Top Indian Songs of the week 27th August 2023

If you are a musician submit your new music here.

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 27th August 2023. 

The Spotify Playlist is here

1. Sapta Sagradache Ello

Music composed & arranged by: Charanraj MR

Singer: Kapil Kapilan

Lyrics: Dhananjay Ranjan

Programmed by: Charanraj & Narayan Sharma

Language: Kannada

Genre: Synth Pop

Here comes the juggernaut Charan Raj, and with his consistently good music, we can soon have an anthem among music fans that goes " In Charan we trust". This is the second single of the new Kannada movie Album "Sapta Sagaradaache Ello", and we have one of the finest playback singers in Kapil Kapilan singing this lead. This was a marriage waiting to happen between a phenomenal composer and a breathtaking vocalist, and we have the desired output. 

The moment the first notes are sung we do hear the influence of Raag Suddha Dhanyasi, and just when you think it is a classical ssounding song, we get the synths and guitars taking us into the world of Synth Pop. Sunil Sylvester plays the guitars and Narayan Sharma plays the synth bass. I love the vocal harmonies and the humming in the background just after the title phrase is uttered. Punya Srinivas destroys our internal peace with this magnificent solo on the Veena. The best part about the notes here and the execution is that the solo is played with a Western style rather than a classical Carnatic style. 

The stanza too is a joyful ride and Charan excels at fusing both the Pop and semi-classical melody bits into the stanza. The opening segment of the Charanam is high on Pop influences and quickly transforms when he sings "Neeli baana anchalle namannu kaanutha, elle meeri hodantha preeti aagutha". The lines are beautiful musically and lyrically with Dhananhay Rajan writing the words. Lavita Lobo & Devu Mathew join in on the backing vocals. The closing stage is almost transcendental, with the Keys, Synths, rhythms and all the lead and backing vocals coinciding. The recording engineers are Kashyap and Sujith Sreedhar and Deepesh Krishnamoorthy is the supervisor. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Sujith at 2bqStudios Chennai. Venkatesh Bhat is the music supervisor.  

@charanraj27185 @2bqstudios @narayan_sharma227 @venkateshmusic_ @aquestercalledkash @sujithsreedhar @punya.srinivas @sunil.sylvester @devumathew @lavita_lobo_ 

2. Yeda Mandola

Singers - Nakash Aziz & Gulraj Singh

Music - Gulraj Singh

Lyricist - Kshitij Patwardhan

Music Arranged and Programmed by Gulraj Singh

Language: Marathi

Genre: Light Music/Pop

A couple of years ago, I remember featuring Gulraj Singh on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi where he composed an original called "Mann Aangan" sung by Nikhita Gandhi. This was a belter of a track amidst run-of-the-mill songs on Lord Ganesh. Gulraj has been busy making devotional songs now and then, but this Marathi album 'Unaad' is priceless. 

If we go back to the early 2000's when AR Rahman was at the top of his game, making amazing music that not only transcended state boundaries within India but also captivated all our hearts, we would probably be hearing music like this. This is one of the best compliments I can shower on Gulraj. He begins this song with some amazing vocal grunts and noises, all beautifully arranged and executed. Nakash Aziz is a wonderful playback singer and he finally has gotten a song that allows him to showcase his abilities. 

Satyajit Jamsandekar and Sanket Gurav handle all the live rhythm and percussions and that is a highlight of the song. The antara section is beautifully composed with Nakash hitting the high notes. We have many instruments in the interlude and maybe there was a mild Clarinet in the mix as well. We have Shon Pinto on guitars, and the elaborate strings section has Abhijit Mazumdar, Prakash Varma, Chandar Makwana on Violins, Sanju Varma, Raju Padiyar on Violas and Sujan Chetry on the Cello.  

The stanza is a very hummable segment and it gets perfectly accompanied by Keys and all this comes under the purview of Gulraj who is in charge of arrangements and programming. This is one wholesome song that could become the perfect dance song in Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra. The outro reminds me of Ilaiyaraja and Gulraj evokes the Maestro with the Violins, Violas and Cello that carry great complexity in the composition, but end up with such finesse. The thumping percussions keep up with the strings section. Kshitij Patwardhan pens the lyrics.

The recording engineers are Amey Londhe and Akshay Purandare, with Amey mixing the tracks and Ashish Saksena taking mastering duties. Vincent Joseph is the assistant to Gulraj Singh. 

@gulraj_singh @amey.music @nandini_srikar @vincent.joseph.96 @audiomechanic @satyajit_jamsandekar @nakash_aziz @shonpinto1 @purple_haze_studios @axe_mix @kshitijpatwardhan

3. Watch Out

Written and composed by - Tarana Marwah

Produced by - Tarana Marwah & Gaurav Raina

Language: English

Genre: Electronic-pop

This duo are the one to watch out for, as they are soon going to take the Hindi space by storm pretty soon. They have already made their foray into some amazing series on OTT platforms like 'Dahaad' and 'Made in Heaven' on Amazon Prime and it is a matter of time before Bollywood or some other wiser music industry comes knocking. Well done Tarana Marwah a.k.a. Komorebi and Gaurav Raina. 

Just a couple of weeks ago I featured Komorebi at the number 1 spot for a song called 'I Grew Up'. Now this fantastic Electronic Pop song makes waves along with sending a relevant message to every human being wanting to live a happy successful life. The message is to break away from your inner demon's shackles and choose the path of righteousness. Dhruv Visvanath plays the stunning and heartwarming acoustic guitars with Komorebi singing in the lead. 

The song is produced by Gaurav and Komorebiwith the latter writing the melody and lyrics. She has a stunning voice and if Coldplay ever had a female lead vocalist who needed the tone and vocal enrapture of Chris Martin, it would have to be Komorebi. The amazing harmonies are thanks to the sunning Pune band 'Easy Wanderlings' and we get to hear the synths and Keys adorning the background from the producer duo. This is a world-beating music production according to me. 

The acoustic guitars and Keys keep playing and then suddenly an otherworldy sound comes from the electric guitars of the master Warren Mendonsa a.k.a Blackstratblues. I use this term 'otherwordly' because the video brilliantly shot by Rahul Singh Datta in Leh is about a sci-fi battle. 

The writing is fantastic "You watch out, there goes our little wonder, she thinks that the whole universe is a blunder" Well to Komorebi and Gaurav I say, "You are a wonder, Not listening to your music would be a blunder". The flute solo by Siya Ragade of Easy Wanderlings in the outro lets us know that with this beautiful piece, we are going to come back to our senses. Gaurav Raina is the mixing engineer and the mastering is done by Mike Marsh, The Xchange. 

@komorebi.music @glorious_luna @blackstratblues @mrdhruvv @easywanderlings @starvingartistfilms 

4. Barkha Bahaar

Singer, Lyrics & Composition: Krishnakali Saha 

Music Produced, Mixed and Mastered: R Sanjay

Language: Hindi

Genre: Classical Jazz

I had featured Krishnakali Saha in an EP called " Wheels of Raga" a few years ago where she was involved in one of the singles. This is an outstanding song written, composed and sung by Krishnakali, and R Sanjay produces the song. It beautifully combines classical Indian music with Jazz and that is a hit straightaway. There are clear traces of Raag Jog and we get Godfray Immanuel on the guitars. 

The inventive rhythms and the mild vocal harmonies in the background Jazzify the song. Souptik Majumder intervenes on the Violin at just the right moments to bring backtraces of the Indian classical influence. The interlude with the lead vocals focuses on the swaras, and in the background, we get some humming and saxophone. The sound design is excellent, as we hear the drizzle when she sings " baarish ki boondein " and the sound of droplets of water when she sings " girti boondein yeh akhiyon se". 

Sanjay does the mixing and mastering of the tracks as well. I probably sense some Raag Desh in the stanza. Rohit is the recording engineer. A big round of applause is due to Krishnakali for her fantastic vocal quality and stylish delivery. 

@krishnakaliofficial @composersanjay @bajnawala @godfray_immanuel @salimsulaimanmusic @shivansh.j @warnermusicindia @merchant_records 

5. Fever Dream

Performed by Peekay

Written by Pranati Khanna

Produced by Jonathan Edward

Language: English

Genre: Rock

Pranati Khanna a.k.a. Peekay has been around for a while now and even though I have featured her before, I believe this new album is her best work yet. She has written some hard-hitting words, with lyrics like "In the end, we pretend" straight off the bat. The presence of lead guitars and drums gives the rock flavour aptly. 

She gets A+ for her vocals, which couldn't have been better delivered. Jonathan Edward trounces with his role as the producer. Peekay introduces a high-energy rap section in between and that fuses so well with the rest of the song. The song is extremely stylish and towards the end, we get a nice string section in the background to glorify the song even further. 

@peekayindia @keshavdhar @but_does_it_chug @bluetreeindia

6. Gili Si Subah

Singer: Papon

Lyricist: Ankit Pandey

Music: Saurabh-Vaibhav

Language: Hindi

Genre: Tumri- Pop fusion

This movie album called "Love All" already is impressive in terms of its music. I featured a song performed by Jubin Nautiyal a couple of weeks ago and here we are with another one composed by Saurabh-Vaibhav and this time performed by the indomitable Papon.

I do sense some influence of Raag Khamaj in this composition, but when I spoke with Saurabh-Vaibhav, they corrected me and apparently, it is based on Raag Jansamohini. Papon sings it like he is taking a walk in the park. The accompanying flute solo and the guitars and rhythms make for some fantastic garnish to this tune. The guitars and bass pile up on the beauty in the interlude with the strings section. Saurabh and Vaibhav did well and composed a full-flown song rather than just a few lines like many lazy composers these days. 

The production is fantastic whether it is the keys and rhythm programming or the arrangement of live instruments. 

@musicsaurabhvaibhav @imbhobho @saurabh4music @mixedbyaftab @paponmusic @ankit.pandey.90 

7. Mere Hindostan

Lyrics: Manoj Yadav 

Singers: Swaroop Khan, Meghdeep Bose

Music Composed, Arranged & Produced by Meghdeep Bose

Additional Production: Sparsh Agrawal

Language: Hindi

Genre: Patriotic Anthem

The Horns blow the notes "Vande Mataram" and you are immediately instilled with patriotic fervour. It is about time, Meghdeep Bose made his way into these weeklies, for I believe he is one of India's most talented music producers. Among the many songs released on the occasion of India's Independence Day, this tops them all. 

The humming by the Choir and the thumping percussions make way for Swaroop Khan's vocal lead. The Choir has some amazing singers viz. Juhi Mahagaye, Gyanita Dwivedi, Trishita Maitra, Umesh Joshi, Vijay Dhuri, Pritam Senapati, Abin Thomas and Parvatish Pradeep. Swaroop Khan gives more than a 100% as always and his ability to sing with such a wide vocal range is phenomenal. 

Meghdeep plays the guitars, Synths and percussions and his arrangements and programming get minute things like the Sarangi introduced in between. Another talented producer Sparsh Agarwal joins the party and contributes to additional Production. I believe there is an influence of Raag Desh in the tune here. It is fantastic to hear Meghddep's voice as it comes in the form of mellowed and pleasant against Swaroop's passionate and charged-up. I love how the stanza ends with "Aakhri saans tak" and the chords on the Keys progress beautifully. Here comes the "Vande Mataram" notes again followed by the chorus. 

The recording engineers are Meghdeep and Gyanita Dwivedi at Sound Bakery, Mumbai. The synth programming in the background when the Original 'Vande Mataram' is sung by the Choir is just brilliant to hear. Manasi Tare does the Atmos mix and Donal Whelan does the mastering. 

@meghdeep_bose @musical_swaroop @manojyadavwrites @sprshagarwal @manasitare @whelandonal @gyanitadwivedi @muzzicmaniac @trishitarecs @ujmusic28 @abinthomasmusic @parvatish @bohemiajunction @andrewtmackay

8. Rasmalai

Singer/Composer: Yashraj Mukhate

Lyricist: Alok Ranjan Srivastava

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

Yashraj Mukhate is turning on the screws with every new single that he is releasing. Just last week, an impressive production by him with QK's writing and vocals called "Le Jaa" was featured. This one, however, sounds delicious as the title itself and is composed and performed by Yashraj with Alok Ranjan Srivastava's lyrics. 

Full marks to Yashraj for this well-rounded and adequate production, which in some ways sounds like an Ajay-Atul output. The solid strings section in the background makes way for the mild guitars and Yashraj's vocals. In the Antara section, we get those delicate Mandolin bits by Shomu, and one must agree that Yashraj does well especially singing the higher notes. 

The writing is so descriptive and one can visualise the Rasmalai in front of our eyes, making our mouths water. The arrangements get an A+ with the strings section and Mandolin getting interjected beautifully. The highlight is the kid's chorus singing "Ey Rasmalai", and what better way to showcase a song about candies and sweets than to make kids sing it with joy?

Yashraj handles the programming and mixing with Ajinkya Dhapare on mastering duties. Yashraj never leaves this song like some half-baked effort, as he composes one full stanza and also a bridge section, to fully display his potential. The outro with the Violins and Violas in the lead sounds emphatic. 

@yashrajmukhate @shomu_seal @hashtag.jazbaat @midnight.kettle @ajinkyadhapare 

9. Jaane Kyun (reimagined)

Singers- Keshuv Huria and Reena Gilbert

Composition and Music Production- Reena Gilbert and Keshuv Huria

Lyrics- Keshuv Huria

Additional Programming- Aditya Bisht

Language: Hindi

Genre: Ballad

This is a re-imagined version of a song composed by Reena Gilbert. I have known her as an outstanding sound engineer who has worked on some amazing projects in a world dominated by men. I have also been impressed by her singles composed by her but this one takes the cake. It gives me pleasure to know that another bright musician in Keshuv Huria has sung the male lead and more importantly produced the song along with Reena.

Keshuv's voice is magnetic and impactful and it shows here when he opens the account. The song is composed by the duo of Keshuv and Reena with the former penning the lyrics. There is an innate sadness when Keshuv sings and does that mild humming after the title phrase. The Piano and the strings in the background along with the slowish tempo of the song add to the pathos. 

Reena joins in later as the female lead vocalist and she maintains the emotional tone that Keshuv starts with. The line that comes in the stanza " kaash ki vaqt ye bataa detaa vaqt ke rahete" comes as a surprise, because one can feel a mild tonal shift in the notes. This line is beautiful musically and the notes are not melancholic, but when the Piano plays we feel like sun rays beaming through dark clouds and giving hope. A message of longing cannot be delivered by the music and singing alone, and that is where Keshuv's lyrics come into play. There is a hint of a slide guitar I hear towards the end and that brings a smile to my face. 

Reen does the mixing, Aftab Khan does the mastering and we have Aditya Bisht who has worked on all the additional programming. Samir DHarap is the recording engineer at Studio 504

@keshuv_huria @reena.gilbert @addy_music @mixedbyaftab @samirdharap9 @studio504

10. Veera

Singers: Aniruddha Sastry, Sharath Prakash

Rap: Gubbi, D Cube

Music Director: Nandan Srinivas

Lyricist: Darshan Shinde, Gubbi, D Cube

Genre: Alt- Hip Hop

Kannada music is having an excellent recent tryst with some global music styles thanks to creative producers and composers like Charan Raj. Now we have Nandan Srinivas who has composed and produced this very stylish and cool single. Aniruddha Sastry and Sharath Prakas are the vocalists singing the Kannada lines set in a nice melody that borders on Rock style. 

The lyrics are written by Darshan Shinde, and the English rap is written and performed by Gubbi and D Cube. The execution is exquisite by the rappers and with the lead guitars in the background, there is hardly anything to complain about here. There is no way we can take any credit away from Aniruddha, as hits you hard with his emotionally apt delivery of his lines along with a mild and heartfelt vibrato in the end. 

The closing stages have this high-pitched singing that is accompanied by the humming and electric guitars, strings section and rhythms combined with great poise. Well done Nandan, and now your work has to be closely followed! The mixing is done by Nandan and mastering is done by Nick Burchall. 

@theasrsings @darshan___shinde @divomusicofficial @light_house_media_bangalore @iamgubbi @cube_1612 @sharath_prakash @prk.audio @ultra_instinct_1310 

11. Nilavuthulli

Vocals by Arvind Venugopal, Neha Nair

Composed, Produced by Ranjin Raj

Lyrics by B.K. Harinarayanan

Produced by Ranjin Raj

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Light Music

Ranjin Raj is one of those composers, who strikes whenever he is given an opportunity without wasting it. He has composed and produced this song which has traces of Ragam Kalyani according to me. Neha Nair who is a talented and creative composer, sings the leas vocals here. 

The fusion of the classical Tabla and the acoustic guitar is pure bliss and we get to experience this in the interlude. Arvind Venugopal makes his entry as the male lead vocalist in the stanza and his delivery soaks in some sadness. My favourite line is "Kaval kannukal kaana pathayil" and Neha excels in singing this in a high pitch. Kudos to BK Harinarayanan for these awesome words. 

@ranjin__raj @nnehanair @harinarayanan.b.k

12. Translucent Night

Nitin Malik - Vocals

Written, Performed - Parikrama

Language: English

Genre: Country/Rock

It is one of the most famous rock bands in Asia, Parikrama from Delhi has been around since 2007 and what a way to get back into our lives! The song might be called 'Translucent Night' but it is Transaprent as day that the band is the pride of India and they still got it. 

The song has a tone that I believe sounds a lot like American Country Rock which I have heard over many years. Saurabh Chaudhry and Abhishek Mittal play the blistering guitars, and they are like an ever-present supporting cast. Gaurav Balani is the bassist, keeping things groovy right through along with the energy-inducing drums of Srijan Mahajan. 

The electric guitar solo is exhilarating and reminds me of the impact that Aerosmith creates. The Hammond Organ plays along mildly and Subir Malik is on it. Gaze on, and keep hearing this on! The tracks are mixed and mastered by Keshav Dhar at Illusion Audio, with recording happening at Ferris Wheel Studios and Blacksheep Studios.  

@parikramaindia @pupstermusic @keshavdhar @gauravbalani @subirmalik666 @nitinmaliklive @happynotesmusic 

13. Happy Pill

Performed by Merak

Written by Belinda Ann Mendes, Brandon Benjamin Mendes

Language: Language

Genre: Blues-Pop

A sibling duo from Goa is generating enough happiness for me without swallowing, but just listening to the Happy Pill. Belinda Mendes and Brandon Mendes are irresistibly hot and sizzling in their performances here. The duo have written, composed and produced the single and it is Belinda's bendy vocals that cast a spell on us.

The siblings play the Violin, Piano and guitar between them and I can those elements tantalising and titillating my senses. The production is nothing short of ecstatic as we hear the lead guitars constantly hitting those notes along with the drums. The solo on the electric guitar is one of the best moments of the song. Go check out their EP " Manic Mode" and it won't be a waste of your time. Dualist Inquiry handles the mixing and mastering and Sijya is in charge of the album cover art. 

@merak.music.official @dualistinquiry @sijya 

14. Re Sanam

Music: Kedar - Bhargav 

Singer: Siddharth Amit Bhavsar

Lyrics: Milind Gadhavi 

Produced and Arranged by: Mir Desai

It feels nice to feature a Gujarati song here A few names are known to me and some of them are new. This is a song I heard at 430 AM while I was waiting to collect my baggage at the Mumbai Airport. There was a 30-minute delay and all the passengers kept waiting for the conveyor belt to start moving. I could sense some people getting frustrated but something kept me calm and distracted from all this noise. 

That thing was this melody composed by Kedar-Bhargav. The song is from the movie called " Hu Ane Tu" and this love song is sung by Siddharth Amit Bhavsar, but the vocals alone cannot drive the feeling of romance. It is Ishan Das' stunning guitars that accompany you on this joyful ride. Kedar and Bhargav throw in a few surprises in the melody and that is why the notes and the song never sound mundane. The song does possess a mild resemblance to Pritam's 'Teri Ore'. 

I love the bass guitars, Keys and rhythm programming employed. A big round of applause for Mir Desai who has done all the arrangements and programming. The intervention of acoustic guitars and Piano is well-timed and it gets better with the electric guitar and harmonies. Himanshu Shirlekar does the mixing and mastering. 

Mixed and Mastered: Himanshu Shirlekar at Kopper Audio

@kedarandbhargav @musicwaala @panoramamusic @mirdesai16 @ishandas_666 @mixedbyhim @milindosphere

15. Ghulam

Composition: Raghav Meattle, Maara 

Lyrics: Raghav Meattle

Production: Maara 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

Ashizh Zachariah got featured a couple of weeks ago with a banger of a track called "Dheemi", and he is one of my favourite producers in the country. He goes by the name Maara now and he and the indie music exponent Raghav Meattle compose a pleasant melody. Raghav writes the lyrics and Maara does the production. 

Raghav's mild vocals tease us, but the guitar strumming piles on the intensity. The combined impact of the Piano, guitars and harmonies is not subtle and it generates interest in the song as Raghav sings " Door Khoya Khoya sa hoon main". The mild guitar solo is playful and leaves us wanting more, but Maara knows sometimes less is more. The words talk about being lost and that feeling can only be passed on to the listener when the music stops, shifts, changes tempo and intensity. Jonty Indra is the recording engineer, Maara does the mixing and Steve Smart does the mastering. Varun Parikh is a vocal engineer. 

@maaramaari @raghvmeattle @guitarded.jon @veepsified