Top Indian Songs of the week 25th June 2023

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 25th June 2023. 

If you are a musician submit your new music here.

1. Na Koyi Mera

Composed by Amit Trivedi

Lyrics by Kausar Munir

Singers - Papon & Vaishali Made

Produced by Sunny Subramanian & Amit Trivedi

Language: Hindi

Genre: Retro

The web series 'Jubilee' created a massive wave of expectations and the series lived up to the hype. I am yet to see the series which boasts of some amazing performances as well. I will be doing a separate Instagram video review of the series, and its BGM score by Alokananda Dasgupta. 

Now the songs have ne composed by Amit Trivedi and he seems to have found new love and passion for retro Hindi music. After outclassing in 'Qala' on Netflix, this time it is an Amazon Prime series which demands 40's styled music and Amit delivers without fail. I loved a few songs from the album like "Nahin Ji Nahin", "Voh Tere Mere Ishq Ka" and "Sare Ke Sare Akele" other than this chart-topper. Lyrics are penned beautifully with intent and passion by Kausar Munir and the producers are Amit and Sunny Subramanian. 

We have amazing strings opening the account thanks to the group of violinists Jitendra Thakur, Sandeep Thakur, Pradeep Thakur, Chandan Singh, Mohan Goyal and Sanjay Verma. Lakshmikant Sharma plays the gentle Mandolin and we immediately are taken back to the 1940s thanks to The Woodwinds by ID Rao, Accordion by Satyajit Prabhu and also the delightful Harp. Chandan Singh plays the solo Violin. 

The song is perfect in its timeline representation and a huge role is played by Deepak Borkar on Percussion and Rhythms. Papon sings like he is holding a magic wand and it shows the man's skill to sound so apt in the retro style. I was pleasantly surprised by Vaishali Made's female lead vocals and she delivers a stunning performance. The song itself reminds us of "Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi" by Shankar-Jaikishan. 

The interludes continue from where they left off in the opening segment. The interplay of all the live instruments is like a tonic for the heart. I love how the arrangements shift when Vaishali " Aaja tujhe dil se laga loon". The sound engineers are Urmila Sutar and Avadhoot Wadkar. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Shadab Rayeen with assistance from Pukhraj & Anup

@itsamittrivedi @paponmusic @kausarmunir @vaishalimadeofficial @tseries.official @shadabrayeen @sunny.subramanian @idrao_official 

2. Panjimittai

Song Composed, Arranged and Produced: Jay Unnithan

Lyrics: Manu Manjith

Singers: Nithinraj, Nithya Mammen

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Folk-Pop

This is epic by Jay Unnithan. Very rarely do we have two songs from the same EP being featured in consecutive weeks, that too both in the top 2. Time to get up and give an ovation. Like 'Noolamala' this too is composed, arranged and produced by Jay, with lyrics by Manu Manjith. The vocalists are Nithinraj, who I am featuring for the first time and the brilliant-sounding Nithya Mammen. 

Embrace the stringed instruments like the Mandolin and Guitalele by Sanu PS at the start, and the local percussion gives a thump. Assan Nidheesh SD is the man behind the energy here, as Al Nishad handles all the additional rhythm programming. ID Rao makes it two in two after making an appearance in the number 1 song also. He is omnipresent with his Clarinet in the opening instrumental segment and also plays the Saxophone later.  

Nithinraj has this teasing style of delivery and that suits this song folk-pop song. I love it when after the 1.15-minute mark the percussions abruptly stop and it is only the vocals, Guitalele and bass guitars. The whole scenario feels like a wedding procession thanks to the Clarinet and percussion. The tempo builds up in the interlude to arrive at the stanza where the Diva Nithya performs and the melody is like an earworm. 

My favourite line is "Vallathe thullathe" which feels o refreshing with Nithya's saccharine-laden vocals. Lijesh Kumar handles all the vocal tuning, with recording engineers Deepak SR and Ezekiah Naniwadekar. Abin Paul is the mix/master engineer, and he does a splendid job getting the tracks together in perfect sync. Listen to the brilliant saxophone, Clarinet and Keys coming together. 

@__hijk @nithinrajsinger @nithyamammen @idrao_official @sanups_ @manumanjith_s @assansd_nidheesh_sd @alnishad @mixwithabin @deepaksr.mix @thrishankufilm @

3. Chai Song

Written and composed by: Michael Dias

Vocals, backing vocals: Michael Dias

Produced by: Michael Dias and Toby Joseph

Language: English

Genre: Indie Pop

This is a song I played in my car making a 2-hour journey through some mad evening traffic. I was irritated, and couldn't even think straight. But then came along this song on my watchlist of new songs and I realised the impact of great music on our moods and thoughts. I soon was playing this song on a loop and singing along to the simple but succulent lyrics. 

Michael Dias has written, composed and sung this beauty and I could not choose a better song to sing to my wife on a fine evening, making chai and tasting it in her company. Thank you Michael for this!

He plays the acoustic guitars as he sings along, and despite the simple arrangements in the beginning, it is as tasty and refreshing as the chai he makes as the protagonist in the song. I love how beautifully he has composed the notes and one of my many favourite parts is " I'd like to drink it in your company, at least until your cup is empty, you'll be with me" especially the way the notes "at least".

Carl Fenandes brings in his Double bass right then and the arrangements and production starts getting intriguing. Toby Joseph and Michael have produced this single with the former also being the mix/master engineer. I was blown away by the lyrics and the notes as he sings " I don't ask for much, we don't have to touch. I promise not to stare, as you play with you hair". I can't think of a better love song written in 2023 so far by an indie artist. We also hear the elegant Accordion in the background, also played by Michael and he also is the man behind the backing vocals. David Joseph is the drummer. I promise you will get up right away and make chai for your loved one after you finish this song. Cheers!

@michaelknowstorock @tobsgarage @carlthebass @davidthejoseph

4. Ninne Ninne

Music Director - Vijai Bulganin

Singers - Roshan Sebastian & Lakshmi Meghana

Lyricist - Suresh Banisetti 

Language: Telugu

Genre: Ballad/Pop

I really enjoyed the EP "Vidyarthi" in Telugu composed by Vijai Bulganin as he continues to live up to my expectations. 'Guppedu Gundellona' was the number 1 song a couple of weeks back and now this song makes it to the 3rd spot. The slow guitars alone accompany the early parts of the song. Lakshmi Meghana has this intense tone and she sings in a lower vocal pitch with superb ease.

There is a pause for a few seconds after which we get keys and rhythms in the AR Rahman style and tone. It is then Roshan Sebastian,s high-pitched delivery that soars and remains part of the song that impacts the listener. Roshan performs in Yazin Nizar style. This is not a stanza but like an Anu Pallavi section, and after a brief interlude on the woodwinds we have Laksmi once again singing the stanza. 

The background is limited to just some mild percussion and guitars, and the stanza is excellently composed helped by Keys, a strings section and additional vocals. This seems like a tough song to perform as a vocalist and full marks to Roshan and Lakshmi for the singing, and Vijai for his vision and score. Suresh Banisetti is the lyricist. 

@vijai_bulganin @roshansebastian @lakshmimeghana @sureshbanisetti_lyricist

5. Tumse Pyaar Hai

Singer: Razik Mujawar 

Composer: Ajay Vas

Lyricist: Rashmi Virag

Music Produced and Arranged by: Robinson Shalu

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

This cheered me up and brought a wide smile to my face one fine morning as I was walking in the morning heat. Such is the power of good music. More than a year ago Razik was featured in a song called "Chand Taare" and it was one of the best songs in March 2022. The guitars start, and immediately the Keys and those impounding strings gather momentum. Robinson Shalu must be credited and appreciated for the fantastic arrangements and overall production. 

Razik's vocals instil a feeling of love as he uses his mild tone to sing Rashmi Virag's words. Ajay Vas is the composer and he is the brains behind the melody. It is a sign of great teamwork when 4 different artists combine as singer, composer, producer and lyricist and the end product sounds so amazing. I love the line that goes " Tumse Pyaar Hai, humko aur beshumar hai". The combination of the Piano and the strings section is seamless and beautiful in the interlude. 

The song's stanza progresses beautifully with all elements coming together, reminding me of 90's English pop. I specifically 

'Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You' by Glenn Medeiros. Razik does very well improvising on singing the title lines, especially in the closing stages. Aftab Khan is the mix/master engineer. 

@razikmujawar20 @tseries.official @ajayvas19 @therashmivirag @mixedbyaftab @robinsonshalu 

6. Geejaga Hakki

Composer, Arranger: Sanjith Hegde

Lead Vocals: Sanjith Hegde

Lyricists: Nagarjun Sharma, Sanjith Hegde

Creative Producer: Ankur Tewari

Production: Charan Raj, Nisthula Murphy (Maaya Sound), Gautham Hebbar (Maaya Sound), Sanjith Hegde

Language: Kannada

Genre: Folk-Pop

If I am not wrong this would be Sanjith Hegde's debut composition, and this a brilliant start is all I can say. Sanjith is one of the top 5 playback singers in the country today and I am glad he scores for this one. The lyrics are penned by Nagarjun Sharma and Sanjith. 

It is his brilliantly charged vocals that immediately catch my attention and the peppy parts are "ay ay mohamaaya" followed by the swaras and accompanied by the Harmonium with Narayan Sharma, and Praveen D Rao playing it. I do sense a mild flavour of Raag Karaharapriya here. The superb sound design and production wouldn't have been possible without the genius of Charan Raj, Nishthula Murphy, Gautam Hebbar and Sanjith. 

The initial Yakshagana Vocals are by Prassannakumar Hegde and we hear some fantastic beats on the Chende by Gurumurthy Vaidya. The backing vocals singing all the lines and swaras do a fabulous job and they include Rutuja Pandey, Vaish, Nandini Sharma, Ishaan Nigam and Hansika Pareek. I keep getting drawn to the stylishly played stringed instruments like the Mandolin, Saz, and Oud all by the versatile Vagu Mazan. 

The interludes are heavy on guitars as Prasannakumar once again gets those haunting folkish lines. Sunil Sylvester plays the Acoustic Guitar and Electric Guitar, but there is also the brilliant Sidd Coutto on Electric Guitars, Dishaan on acoustic guitar and the bassists are Naveen Napier and Ashish Christopher Borde. The tune which is composed by Sanjith brings in this pop genre, along with folk and classical Carnatic music altogether. 

The Keys and synths are handled by Charan Raj with Gautham Hebbar also on the Synths and Haken. Toward the end, we get a middle eastern flavour too on the Solo Violin by Narayan and I love the Kids' chorus singing continuously. The singers are Aradhya Rao, Guruthejas S Rao, Charvi Ravi Krishna Saralaaya and Aprameya G. The song boasts of some energetic percussions and rhythms and we have another fabulous indie musician Aarifah Rebello to thank for, as she plays the Electronic Drum Kit. Percussions are by Sunil Ramesh. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Sujith Sridhar are 2BQ Studios, Chennai. 

@cokestudiobharat @sanjithhegde @charanraj27185 @narayan_sharma227 @aarifah @ishaannigam.music @siddcoutto @nagarjun_sharma @napier_naveen @vagu_mazan @vaish_offl @sujithsreedhar @gauthamhebbar @praveendraoofficial @hansikaapareek @nismurphy @sunil6string @drumssunilramesh @nandnisharmamusic1 @ankurtewari 

7. Cant Fall/Wont Fall 

Vocals, Lyrics, Composition: Huyana

Produced by Derek Shawn Mathias 

Vocal production + backing vocals by Ananya Raja 

Language: English

Genre: Blues/Pop

Last week I featured Subhi in a wonderful pop single along with Kanishk Seth, and this week we have Huyana a.k.a. Varshita Ramesh's single. The common multiple between Subhi and Huyana is that they both were in Top 24 contestants of Nexa Music S2, and I feel elated to feature their indie projects. Huyana is also releasing her EP in July but more about that later.

This song is a prime example of many elements coming together like vocals, composition, live instrumental arrangements and brilliant production. Huyana has an excellent tone and her delivery instils immense confidence in me that she is destined for much more greatness in the coming years. It is a very likeable and hummable tune, with some candid writing. The guitars are fabulous with Dennis George Johnson on acoustic version and Prashanth Gnanamuthu on bass. 

That saxophone intervention was priceless and it is played by Rahul Joshua Thomas and the whole song wears a very sensual tone thanks to the arrangements, genre and Huyana's vocals. Kudos to Derek Shawn Mathias for the splendid production. I hope you are hearing the additional vocals in the background, singing the lines and humming too. It is Ananya Raja who does this beautifully and she also produced this portion. 

The bridge section amps things up for the better and makes that mild drift from Blues to Pop. Jason Sharat plays the drums and Toby Joseph does the mixing and mastering of the tracks at TobysGarage. 

@huyanamusic @ananyarajaa @mr.derekmathias @dennisj_music @prashanthgnanamuthu @jasonsharat @wheresrjt @tobsgarage @lekharatnam @clownmediaservices

8. Chaa Pila De Dosta

Singer/Lyricist/Composer - Roop Ghuman

Music- Roop Ghuman | Agaazz

Mix/Master- Adil

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Folk

Roop Ghuman is one of the finest musicians around and his work in Punjabi music especially folk stands out. He has written, composed and sung this enthralling melody and the production is carried out by himself and his close aide Agaazz.

You feel like you enter the beautiful fields of Punjab when you hear his voice. All I wish for is to sit next to Roop and have that cup of chai. We hear the Piano forming that base while all the tantalising local string instruments decorate the track effectively. The rhythm production is effective and keeps you tapping your feet. The combination of all the instruments eases all your pain and takes you on a wonderful journey of friendship. 

The production is immaculate and the sound of the Mandolin is heartwarming all through the song. It is played by Ravinder Singh. 

@roopghumanhere @agaazz_music @adilmuzic

9. Comfortable Paralyses and Effortless Fallacies 

Performed by The Sitch

Written by Adam J Kennedy, Suprateek Chatterjee

Produced by Suprateek Chatterjee

Language: English

Genre

Yay, we have a new artist/act on board this week and they call themselves 'The Sitch'. This is an indie pop duo based in Mumbai and Tokyo and I am featuring listening to their work for the very first time. I was super impressed. Adam J Kennedy is the lead vocalist and also the Keyboardist. Suprateek Chatterjee plays the guitars, synths and does backing vocals. This song is written by the duo and the production fall under Suprateek. 

I am loving how we get to hear music from dual acts with one person of Indian descent and another global artist. Last week or so I did feature another fantastic song by another duo called 'Tripped N Sat'. It starts like a very melodious song straight out of an Indian movie thanks to the rising background strings section. From being soft and tender the song slowly starts becoming a combination of haunting and dreamy especially when we get to the lines "How could I do this, making excuses, Saying I'm useless". It is tantalising thanks to the Keys, and additional vocals. 

The writing is fantastic and involves eloquent penmanship. The introduction of the female vocals in the background as she hums along adds some more intensity. The interlude on the Piano, with bass and acoustic guitars and that innovative clap, sounds feels dreamy. The outro is the highlight with all these elements combining and the strings section in the background. 

@thesitchmusic @adam.j.kennedy

10. Chilika

Singer: Biraj Rath 

Lyricist: Biraj Rath

Music Director: Binay Rath

Programming & Rythm: Christo Mathews 

Language: Odiya

Genre: Filmi-Pop

It is I think the very first time I am featuring an Odiya song on my website, and I hope this is the first of many more to come. I must state that this particular album "Love in London" has some amazing music and I will be doing an EP review on my Insta gram page @extragavanza under the series #1minmusicreviews.

Dichen Nayak hits you with the guitars and Subin is on the Keys, We hear Biraj Rath's lead vocals, singing the words penned by himself. The Harmonica, guitars and Keys start becoming the platform on which Biraj builds the vocals. Binay Rath is the composer and kudos to him for creating such a beautiful tune that has so much to offer in the Antara section. 

The standout portions are the guitar notes, and one can hear Dichen having total fun improvising. The Sanchari section of the song is interesting and well-composed thanks to Biraj's vocals Dichen's guitars, and the rhythms programming by Christo Mathews. Rajesh Patro is the recording engineer and Somesh Satapathy is the mix/master engineer. 

@chri5to_ @rathbinaykrushna @dichen_nayak

11. Aaynakeo Bolte Nei

Singer - Trisha Parui

Lyricist - Amitava Bhattacharya 

Music Composition & Arrangement- Sayan Ganguly 

Language: Bangla

Genre: Alt-Rock

If we have an Odiya song on this list, can a Bangla number be far behind? Last week we had an amazing melody sung by Iman Chakraborty and composed by Savvy, and this is Trisha Puri's vocal performance along with Sayan Ganguly's composition and arrangements.

The song is uplifting and revitalising. John Paul plays that electric guitar with amazing finesse like an Alt-Rock number would. Trisha is a phenomenal vocalist with great training in classical Indian music and she brings all that to the fore here. Amitava Bhattacharya is the lyricist, and we get a sense of Sayan's fabulous arrangements in the interlude, with the electric guitar and drums cohabitating. I love the outro where Trisha freewheels with some great improvisation. It sort of feels like listening to "My heart will go on" by Celine Dion. 

The recording engineer is Subhajit Banerjee with Bobby Prasad doing the mixing and mastering. 

@tparui 

12. Vadhu Var

Singer: Siddhant Bhosle 

Composed: Denny & Siddhant Bhosle

Lyrics: Shloke Lal

Music Produced: Saurabh Lokhande

Language: Hindi

Genre: Lo-fi, Classical/Pop fusion

Siddhant Bhosle is today's musician who knows how to catch the attention of young music lovers and also understands the new styles of music. However, being the song of a renowned musical artist, he never lets go of the true fundamental quality of music and delivers something new and as well as rooted in the Indian Classical base. 

When I heard this song, it just got me into the groove and very soon I was enjoying and swaying my head, something that doesn't happen too often. The Keyboard programming is solid and gets you amped up with something that sounds like a woodwind, accompanied by guitars. Siddhant is fantastic on vocals and in many places, I did sense some Raag Yamunakalyani. There is also the mild Shehnai that plays in the background. 

The composition belongs to Denny and Siddhant with meaningful words penned by Shloke Lal. There is a lot of Lo-fi influence too something we see in talented musicians Abhijeet Shrivastava and Shaswat Sachdev. Saurabh Lokhande is the man behind all the fancy production Rob Agostini. 

@sitdownbhosle @shlokelal @musicalsaurabh @sound_baker @karanjitn @indiearecords @listen2denny

13. Mayajaal

Composer - Sourabh Joshi 

Singer - Richa Sharma, Mohan Kannan

Lyricist - Pinky Poonawala 

Music Producer - Debarpito Saha

Language: Hindi

Genre: Folk/Pop

This is one song that can boast of good composition and is supported by fantastic production. Mohan Kannan and Richa Sharma are mystical in their vocals, and almost mesmerise you with every note and style of delivery. Sourabh Joshi is the composer and Debarpito Saha is the producer. The strings, guitars and rhythms and percussions are just apt and make it one well-rounded production.

You can sense and probably visualise the song being performed in a remote part of West Bengal, thanks to the choice of live instruments and the flavour of the production. Richa Sharma excels at her vocals, making terrific mild aalaps, improvisations and so on. Mohan and Richa perform a tete-a-tete towards the end that stays in your head for a long while. The tracks are mixed and mastered at Notting Hill Blues Studios, Mumbai. Niraj Singh is the recording engineer. 

@sourabhjoshiofficial @richasharmaofficial @debarpito @mohankannanofficial @pinkypoonawala @singh.niraj30 @nottinghillbluesstudios 

14. Suit

Singer - Harjaap 

Lyrics - Mani Longia 

Music - Star Boy X

Producer - Gurwinder Singh Sandhu 

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Indie Pop

There is nothing more cool and stylish than a well-produced Punjabi Pop song. This is a perfect example, which ticks every box. Harjaap sings it with a lot of oomph and passion like many singers in Punjab. Mani Longia is the lyricist

The production is hands down magnificent. I feel the funky guitars and the solo flute that keeps intervening brilliantly. Gurwinder Singh Sandhu is the producer and his choice of instruments, and their arrangements make it a fantastic song in the album "SIFT". The composition is by Star Boy X. The interlude on the flute solo is the highlight. 

@harjaapofficial @immanilongia @starboymusicx 

15. Kalaya Nijama

Music Composed & Arranged By: Mohith Rahmaniac 

Lyrics By: Lakshmi Priyanka 

Singer: K.S. Chithra

Keys Programming: BV Harsha 

Language: Telugu

Genre: Filmi Pop

Yep, you read the composer's name right. It is Mohith Rahmaniac because he is a massive AR Rahman fan who is heavily inspired by the works of the genius musician. Rohith approached to me check out his new release and I was glad he did. This is probably his dream project to get the Nightingale KS Chithra to sing for his composition. 

Why doesn't she continue to get even more projects? Will there be a point in time even say 10 years into the future when she starts seeing a decline in her quality? We have Arun Chiliveru on acoustic guitars and bass And Sathya Srinivas on the FLute. You will keep wondering how she does it when she sings the line "Prathi rozu". The flute solo seems to be having some Raag Hamsadwani influences in the interlude, but the overall song has a similarity to AR Rahman's "En Veetu Thotathil"

Lakshmi Priyanka is the lyricist, and all the splendid Keyboard programming is by BV Harsha. Shamanth has mixed and mastered the tracks with Don Vincent as the Music-In-Charge. 

@mohith_rahmaniac @kschithra @lakshmipriyankapulavarhi @adityamusicindia @bv_harsha_