakaran

Language: Malayalam

Genre: 

Justin Prabhakaran is very slowly but steadily becoming a name to watch out for in the pan-India music scene as his albums in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and now Malayalam are making waves. This new movie featuring Fahad Fazil has Justin composing, producing and arranging the songs with additional programming by Dan Kristen. 

It has been a few months since I heard Gowtham Bharadwaj and he makes up with a stunning vocal performance in this melody and Chinmayi does what she always does best i.e. serenade and hypnotise with her tone. The song slowly builds up like a rising emotion with only Keys in the beginning, and then that elevates with strings in the background as bass guitars. 

Naveen Napier is the bassist, and we have the Fames Skopje Studio Orchestra performing on the strings. They are arranged by Dan Kristen, Orchestrated by Balaji Gopinath and these musicians Joshua Rodrigues and Andrew T Mackay from Bohemia Junction Ltd. do the Co-ordinating. The male vocal harmony comprises Sam P Keerthan,Velu, Aravind Annest, Vikram Pitty and the rhythms create a thumping effect thanks to Bharath Dhanasekar. 

We have a fantastic shit from a Western classical soundscape to an Indian classical tone thanks to the Tabla by Balu and Sitar by Rajib Karmakar. Kudos to Justin for the vision, creativity and overall production and arrangements. As the interlude ends we have the voice of Chinmayi knocking us down harder and it is like being close to divinity when we hear such vocal prowess. 

When it is Gowtham's turn in the stanza he brings in his strong points, like the ghamakas, and his soft and tender delivery. Vijay Ananth P plays the flute and Vijay plays the acoustic guitar and this song is mixed by Balu Thankachan with assistance from Paul Daniel and Gtehin John masters the song. The recording engineers are Divine Joseph and Vishnu Raj. The outro is a very enjoyable piece with baking vocalists and Chinmayi going freestyle on the title line. 

@manumanjith_s @gowthambharadwaj @chinmayisripaada @rajeevan69 @shamkaushal09  @tseries.official @tseriessouthofficial @famesproject @_balaji_gopinath_ @dan_kristen @sampkeerthan  @arvindd_annestt @vikrampitty @vijayananthofficial @supervijayoffl @balumusic64 @barath_dhanasekar @napier_naveen @divinejosephantony , @vishnuraj.m.r @2bqstudios @aarons_abode @thebaluthankachan

 @pauldanieldanny , @__hari__ @20dbsoundstudios @hafod_mastering

6. Dil Khaali

Music - Aditya Pushkarna

Lyricist - Manoj Yadav

Vocals by Aditya Pushkarna

Language: Hindi

Genre: Synth Pop

It was one of those crazy days when I opened a Spotify Fresh Finds playlist of Indian indie music to catch up on the week's new releases, and there were 4 songs back to back that were brilliant. This rarely happens and 'Dil Khaali' was the first on that list. Aditya Pushkarna has written, composed and sung this fabulous song with lyrics by the dependable Manoj Yadav.

It starts like 'Nothing's Gonna Change My love for You' by Glenn Medeiros, thanks to the tone. The keyboards and rhythms are engaging, making you wonder what is in store. We get the lovely fresh vocals of Aditya I enjoyed how he creatively pauses everything when the line goes " khamoshi ke siva". The synths and keys are in full play and the tune's stunning melody gets amplified by all these relevant sound designs. The title line is to die for as we hear Aditya sing " kuch aisa ho gaya, dil khaali ho gaya hai". 

It is not just about those captivating lines, Aditya makes a valiant effort in composing a good stanza as well. Shaashwat Pande has done vocal production, and I notice that the line before the title line "chup ho gaye tum, chup ho gaye hum" is even more interesting and quirky. Anubhav Gogoi is the recording engineer, and Abhishek Khandelwal does the mixing, assisted by Dilip Nair. The song is mastered by Gethin John. 

@ninisha.rasaily @ratherberohan @paulmarshal @urvashicardoz @sudhirkoushik @manojyadavwrites @fabulouslee_flawed @anubhav.gogoi @ashwaghoshs @redskytoons @_musicsoul

7. Allah De Bande

Song Composed, Created and Arranged by Mithoon

Music Production by Godswill Mergulhao

Singers: Mithoon, Jubin Nautiyal, Aaman Trikha

Lyrics: Mithoon

Language: Hindi

Genre: Ballad/Rock

The song is one of the 2 best songs in the new movie "Gumraah". I have done a video review of the EP on my Instagram account and I loved this song as well as 'Soniye Je' which is written, composed and performed by Vishal Mishra. Mithoon has composed and written this Ballad Rock song with some passionate vocals by Jubin Nautiyal and he is accompanied by Aaman Trikha and Mithoon on vocals as well. 

The Piano alone plays along with the vocals to set things up. But after that, we get the sizzling electric guitars by Kalyan Baruah and the tone feels like Pritam's "Bulleya" song. Mithoon builds up the song with a fantastic solo on the violin and Jeetu Thakur plays it with impeccable panache. The drums and electric guitars give the rock flavour while bringing the violin and its arrangements make for some tasty Ballad and Indian elements.

Jeetu goes on a rampage in the interlude and the idea of having different lines being sung by different vocalists works well, and the outro gives a special feeling to the listener as we get a nicely arranged and executed humming, with lead vocalists excellently delivering the title lines. Godswill Mergulaho does a fabulous job as the producer of the song and he also assists Mithoon along with Eli Rodrigues, Anugrah and Kaushal Gohil. Eli is the recording engineer and the song is mixed and mastered by Eric Pillai, assisted in mixing by Michael Edwin Pillai 

@tseriesfilms @tseriesmusic @Mithoon11 @jubin_nautiyal @aamantrikha

@kalyanbaruah @godswill.i.am @eli.rodstick @

8. Istedaa

Lyrics: Sherthalai R Sivakumar, Muhammed Iqbal

Singers : Sahana Lakshmi Venkatesh, Junaid Manzoor, Pragya Mohi, Anupam Sathe

Production: Saksham Dhar

Language: Hindi

Genre: Classical-Rock fusion

Things start with the sound of probably the Rubab, and it now adds a Kashmiri flavour to the song. I hear influences of Raag Charukeshi and Sahana Lakshmi Venkatesh with a Bombay Jayashri-styled tonality and delivery, captivates us. The artist's name is Prograstination and it is creative and progressive against an avoidable word that sounds like it. Saksham Dhar produces this haunting song and once Sahana's Tamil lines are over we have Junaid Manzoor with some emphatic vocals in Hindi. 

The lyrics in Tamil are written by Sherthalai R Sivakumar, and Muhammed Iqbal pens the Hindi words. We also have Pragya Mohi, and Anupam Sathe on vocals. Junaid's voice takes us back to the 1960s and we have the backing vocals adding a very noticeable yet subtle layer. The song takes a fantastic turn from being just a classical-led pathos into a Rock fusion song with Adamya Bajaj soaring on drums and the collective aalap of Junaid and Sahana induces more mystique. Sarthak Dilawari has mixed and mastered the song and the ending stage with Sahana's aalap is like a lost dream that we can never get out of. 

@dharpok @_prograstination_ @sahana.lv @junaidmanzoor_bhat

@praxearts @satheanupam @adamyabajaj @sarthak_dilawari 

@taginstitute @thetinyroomstudio

9. Yeah Yeah

Performed by Shreya Jain

Written by Shayra Apoorva, Shreya Jain

Produced by Shreya Jain, Nakul Chugh

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

I found this song so catchy that I had to play it on a loop a few times without a break just so that, its coolness sunk in. The title line is immensely impactful and you will fall in love with Shreya Jain's style and attitude while delivering it. 

She has composed, produced and performed this song and she gets some fantastic support from two more talented artists viz. Nakul Chugh on production and Shayra Apoorva on lyrics. The bass guitars and electric guitars add both guts and glory to the song, enhancing the sounds and that is all thanks to Hrishi Giridhar. 

Shreya sings like a cool breeze on a dry hot day and when this is combined with some able programming and arrangements, we get an enjoyable wholesome song. Shayra Apoorva delivers a neat and loud message " You and I together, we don't need nobody"

@shreyajainmusic @hrishigiridhar @nakulchugh29 @shayraa22

10. Sukoon

Singer, Songwriter, Producer: Jyoti Kavi

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

Have you experienced while doing a hike or trek in the mountains, that suddenly you start hearing the beautiful sound of a water stream? As we walk closer, the sound just keeps increasing in decibel level and it somehow adds to our optimism and it brings a wide smile to our faces waiting to see it, dip our feet and drink from the stream. This is the feeling I get when this song starts and the acoustic guitars and Keys combine to create the perfect platform for Jyoti Kavi to start singing. 

Jyoti goes solo for a lion's share of the song's inputs with her writing, composing, producing and singing the song with Remy handling the Keys and some additional programming. The rhythm programming is on point and I love the shift in lyrics from Hindi to English and back. Jyoti's voice feels purer than the stream of water I feel like drinking from. Things getting better thanks to Peri Thyagaraju's solo Violin and the arrangements are catchy as well.  

Jyoti never settles and just when I was assuming that the song will head in the Indian classical tone with the solo Violin brought in, she surprises with the intervention of the electric guitar, and Chirag Samtani plays it with some brazen attitude. Peri's Violin is fantastic and forms a solid interlude and accompanies in the background right through Jyoti's stanza making it very complete. Benjamin Christopher is the bassist and Jyoti does the mixing and mastering for the song. Peri Thyagaraju, take a bow for the solidity he provides on the Violin. 

@jyoti.kavi @perithyagarajuviolinist @chirag.samtani  @benji_coolmale

11. Shawty Like a Melody

Singer - Guri Lahoria Feat. J- Hind

Lyrics, Composer - Guri Lahoria

Music - Devilo

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Punjabi Pop

From time to time, I do feature Punjabi Pop, and it feels like finding a diamond in the rough, or a needle in a haystack looking at the crowded space of Punjabi independent music. It is all about the production and arrangements and that is why this song sounds extremely cool and fun. Devillo handles the production with Guri Lahoria's writing and singing.

Most artists in Punjab have strong vocals and Guri is no exception as he pummels along with amazing ease in the high-pitch segments. The programming is top-notch, and we get these intermittent Keys and guitars and woodwinds. The other standout factor is J-Hind's rap section which is superlative in writing and execution. The words matter too and unlike most of the songs that embrace violent and sexist content we hear J-hind rapping " Why do all good girls like bad boys, I can't comprehend, Guri, please slow down let's not pretend"

Overall this is a very impactful song that makes me shake my head and move my body in complete appreciation. The song is mixed by Knight and mastered by Mixbydolce

@gurilahoria_777 @desihiphopking @mixbydolce

12. So Beautiful With You

Composed by: When Chai Met Toast & Richard Wilkinson

Performed by: WCMT

Language: English

Genre: Alt-Pop

This band from Kochi is always dependable and you get to hear the beautiful tone of Alternative Pop music from these guys and that too consistently, and that is rare. WCMT now get together with musician Richard Wilkinson in composing this gentle and touching pop single. Ashwin Gopkumar with his staggering vocals does everything possible to entice you, and just like he sings "my heart racing, looking into your eyes", we feel the same listening to his voice. 

Palee Francis, the producer and keyboardist can be heard making a strong impression with the keys. Once we hit the title line, the production gets more complete with rhythms as well and the mild guitars by Achyuth Jaigopal and drums by Pai Sailesh make the whole output beautiful.

I also loved how the lines were so relatable without complicating the message and choice of words. Charles Cave is the bassist and all these wonderful instrumentalists join forces to make that brief interlude worthy. The intermittent pause helps create some expectations and then the outro is the culmination of beautiful voices and sounds. Richard Wilkinson does the mixing, and Vivek Thomas does the mastering. Connor Panayi and Wilkinson are the recording engineers. 

@whenchaimettoast @_riasingh_ @richrdwilkinson @indiearecords @vivekthomasproductions 

13. Neeyam Kaatin 

Singer: Manjari

Music Director: Ag Sreerag

Lyricist: Anjitha Vk

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Classical/Pop fusion

Pure bliss in the form of a Malayalam Melody and we can set everything aside and just listen and fall in love with the healing powers of music. Manjari has a voice that is a representation of sweet nectar and she sings the lines written by Anjitha VK with a melodious tune composed by AG Sreerag. It has been quite a while since I have featured Sreerag and I am so elated to write about this excellent tune

The guitars by the brilliant Sumesh Parameswar set the tone for some pleasant romance, but the introduction of the solo Violin gravitates the proceedings and makes you take notice. I am reminded of Ilaiyaraja's great melody 'Thenmadhurai Vaigainadhi' and maybe that is why I sense an influence of Natabhairavi Ragam. The flute solo by Nikhil Ram is accompanied by the strings in the background. It forms a section of the interlude and it does feel like the opening notes of 'Vaseegara' by Harris Jayaraj. The best segment is the second half of the stanza and it has some fantastic arrangements to go with it as well.

The keys, bass and acoustic guitars, the violin and flute solo and finally the strings section all sum up making the whole part sound greater. Kudos to AG Sreerag for these brilliant 

@ag_sreerag @anjitha.v.k @parameswarsumesh @nikhilramtp 

14. Laare

Artist – YUNAN

Music - Ysoblue

Lyrics - Yunan (Uday Singh)

Composed – Yunan

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Indie Pop

I do like some of the work of Ysoblue a.k.a. Santhosh Kori and he produces songs quite well, and that is why have has been featured by me a couple of times. That distant sound of the Sarangi calls me out and asks me to wake up from my laziness and listen to the goodness of music. It is his creative skill that allows the use of a Sarangi and then follows it up with the acoustic guitars making a 180-degree shift in styles and tones. 

Yunan (Uday Singh) does keep it simple but the folkish tune draws you in and his vocal tone possesses some magic as well. The folkish song has some very beautiful coronations with the Keys pitching in good vocal harmonies. The stanza is fairly elaborate and gets us used to the melody even more. The harmonies especially during the line "saare mainu ve" sound wonderful. The keys and Uday's vocals are a great way to end the song. Abhishek Ghatak does the mixing and mastering. 

@yunanmusic @sonymusicindia @kalamkaarmusic @theghatak @ysobluemusic

15. Daud

Performed by Jazbaatiya

Written by Kartikeya Misra

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

The song is written by Kartikeya Misra and we have the song performed with both vocals and guitars by Jazbaatiya the artist. The mild guitars are all something we hear initially, and the shift in the lyrics from Hindi to English and it sounds fantastic, especially with the arrangements of the Keys and the electric guitar and drums in the background. 

I love the line "As you grow, you come to know, that love doesn't come easy". The vocals are not just on point, he also innovatively does that mild humming at the end of each phrase. The solo on the electric guitar comes on without any distractions and forms a nice interlude. The song has some nice vocal harmonies arranged and every individual element makes it a very hummable song. In fact, the song has a tone and texture of WCMT's work (When Chai Met Toast)

@goya.music @jazbaatiya