Top Indian Songs of the week 29th September 2024

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 29th September 2024

1. Aasmaan

Composition and Production: Sterlin Nithya

Lyrics, Vocals: Sireesha Bhagavatula

Language: Hindi

Genre: Semi-classical fusion

Mood: Relaxing

Sterlin Nithya is one of the first students to graduate from AR Rahman's KMMC, belonging to the first batch of this prestigious institute. I have been aware of her work and her contributions in the space of indie music, but finally, I am here to feature her single amongst the best in the nation. Here is this amazing track and it moves into zones and styles thanks to Sterlin's vision as a composer and arranger. The prelude has my soul already stirring with the Veena solo played by Anjani Sreenivasan, and the Cello along with the Harmonica providing various textures. 

SIreesha has been outstanding in the last couple of years singing for stalwarts and legends like Amit Trivedi and AR Rahman. Kudos to Sterlin for getting SHalmali on board here as she delivers brilliantly from the very first note. Siva Krish is playing the gentle keys and the production is kept minimal other than the intermitten Veena and Harmonica. "Aasaman Zameen bankar paas aa gaya hai" she sings with so much sweetness and a noticeable tease. Interestingly Sireesha has penned the lyrics too. 

The anu pallavi has this slightly faster tempo which keeps things very interesting for the listener. I was blown away when she sang " seediyon par" with such an amazing ghamaka and it feels like her voice is getting down a flight of stairs, so well done Sterlin for the notes that land like that and Sireesha for picking the words 'seediyon par' and singing with incredible ease and poise. As I hear this melody I am reminded of songs like "Malai pozhuthin mayakathile" by MS Vishwanathan hence I wonder if there are influences of Raag Chandrakauns. 

We have this massive shift in the interlude to Western Classical music from an Indian classical set-up as we hear some amazing choral and strings section arrangements in this musical theatre-like production. The choral arrangements are done by Sterlin and I am convinced of her abilities and commitment to music when I hear all the vision and effort for an independent single. 

Sterlin's appetite is endless as she introduces the Santoor and Clarinet in the arrangements once we get to the stanza and every cell in the body gets nourished with such a melody and ravishing vocals by Sireesha. The classical guitar too makes its way in the background and the landing onto the pallavi is one more highlight with notes that go " hosh khoke hi zindagi mili". Sundar Raj is the recording engineer and the mixing and mastering of all these vast layers are by Grammy Award-winning engineer PA Deepak 

@thesterlinnithya @virgo_originals @sireeshabhagavatula @veenaanjani @krishsiva6 @padeepak @chosenchapters 

2. Running

Performed by Aksomaniac, Fatboi Raccoon, Shreya

Written by Abhishek K S, Aron Kollassani Selestin, Rajsri A S(Shreya), Raveen Venkatesh

Produced by Aksomaniac, Fatboi Raccoon

Language: English

Genre: Pop

Mood: Groovy

Featuring someone new, for the first time is what drives and excites me. This is a groovy pop single that ticks a lot of boxes for me. I must thank Drishti of Robach Music Group for reaching out to me and sharing this song just when it was released. We have Aksomaniac, Fatboi Raccoon who have produced this single and one of the elevating factors for this song is its sound design, arrangements and production. 

Moving onto the songwriting part the credits go to Abhishek K S, Aron Kollassani Selestin, Rajsri A S and Raveen Venkatesh. Finally, the engaging vocals belong to Aksomaniac, Fatboi Raccoon and Shreya. I love the emotions that flow when we hear " I'm running away from something, Spare my lungs" with the tantalising guitars in the background. The accompanying rhythms and vocal harmonies are perfectly arranged and executed. 

The melody is so beautiful and you can sway your head to the lines " Fight these demons even, one up on my feelings even" When Aron on lead vocals sings " I freed them " it feels like a Middle Eastern pop song which usually has some stylish and excellent vocals and vibrato. Shreya then gives us even more reason to cherish and celebrate this wonder of a song with her vocals. "I hope my ways don't interfere, I'm not pretending to keep you here, as you run all the way" and when I hear this my heart is pounding and I surrender to the beauty of the melody, lyrics and singing. 

The chorus, post-chorus and even the outro mesmerise me with the harmony arrangements and strings section in the background. 

@aksomaniac @shreyx.exe @fatboiraccoon @circle_tone @robachmusic

3. Little Miss Time

Performed by Yohaan Samuel

Composer: Yohaan Samuel

Lyricist: Gable Patrick Price, Yohaan Samuel

Produced by Noah Paul Harrison

Language: English

Genre: Synth Pop

Mood: Groovy

A debut single for this indie musician got released recently and it is featured among the best Indian music of the week. Yohaan Samuel has written the melody and performed the lead vocals while the interesting lyrics have been penned by Gable Patrick Price and Yohaan. The synth-pop we hear is cool and the writing makes us feel like we are part of the protagonist's problem and delicate scenario. 

Yohaan sings "Phased out, she got me feeling spaced out, she said she'' come over for closure, she thought ill be needing a friend" I love this storytelling style of Yohan I must agree. I love how Yohaan is talking to "Time" and asking for a reversal of age or moving back the clock to better times. Noah Paul Harrison shines on the musical production with some groovy synths and keys and rhythm programming.

The melody is very likeable and that is one prime reason for any song to be cherished, here the bridge section is beautifully written and Yohaan's wit is evident with lines like " love handles all my problems but not my love handles". The tracks are mixed by Eric Regal and the sound engineers are Drishant Solomon and Noah Paul Harrison. 

@yohaansamuel @gableprice @noahpaulharrison @regal777 @_rahul.rajeev_

4. Embran

Composed by Job Kurian

Lyrics by Engandiyoor Chandrashekharan

Arranged by Job & Yakzan

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Folk Rock

Mood: Pathos

Job Kurian is a behemoth in the world of Malayalam music for sure I consider it my joy and duty to ensure more musicians and music lovers get to hear his work and know about him. The last time I featured him was for a spellbinding song called "Bhaavam" which was some ecstatic folk rock. Many Malayali friends of mine were blown away by the song and I was glad I introduced it to them. Here is Job on the job again and like a juggernaut he moves ahead making fresh waves with this wholesome track. The lyrics are by Engandiyoor Chandrashekharan.

The strings section is like a drug that hits you hard within seconds of the intro. The quarter playing the Violins, Violas, Cello and Double Bass are Danny, Jose, Srinivas, Francis, Cheenu and Herald. The milder Keys against this is a great combination and we have Yakzan Gary Pereira on keyboards. The composition is by Job Kurian but the arrangement and production duties are shared by these two brilliant musicians Yakzan and Job. The pathos is immense and it sinks you thanks to Job's amazing high-pitched vocals filled with emotion. 

The saxophone that plays in the interlude is mesmerising and it sounds magnetic with some impact of a Duduk. Josy Alappuzha is on the sax and we have a dreamy and Jazzy melody written here. The lead guitar is played by Santhosh Chandran and Ben Sam Jones is the bassist aiding and supporting right through. The whole interlude and the stanza feel like The Godfather Theme in its tone. The melody is king once again proven here and I am thrown a surprise here when the Choir sings in unison with the Nadaswaram and drums in the background. 

The choir performers are Amal, Hayne, Alfred, Nimesh, Deepa, Aparna, and Saajan Abhini with arrangements by Amal, the Nadaswaram is played by Rajkumar with drums by Tao Issaro. The outro is one beautiful segment that has the congruence of so many live instruments and it feels like the ground beneath you is moving. Prakash Hariharan plays the Mandolin, Prim, Ukulele and Banjo, Sajith Pappan is on percussion, Mahesh Mani on Dholak and Tabla, and Paulson Joseph plays the Sitar and Sounderaaj on the Veena. 

The amazing live sound engineers are Tennison and Summy Samuel, Prasanth Valsaji is the recording engineer and the tracks are mixed and mastered by Yakzan Gary Pereira

@jobkuriank @yakzangp @santosh_chandran_ @josy_alappuzha @paulson @mandolinprakash @bensamjones

5. Hope

Lyrics & Music: Druv Kent

Lead Vocals: Druv Kent

Arrangement: Druv Kent, Calum MacColl

Programming, Performance, Production: Calum MacColl, Druv Kent

Language: English

Genre: Soft Rock

Mood: Relaxing

Many artists will write a song with the intention of creating a certain spirit and emotion in the listener but it does not always come out successfully. Here is a song named 'Hope' and when I hear it, there is a lot of it being instilled. Dhruv Kent is an independent artist I have featured before and here he composes, writes, and performs the lead vocals. The additional vocals in the intro feel like the song 'Circle of Life' from 'The Lion King' OST by Elton John. We have Druv Kent, Kabir Shrikent, Karan Shrikent and Khushi Pallavi on the chorus. 

The gentle tempo is heartening and feels like a walk on the beach. The mild drums and acoustic guitars accompany in the pre-chorus with Calum MacColl and Rudy Wallang on guitars. The harmonies continue right through in the background and the arrangements are done by Calum MacColl. The head keeps swaying with Dhruv's enticing vocals and the accompanying guitars and drums. Callum and Dhruv are aces for their fabulous programming, arrangements and production. 

The soft rock ballad feels like a kiss from a rose, very much like Dhruv writes in his lyrics. His writing is so thoughtful and asking the right questions like " What about struggle, things worth fighting for, what about love, what about hope?" The interlude has this Eric-Claptonesque lead guitar solo and with the sound of the Tabla in the background, I bowed to the beauty of this record. The choral arrangements right supreme as well. The singing by Dhruv also feels like a whiff of Bryan Adams to my ears and I urge all listeners to hear this and celebrate such good music. The tracks are mixed by Dhruv and mastered by George Shilling, UK

@druvkent @tulikatripathi @firstwav @calummaccollmusic @rudy_wallang @khushipallavimusic 

6. Bahusa Bahusa

Music Composed, Arranged & Produced by Leon James

Singers - Sid Sriram 

Lyrics - Sri Harsha Emani 

Language: Telugu

Genre: Light Music/Pop

Mood: Romantic

The combination of Leon James and Sir Sriram has worked quite well in the past so I am not surprised it is one of the best songs of the week this time around. Zac Celinder opens in the prelude with the Harmonica along with some Melodica by Leon James. The flowy acoustic guitars by Keba add all the romanticism but the keys come in and give a dash of love. Sid's vocals help the song attain some catchiness and when we hit the anu Pallavi we get a glorious set of singers on the chorus viz. Narayanan Ravishankar, Santosh Hariharan, Saisharan, Shenbagaraj. Keba Jeremiah is also the bassist and plays the electric guitar. 

The song is composed, arranged and produced by the talented Leon James and we have some fine words penned by Sri Harsha Emani. This is one of my favourite, melodious segments of the song.  I must admit that the rhythm production by Leon also adds to a nice tempo and just that mild energy from the beats. Akshat Mehrotra plays the flute solo, and the melody written here is beautiful as well making the expectations inch up for the forthcoming stanza. The chorus singers intervening is an interesting thought giving more weight to the melody. The song is very breezy and it can just make you evening walk in the beach feel more precious. 

David Joseph does all the additional rhythm programming, and the mixing is by the ever-dependable producer/engineer Nitin M Krishna. Sai Sri Ram is the sound engineer at Shambala Studios, Chennai, and the mastering is done by Leon. Roshan Dosh is the music manager. 

@leon.james @sridevi_vijaykumar @sidsriram @i_sriharshaemani @kebajer @zaccelindermusicofficial @palindromamusic @singer_narayananravishankar @shenbagarajg @santoshhariharanlive 

7. Mayanagari

Performed by Yugaant

Singers: Ashish Naskar & Siddharth Shenoy

Lyricist: Sukhpreet Singh Gill, Ashish Naskar, Siddharth Shenoy

Composed By: Yugaant

Produced By: Siddharth Shenoy

Co-Produced by: Pratyay Mishra

Language: Hindi

Genre: Metal-Rock

Mood: Energetic

Taste the metal, and then feel the adrenaline pumping. Here is the magnificent Hindi metallic-rock single by the band Yugaant from Mumbai, and this too is part of Soundchk Season 2 an initiative by the indomitable Salim-Sulaiman and their Merchant Records. The guitars are electrifying by Pratyay Mishra, bass by Harsh Damania and thumping drums by Vishal Bhanushali. I feel like I am listening to Metallica and Guns N Roses. The melody begins and it is a Bollywood-styled tune straight out of the 2000s discography. 

The vocalists are Ashish Naskar & Siddharth Shenoy and the lyrics are written by Sukhpreet Singh Gill, Ashish Naskar and Siddharth Shenoy. The pre-chorus and chorus segments elevate the listening experience with a rush of blood to the head. Pratyay, Sukhpreet and Harsh are on backing vocals and when we hear "Sapnon ka sheher, yeh Mumbai meri" one cannot disagree at all and the song is a true hat-tip to Maximum City and City of Dreams. Behold some face-melting electric guitar solo display in the interlude and the bridge section that follows is spectacular in terms of its melody. 

We have Siddharth Shenoy on Keys and he co-produces the song with Pratyay. The vocals and writing deserve a standing ovation. Well done Team Yugaant. Sukhpreet Singh Gill handles the Beatbox and Vocal Fx and the mixing, mastering is done by Aniket Thyagarajan. 

@yugaantofficial @salimsulaimanmusic @merchant_records @c_for_cheese @damania_harsh @ashish7singer @vishal_bhanushali7 @what.the.riff @lytmus.music @shivansh.j @iamsukhi1 

8. Bayo

Composed & Lyrics by: Cyli Khare

Singers: Cyli Khare & Srushti Tawade

Creative Producer: Ankur Tewari

Produced by Komorebi

Co-produced by Curtain Blue

Song Arrangement - Komorebi & Curtain Blue

Language: Marathi

Genre: Folktronic

Mood: Energetic

I have to pinch myself a couple of times, to ensure what I am seeing is real, not a figment of my imagination. Look at this lineup of musicians and you will understand what I feel. The melody and lyrics for this Coke Studio Bharat single are written by Cyli Khare, the vocalists are the energetic firebrand of a performer Sruthi Tawade and Cyli in her haunting voice. Here come the heavyweights as the song's arrangements and production are by Komorebi and Curtain Blue.

We are not given any time but straightaway made to dove deep into the folk fusion. Cyli has this intense voice that you just cannot avoid her. The backing vocalists come and make merry and here are the fantastic singers Pragati Joshi, Arohi Mhatre, Madhura Paranjape and Deepti Rege. There are these traditional instruments which give the Maharashtrian rural flavour with Girgaon Dhwajapathak playing the Dhol & Tasha. Gaurav Raina is involved in the arrangements of these percussions. 

Once Srushti Tawade joins the vocals the energy gets a massive ante up, and it feels like she will bring down the roof. Sianna Gomes plays the acoustic guitar, Neelaksha is on the Tutari, Shruti Kamble on Banjo, Tanishq Karnawat and Darshana Jog on the Iktara. There are segments when the harmonies are brilliant and make it sound so different. So kudos to the arrangers and producers. The keyboards and synth programming is belligerent and move the song into a zone of genre-bending madness. The tracks are mixed by Gaurav Raina, and mastered by Oli Morgan at Abbey Road Studios. 

@cokestudiobharat @cylikhare @srushtinahitohkaun @ankurtewari @groovio @curtainblue @komorebi.music @girgaon_dhwajapathak @paranjpemadhura @darshanajog @siannagomes @arohimhatre

9. Panchii

Performed by Akshay - Ninaad

Written by Akshay Redekar, Ninad Bhat

Language: Hindi

Genre: Semi-classical Pop

Mood: Relaxing

Just when you are about to begin immersing yourself into this track, the acoustic guitars lay the sweet and serene foundation, calming the mind. This semi-classical gentle pop is written by the duo Akshay Redekar and Ninad Bhat. Akshay is the one playing the guitar and the lead vocals belong to Ninaad. I love the bass guitars in the background as Ninaad tempts us to fly like a bird with his charming voice. I do hear some traces of Raag Khamaj in the melody and Ninad's tonality reminds me of the legendary Sonu Nigam in certain instances. 

The interlude breaks away delightfully with the rapacious flute solo by Satej Karandikar and with the supporting Tabla by Vaibhav Duratkar we are deep into Indian classical mode. The mood is described as relaxing and I can feel my eyes closing in appreciation of the melody and overall production. Divyanks does all the additional production. The stanza comes to an end with some well-executed aalap. The outro is brilliantly done with the vocal harmonies and free-flowing flute solo. The recording engineers are Soumya Saksham and Vinayak Chopra.

@ninaadsings @akshay_redekar8 @akshayninaad @satejkarandikar @vaibhavduratkarofficial @pindrop.music @chikxxy @soumya_saksham @vinayakchopraa @taginstitute 

10.  Dastaan

Singer - Savera, Rajan Batra

Composer: Sahil, Harshvardhan Gadhvi, Savera, Rajan Batra

Writer - Savera, Rajan Batra, Sahil, Harshvardhan Gadhvi

Producer: Savera, Rajan Batra, Sahil, Harshvardhan Gadhvi

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop

Mood: Dreamy

When stars align, major shits happen in the world and the impact is groundbreaking. I am not talking any astronomy or astrology, just musicology. Here are 4 outstanding musicians Savera, Rajan Batra, Sahil and Harshvardhan Gadhvi and what we get is some scintillating pop music. Rajan, Harshvardhan and Sahil are bandmates from The Yellow Diary and here they collaborate with Savera (who usually works with OAFF on music composition, writing and production). Right from the get-go we fall deep into a a zone of illusory trance. 

Savera and Rajan are the lead vocalists and these guys will lead you in and out of any place like the Pied Piper on rats. Savera sings " huay hai gum kahaan kasi ha yeh dastaan" as one gets lost in the dreamy pop. We hear an influx of some acoustic and classical guitars or maybe other ethnic strings. The mood moves from sombre to chirpy. Rajan enters the fray with a mission to pierce our hearts with a nail filled with melancholy. The strings section with the ethnic strings keep the melody ringing in our minds like a sweet aftertaste. The recording engineers are Savera and Harshvardhan, with Prathamesh Dudhane on mixing and mastering. 

@savera.music @harshreality91 @rajanbatra13 @sahilplaysdrums @prathmeshdudhane @firstwav @raghavmeattle @karkhana.studios @devanshahujaa @parthhmanochaa